Laura Scherb: Food Photography, Cookbooks and Community

In a world full of AI generated images, there is still nothing quite like a photo that makes you stop scrolling and say: Is that for real?Laura Scherb is the founder of Page and Plate Studio, a food photography and styling business that brings CPG brands, cookbook authors, and editorial projects to life through imagery so textural and rich it practically pops off the page. She is also the co-founder of Kitchen Sink Studio alongside pastry chef Emily Spurlin, a board member of Les Dames d'Escoffier of Chicago, and a two time IACP Photography Award finalist whose still life recreation of a 1600s oil painting stopped Sarah cold the first time she saw it.In this episode, host Sarah Perkins sits down with Laura for a warm and detailed conversation about what it actually takes to create the images that sell cookbooks, CPG products, and entire brands. From two grandmothers who shaped her relationship with food in completely different ways, to dying mashed potatoes green as a kid, to a decade long journey from governmental disaster relief consulting to picking up a Canon Rebel and never looking back, to the strobe lights that finally unlocked her signature style.Laura also pulls back the curtain on what a five day, 35 recipe cookbook shoot actually looks like, how she prices her work fairly for both herself and founders, and why she believes investing in real photography is always worth the wait. Plus a peek into Kitchen Sink Studio's culinary retreats, including an upcoming trip to Normandy with eight women this fall.In this episode, we cover:Two grandmothers, two completely different food philosophies, and how both shaped Laura's path into foodDying mashed potatoes green, pink, and blue as a kid and an early lesson in edible colorStudying writing at Carnegie Mellon and picking up her first camera, a Canon Rebel, while travelingA career detour into governmental disaster relief consulting and what it taught her about professionalismStarting the Page and Plate food blog, pairing books with meals, and dabbling in cateringThe moment she realized photography was the piece brands needed mostGoing all in on Page and Plate Studio in 2017 with a six month bet on herselfLil' Bucks and Emily Griffith: An early client relationship that has lasted nearly a decadeThe trial and error of self-teaching photography, manual settings, Capture One, and artificial lightingHow strobe lights and learning to manipulate light unlocked her signature textural styleWhy travel and changing scenery keeps her creative inspiration freshBehind the scenes of a commercial CPG shoot versus an editorial cookbook shootWhat a five day, 35 recipe cookbook shoot actually looks like, recipe by recipePricing fairly: Flexible payment structures and understanding where founders are coming fromPaying it forward: How other women photographers helped her get startedTwo IACP Photography Award finalist pieces, including a recreated 1600s oil painting still lifeKitchen Sink Studio with Emily Spurlin: Culinary retreats in the Driftless region of Wisconsin and an upcoming trip to NormandyHer honest take on AI in food photography and content creationAdvice for founders: find your people and ask for helpFind Laura and her work:Instagram: @pageandplatestudioKitchen Sink Studio: @kitchensinkstudiosWebsite and portfolio: pageandplate.comSubstack: pageandplate.substack.comSubscribe to The Perfect Bite podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen! Want to watch the entire episode? Head here to our YouTube!You can follow us on social media @perfectbitepod and sign up for our newsletter!