How an Online Food Photography Course for Beginners Changed Amber Kesler’s Life: An Interview

Here’s the problem. You have a large family, and you homeschool. You need to increase your family’s income – but you have to be able to do it from home. And you’re wondering whether a food photography course for beginners might be the path that leads you to a solution.

That was the case for Amber Kesler, a homeschooling mom with 8 children. She’d already taken some courses to learn how to use her camera. She was drawn to food photography as something she could incorporate into her busy family life. The income for freelance food photographers could be good, but she wasn’t sure she couldn’t just go it alone, learning along the way. 

That’s when Amber found Pretty Focused. After some prayer and discussion with her husband, she took the leap of faith and enrolled in this food photography course for beginners.

And it changed her life.

Meet Amber Kesler, Food and Craft Photographer

Amber is now the owner of Proverbs 16:3 Photography. She’s a food and crafts photographer who works from the comfort of her own home, on her own schedule. You might even have seen her photographs when you were looking for quick meal ideas at the end of a long day.

It all started with her camera and the know-how to use it to build a business that has enhanced her family’s lives and helped her take some of the financial burden of many mouths to feed off her husband. And, of course, her decision to enroll in a beginner's food photography course!

She’s also evolved into a confident coach at Pretty Focused. Now she helps other students achieve their dreams of being online food photographers, too!

I had the chance to chat with Amber recently about her career and how Pretty Focused has impacted her life.

Hi, Amber!

Can you share what your life was like before you began this course? How did you feel, and what challenges were you hoping this course (and the ones you took before it) would help you deal with? 

About 3 years before I took the Pretty Focused course, my husband retired from the fire department. He was stationed 2 hours from home. We desperately wanted him to be closer to home and to be home more often. 

Fast forward 3 years: He had a job closer to home (YAY!), but we needed a little more income. I had learned how to use a DSLR camera in manual mode through an online course, and I gained lots of practice over the years. Naturally, I wanted to be able to turn this passion into supplemental income for our family. 

We live in a very rural setting, and homeschooling life with 7 children made family sessions nearly impossible. Passion was calling my heart to find something to do with my camera from home. I turned to prayer! Within 2 months, I found Pretty Focused and enrolled in the course!

How did you learn about Pretty Focused? Can you walk us through the process of deciding to enroll in a food photography course for beginners? Was it a family decision, or a personal one? 

I found Pretty Focused through an ad on Instagram when I was posting my weekly photography challenge photo. Instantly, I looked the Pretty Focused Roadmap up on Facebook. I was drawn to ALL of the success stories and testimonials. 

But, I could just learn food photography on my own, right?! 😊 Did I really need to take a course? 

I already knew how to use my camera, and with such a large family, I have learned to be very frugal! Well, again, I turned to prayer. As I was seeking this out and talking it over with my husband, we needed to look something up. My husband picked up my phone and swiped it to unlock it, and I heard the words, “The Pretty Focused course is the right path for you…..”

Instantly, I knew it was the answer to my diligent prayers! I had been listening to testimonials on the Pretty Focused site, got busy, and had put my phone down at that very moment in the interview so that when my husband swiped it open, I heard the words I needed to hear. This wasn’t just by chance.

 YES! I did need the course, and I signed up that day! 

Pretty Focused teaches the foundational skills for food photography, which I had not been properly trained in.

Not only that but upon graduating, we gain access to the Buyer’s Club…This is priceless! Invaluable!

The Buyer’s Club is where bloggers (who NEED food photos and recipes photographed for their sites) come to buy recipes from photographers! Once a grad, I would literally gain access to all of my future clients! 

What concerns, if any, did you have when you first decided to enroll?

 For us, the financial risk was a little daunting. We have lots of little mouths to feed, and I didn’t want to place even MORE financial burden on our family. I worked hard through the course, built my portfolio, and graduated within 6 months. 

Since I began working with clients the very day I was announced as a grad in the Buyer’s Club, I made back my investment in the course within one month of working as a food photographer! I graduated in December 2023 and made enough by January 2024 to cover the cost of enrollment. WOW!

While we were getting to know you, you mentioned that you have eight children, five of whom you’re actively homeschooling. How did you manage homeschooling while taking a beginner's food photography course? How do you manage your career while raising your family? 

I am not going to lie, life can get VERY busy here at home! 😊We have been through trial and error, and we learned that we needed to make a few adjustments to our lifestyle to get it all done, but we have persevered.

Taking things one day at a time is helpful, allowing flexibility when we fall short, and a recent curriculum change helped us find a pretty good balance. And we could never get through the day without our prayers being answered! Such is the life of a homeschooling family!

How long did it take you to finish the Pretty Focused course? 

I graduated from the Pretty Focused course in 6 months. There were some late nights and some early mornings for me, with so many other responsibilities to get done in that timeframe, but it was totally worth it! Though it took me the average 6 months, there are a few students who have completed the course in 3-4 months!

 Did you have any struggles while taking the course? 

I had to send my camera in for cleaning and repairs while I was working on my portfolio, so that added a little extra time to my journey.

I also decided that battling with natural light was not something I had time for, so I invested in artificial light. It was well worth the investment!

If you could change one thing about the course or your experience while taking it, what would that be? 

On a personal level, and to be very honest, going into this course, I thought I knew it all. After all, I had already mastered manual mode, so what could I have to learn? Turns out, I had a LOT to learn. Going in with an open mind and an open heart is necessary.

The coaches are there to help mold and shape you to be your very best! I shouldn’t have had preconceived ideas about completing the course in 3 months. Goals ARE important, but taking the time to study the material, practice in sessions, and applying the feedback given by the coaches is where you will learn and grow the most!

When you graduated from the course, did you feel you had all the knowledge you needed to take on clients right away? If not, what do you think could be improved?

I felt well-prepared upon course completion. Being a stay-at-home mom with zero background in business, I did still have some business questions and plenty of learning to do. I never stop learning! The Pretty Focused community has been super supportive, and scheduling a meeting with my CPA has also given me the answers I needed to head in the right direction.

You also do craft photography. How does that work? How is it similar/different from food photography? 

To be honest, crafting is where my passion is! Our children are able to benefit from the crafts in a learning sense, and it allows me to indulge in my creative side!

The basics of craft photography are very similar to food photography, and I use all of the skills that I learned in the course to complete each session! Crafting and photography make my heart sing, so working with bloggers who dedicate their site, or at least part of their site, to crafts is the perfect fit for me!

Is it possible to succeed at food or craft photography if you don’t enjoy cooking or crafting? What level of preparation (creating recipes or crafting ideas, cooking/crafting) do photographers need to do themselves, typically? 

I would definitely say that you need to have some desire to cook (or craft!) to complete the sessions. Yes, you can be successful, but as with anything, it will show in your work if you do not naturally have a desire to do the job. 😊 

In terms of creating recipes and crafts, the trend at the current time is exclusive recipes. This means bloggers are looking for new content developed, tested, and photographed by professional photographers for their sites. Bloggers are always looking for new content!  

There is also the option to sell what we call “recreation recipes”, which are recipes that bloggers already have on their sites, and they only want new photos for those recipes. There are PLENTY of bloggers looking for photographers to simply make and photograph their existing recipes, step by step, in a tutorial style. 

Do you need a lot of space to do this work? In other words, do you need to essentially clean a large area of a room to be effective? 

I wouldn’t say that you need a lot of space to get the job done. Obviously, you will need a kitchen for preparing the meals! Some photographers have an area of their home that they have transformed into a studio for their work.

Personally, our dining room table is the best fit for me. I do not have a dedicated studio space, so I have to set up and take down my lights and styling boards each time I need to complete a session, but it has proven to be worth the effort… time and time again!

Would I rather have a dedicated studio space? Absolutely! But I make it work with what I have, and I am happy to do so.

Is it expensive to get started in food photography?

The initial investment of the course, a camera, and a few simple props, such as dinnerware, linens, and obviously the food, is all you need to get started.

You will also need access to an editing program for the processing of pictures. Adobe Lightroom, the recommended program, is taught in the course. Adobe has super affordable monthly and yearly subscription plans.

As I already mentioned, I invested in artificial light to help my workflow, but that is not necessary. Melodee, the founder of Pretty Focused, uses natural light and teaches how to complete the course using only natural light! Many photographers like the convenience of artificial light, and most students make the switch somewhere along the way, but it is not necessary!

What type of camera will students need for their businesses?

As far as a camera is concerned, you DO need to have a DSLR or mirrorless camera. An entry level Canon, Nikon, or Sony camera is totally capable of using throughout the course and after graduation. Some students even graduate with a kit lens or a nifty 50 lens.

Having said that, entry level cameras absolutely have their limitations. I had a full frame Canon camera and decided that I wanted to upgrade to mirrorless. I also invested in a macro lens after graduation because I knew it was going to be a beneficial asset to my business.

The short answer to this question is: entry level equipment is totally manageable, and several students have graduated using entry level equipment. Just be warned that you will likely want to upgrade as you grow your business. You will begin to notice the limitations of entry level equipment!

When you started your business, did you have specific financial targets in mind? If so, have you met them, and how long did that take? If not, do you have an idea when you will meet them? 

When I took the leap of faith and decided to enroll in the course, I had the goal of supplementing my family’s income and, of course, to earn back my investment. I have absolutely exceeded that goal, and continue to have ongoing work.

I will say that, in this business, you get what you put in. Time and self-motivation are the key to success!

My primary focus is raising our children and homeschooling, along with day-to-day housekeeping, which is a full-time job! For someone who has the ability to only focus on business, you can definitely replace a full-time job with this career path! Several Pretty Focused grads have built their dream job photographing recipes and this is their only income!

How has your business affected your family life? Does it give you and your family options or limitations you didn’t have before? 

Speaking for our family, specifically, we have been able to be more financially sound than we were prior to me taking the course and graduating.

This opportunity has also opened up several learning opportunities that I did not fully expect when signing up for the course. Our children have learned even more about cooking and recipe development, and they were pretty knowledgeable beforehand. They love helping me test recipes and coming up with new ideas. This is an invaluable life skill. And I didn’t have it when my husband and I first got married! It has always been my goal to teach our children important life skills such as this, and this was an unexpected surprise.

I am also able to alleviate some of the financial burden off of my husband. He works tirelessly to provide for our family, so being able to give back a little is a huge blessing… especially since I am working from home WITH our children!

You told us that you’re also a coach for current Pretty Focused students. Can you tell us how you moved into that role, and what you love most about it? 

Gosh, this has been the best part of my journey with Pretty Focused!

I graduated in December 2023, and in January 2024, Melodee announced that she was looking to hire coaches for the course. Being a new grad, I was hesitant to apply for the role. I didn’t feel “qualified”.

But again, I felt the calling, so I took the chance and applied for the coaching position. Turns out, it was a perfect fit! I absolutely LOVE coaching our Pretty Focused students and training them to be their very best for their future clients.

I have had the opportunity to uplift and encourage students who I can relate to so well because I was once (not so long ago!) in their shoes, and I am constantly inspired by their growth and persistence. Pretty Focused is always growing and looking for ways to serve the community better. I am blessed beyond measure to be a part of this team.

How have you changed, personally, since you started your own business? 

Since starting my own photography business, I am constantly learning. From family life to business life and creating that boundary in between, I am finding ways to create balance that works best for our family. I am inspired by the Pretty Focused community, and I have been able to build beautiful friendships with the coaches.

This has been especially important to me since I live far away from my family and friends and keep busy in our home life.

How many hours do you spend on and inside your business in a week? Is it consistent, or does it change? 

For me, time spent on my business tends to fluctuate. The season, our day-to-day life, and how many sessions I have to complete at a time can influence my hours each week.

As I mentioned, as a family we tend to take things one day at a time, so it is important that I stay flexible and work diligently each day, whether it is business related, family related, or both!

What does a typical workday look like for you? 

It changes! Depending on the sessions, my work time can vary. Some sessions just naturally take more time to complete. For example, a simple craft session takes much less time to complete than preparing and cooking a whole turkey for a session!

I primarily photograph exclusive recipes and crafts, so I have the added time of developing, testing, and writing the recipes and crafts that I create. Having said that, my exclusive recipes are worth more than recreation recipes. I am able to charge more, so it balances out nicely.

We love to get tips from our interviewees. Can you give us 3-5 tips for managing a business while raising a large family?

A few tips for managing a business and raising a large family…

1.      Breathe. Each day can bring a lot of responsibility, but also a lot of opportunity! Focus on where you are and set realistic goals for yourself and your unique circumstances.

2.      When it comes to setting goals, give yourself grace. Just because you aren’t there YET doesn’t mean it won’t happen. Instead of comparing yourself to others (or your own goals), focus on the baby steps that are necessary to take to get you to that goal. Baby steps add up, and one day your YET will be a thing of the past! You will be there and creating even more goals!

3.      Live purposefully and in the moment. Ultimately, family life and being together is my #1 reason for WHY I do what I do. Life can get very busy, but that would be the case even if I didn’t have a business. Knowing and setting my limitations is what makes a difference for me. I do what I can each day, and I realize that I am still only human. Being present and giving each day my all is the best I can do.

4.      Never stop learning and growing. Give yourself the time it takes to learn something new. Seek wisdom and guidance from peers and from above to help you when you feel lost or inadequate.

5.      You are your biggest cheerleader and advocate. Though you may have others to motivate and influence you, YOU are the only one who can give each day your all so that you can wake up better, wiser, and stronger than you were yesterday. Work hard. Persevere. Make changes for the better and be the one to inspire others! Others are watching. 😊 

Thank you, Amber!

Were You Meant For This Food Photography Course for Beginners?

Amber changed her family’s life by taking a leap of faith with the Pretty Focused food photography course for beginners. Then she worked hard to make her dream a reality. But she also made sure she had the right tools and training for her mission. And when an opportunity to coach became available, she acted even though she wasn’t sure she was ready.

Does food or craft photography sound like a work-from-home business you’d love, too? Could a food photography course for beginners be the answer to your creative work-from-home dreams?

Not sure yet?

You can check out the free Pretty Focused Roadmap to find out if this is your path to a better life!

If you’re ready to enroll now, you can do that, too. Just click the button below, and you’ll be on your way with this food photography course for beginners that will help you become a freelance expert with one-on-one coaching and training in the fundamentals!