Melodee Fiske describes herself as a wife, mom, Christ follower, and homeschooler.
You just know she knows her way around a Hobby Lobby.
When her boys were young, she put down the chalk and picked up a camera, determined to stay home while pursuing her passion.
That led to Melodee Lynn Photography, where she spent a few years capturing seniors, families, and weddings before launching Pretty Focused to teach others how to become professional food photographers, even if they have no experience.
What’s the catch, right?
Read on for my Pretty Focused review.
Melodee always loved cooking and photography, but never in a million years did she think you could combine them and make a career out of it.
Yet here she is, eight years later, snapping photos of cookies with pink frosting and sprinkles – for a whole-ass living.
You wanna do the same, don’t you?
You wanna be one of those people who can say, “I turned my passion into profit!”
Not just because photographing food is fun, but also because, let’s be real, groceries aren’t getting any cheaper.
And the kids’ Invisalign isn’t covered by insurance. And can’t we just hire someone to hang the Christmas lights?
Point is, you’d welcome more money with open arms.
That’s where Pretty Focused comes in.
Melodee and her team could fill a Walmart Supercenter with all their courses, bootcamps, and masterclasses.
But before you wear out your credit card – $197 here, $247 there, and maybe another $397 just to learn the basics – you probably have a few questions.
For starters, is there really demand for food photographers?
Bigly, Melodee says. Mainly from food bloggers.
There are hundreds of food blogs fighting for millions of daily recipe searches, all needing to stand out visually.
Some have thousands of recipes on their sites.
Think they have time to do all the shopping, cooking, cleaning, photographing, editing, uploading, writing, formatting, plus managing ads and sponsorships?
Nope – and you could be a huge help.
But please tell the first food blogger you work with: more things should be happening atop a plate of hot, crispy hash browns. We can do better than just eggs and ketchup.
Let’s move on to what the work actually looks like.
There’s two main types:
- Recreations: You’re photographing an existing recipe. You’ll follow the instructions, whip it together, take photos of the process and final result, and send them to the food blogger.
- Exclusives: This is new content. You’ll develop and photograph a brand-new recipe, without stepping on copyright laws or ethical boundaries. Don’t worry, Melodee can guide you through this.
How hard is it to get clients?
Once you graduate Pretty Focused, it’s surprisingly easy. You’ll get access to an exclusive site that connects you directly with food bloggers.
Post your recipes and services, and – voila – you could land a paid gig within hours of graduating.
Melodee thought of everything. If she ran movie sets and someone died in a scene, you’d never see their chest rising or a pulse flickering in their neck.
Here’s the real question, though: What can you earn for a recreation or an exclusive?
According to Melodee’s survey of Pretty Focused students, the average recreation pays $275, while an exclusive pays $375.
If a recipe takes you about four hours to make and photograph, that’s $70+ per hour.
Sweet sassy molassy!
Now. What type of equipment do you need?
For set-up, Melodee has a portable table, step stool, styling board, stands, reflectors, and poster board.
For camera gear, she’s got a Canon 5D Mark IV, a Canon 50 1.2L, a Canon 100 2.8L, an expo disc, SD Cards, a computer, software, and a tripod.
For styling supplies? Neutral plates and bowls, brushed silverware, wooden serving spoons, white and clear baking dishes, clear mixing bowls, and linens.
Yeah, it’s a lot of stuff to buy upfront, but the potential to make it back quickly seems legit.
I like Melodee – she’s thorough and credible – but I wish she’d bundle everything into one super training for a single price instead of nickel-and-diming with a million mini courses and masterminds.
Q&A
Q: What’s your experience with food photography?
A: I mean, I’ve probably taken a photo of a microwaved burrito on a paper plate at some point, but that says “cry for help” more than it does “delicious.”
Q: That’s bleak. Do all your meals look that sad?
A: One time I sprinkled parsley on a Hot Pocket to give it that rustic vibe. But it looked more like it was fished out of a dumpster behind an Econo Lodge.
Q: Be honest – do you even own a real plate?
A: I do. I just try not to use anything I’d have to wash and dry and put away. You know what brings me joy? Using a measuring cup strictly for water. “Quick dap with a towel, and back in the cabinet you go, bud.”
Q: Melodee Fiske net worth?
A: Well, she was featured in an “Unlocking 6 Figures on Teachable” video, so you know she’s cleared that hurdle. With upsells and her own client work, I wouldn’t be surprised if she was grossing close to $1 million a year. But then you got taxes and expenses and bills and a whole family to provide for. But then you think, she’s been at this for quite a few years. So maybe $2-, $3 million?
Q: She doesn’t really flaunt it, does she?
A: Moms don’t really get down like that. Especially when you’re well moisturized and on a mission from God. Flossing for followers is probably a sin or something.
Q: How do you feel about gurus using God as a sales tactic?
A: They’re the worst of the worst. Manipulative, money-hungry sociopaths who realized “faith” made their Facebook ads convert like crazy. Seriously. I hope the Lord blesses them with a crippling addiction – just to even things out.
Q: How to contact Melodee?
A: Drop a comment under one of her YouTube videos or slide into her DMs on Facebook or Instagram. Speaking of sliding, why are those little bags of baby carrots always so wet? Anyway, you can also shoot her an email:
- Info@PrettyFocused.com
Q: Got a coupon code for me?
A: Nope, sorry. Melodee occasionally slips them in after you finish a course to grease the slide into the next one. You’ll still hafta pay to play, but if you’re in, keep an eye out.
Q: How much should I budget, in total, to get started with Pretty Focused?
A: Plan on at least a couple grand, all in. Course cost, camera gear, lighting, props, editing software, and random crap you you never knew you needed… until you did.
Q: Is Pretty Focused beginner-friendly?
A: Sounds like it, yeah. The course walks you through the process step by step. But you still need an eye for detail, patience, and a mild obsession with lighting. You don’t gotta plate dishes like a Michelin-starred chef, but if your idea of food styling is plopping a Kraft Single on Wonder Bread and capturing it with a smudged iPhone 13, you’ve got some leveling up to do.
Q: Can you really land a paid gig right after graduating?
A: It’s possible, yeah, but don’t expect Gordon Ramsay to FaceTime you waving stacks of cash. Clients want proof you can deliver quality. So you’ll either need a solid portfolio (with actual professional shots) or a whole lotta patience. A single selfie of you demolishing a turkey leg at Disney ain’t gonna cut it.
Q: Why is Pretty Focused on Amazon?
A: So you’ll buy all kinds of shit through Melodee’s affiliate links, duh.
Q: Anyone complaining about Pretty Focused on Reddit, Trustpilot, or BBB?
A: Negative. I couldn’t find any Pretty Focused grads getting chippy. Melodee’s reputation shines brighter than a freshly-waxed church pew. Cue me as a kid, belting out “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands” during Sunday service.
Q: What’s the #1 myth about becoming a food photographer?
A: That it’s all about the camera. In reality, lighting, styling, and post-processing matter just as much, if not more. A mom with an iPhone who knows what she’s doing will beat someone with a $5,000 rig who doesn’t. Also, nobody tells you how much time you’ll spend doing dishes and wiping counters instead of actually shooting.
Q: What’s the most overrated part of food photography?
A: The glamorous side. You see perfectly plated meals, golden-hour lighting, and viral shots of spaghetti dangling in mid-air like it’s about to be slurped up by a model with perfect teeth. But what you don’t see are the hours spent tweaking garnishes, battling condensation, scrubbing sauce off your tripod, and eating your dinner ice-cold because you spent 45 minutes trying to get the steam to hit just right. It’s less ‘chef’s kiss’ and more ‘my back hurts and I just wanna inhale some goddamn lasagna already.’
Q: What’s the biggest rookie mistake in food photography?
A: Bad lighting, weird angles, and somehow making the food look less appetizing than it did in real life. If your chicken marsala looks like it was shot through a security camera at 7-Eleven, you might wanna reconsider your career choice.
Q: What would Melodee do different if she started over?
A: She’d get the hell outta the kitchen and go touch grass. In the beginning, she was convinced her business would collapse the second she took a break. But then she was like, “Wait, wasn’t the whole point of this to have more time with my family?” So she finally tossed the spatula in the sink, powered off the Canon… and guess what? The world didn’t end.
Q: What happened next?
A: Nothing. Clients didn’t revolt. Her kids didn’t suddenly start eating gravel. Her business just kept humming along nicely. Go figure.
Q: What’s the most depressing way to fail at food photography?
A: Spending months perfecting your craft, finally booking a big client, spending an entire day doing exactly what they asked, only for them to reply, “We love it! But can you make it look more like this?” and attach an AI-generated abomination that took them five seconds to make for free. That, or buying Melodee’s program, never logging in, and remembering it exists only when your credit card declines at Trader Joe’s.
Q: Be honest: Can you really make a living as a food photographer?
A: If you know how to frame a plate and sell yourself, I don’t see why not – for now. But if you’re just here because you like taking pics of your avocado toast? You might be in trouble when the bills come due. And before you get too comfy, see the next few questions about artificial intelligence. Because today’s skills don’t guarantee tomorrow’s Venmo payment.
Q: What about saturation?
A: Not gonna lie, food photography’s more packed than a Costco sample station on a Saturday afternoon. You’ll need Melodee’s best marketing tricks because the days of “snap a pic, cash a check” are long gone.
Q: Is food photography enough, or do I need to learn video too?
A: Photos are nice, but think about the content you consume. It’s mostly video, innit? YouTube, TikTok, Reels. Static images are fine, but brands and bloggers want movement, engagement, and that hypnotic slow-mo cheese pull that keeps people drooling. Having video in your arsenal makes you more dynamic – and hireable.
Q: Can I charge more than the $275 to $375 Melodee quoted?
A: Absolutely, if you’ve got the skills, the right clients, and can negotiate without sweating through your shirt like Mark Zuckerberg at that one conference when the chick damn near turned him into a puddle. Top food photographers and videographers can command $1,500+ per gig. Alright? So put that on your vision board, Ashley!
Q: What types of clients should I avoid?
A: Ones that want 350 shots for $50 and say shit like, “Can you just make it look… yummier?” Or they go, “We can’t pay much, but it’ll be great for your portfolio.” Also, if their kitchen smells like wet dog and they expect you to make dry-ass chicken thighs on a paper towel look exciting? Run. Fast. And don’t look back.
Q: Can I make money without working with bloggers?
A: Bloggers are your bread and butter, but you can also shoot for restaurants, meal delivery services, cookbooks, and magazines. Stock photography exists too – if you’re cool making 17 cents a download while AI replaces you by next Thursday.
Q: Oh? Tell me more. How’ll AI impact food photography?
A: AI will likely reduce demand. Why hire a photographer when AI can spit out mouth-watering food images from just a text or voice prompt?
Q: So what about food blogging?
A: Let me ask you: Would you rather click and scroll and dodge ads and close pop ups and play Where’s Waldo with the next step for your Honey Soy-Glazed Salmon or just have ChatGPT give you recipes, reviews, and tips instantly without the fuss? Not that there’s not value in personal touch, unique experiences, and storytelling, but I think the writing’s on the wall: you eat the food but AI will eat everything else.
Q: How long do we have?
A: Hard to say, but if I were a food blogger or photographer, I’d be taste-testing backup careers sooner rather than later. AI won’t wipe you out overnight, but every update nudges you closer to obsolete. Give it a couple of years, and the only ones left standing will be the ones who’ve made their content more than just an annoying obstacle between readers and a recipe.
Q: Any tips?
A: Actually, yeah. Be what AI can’t be: a human. AI can spit out recipes, captions, and even hyper-realistic food photos, but it can’t capture the imperfect, mouthwatering mess of a real kitchen. It won’t catch the steam rising just right, the golden crust cracking under a knife, or the way natural light hits a freshly glazed donut when the sun comes up. Help food bloggers showcase real food, real hands in the mix, real emotions behind the meal. Bring the human touch ChatGPT can’t replicate. That, or put down the camera, pick up a bottle, and drink until you can’t even spell AI.
Q: Point me to some Pretty Focused alternatives, would you?
A: Would be my pleasure. You can check out:
- Online Empires
- Six-Figure Scribe
- Proofread Anywhere
- The Etsy Selling Formula
- Write Your Way To Freedom
- No-Fluff Business Mentorship
Q: Why’d you write this? Just for the hell of it?
A: No, silly. There’s an ulterior motive here. You think I’m typing into the void of the internet for nothing? I want you to buy this program instead.