Studio Notes:
Behind the Cavatini
Plated Cavatini with Cheese, Meat, and Peppers
When I shoot food for clients, the final image is only one piece of the puzzle. The real work starts before the camera ever comes out—from ingredient prep to plating, every step is part of the story.
This cavatini shoot is a great example. It’s a hearty, Midwestern-style pasta bake—bold, saucy, familiar. A comfort food classic that plays well on restaurant menus, meal kits, or community cookbooks.
For this shoot, I handled everything in-house:
✔️ Cooking
✔️ Styling
✔️ Photography
✔️ Post-production
✔️ Styling
✔️ Photography
✔️ Post-production
The goal was to highlight real ingredients—spiral pasta, ground beef, peppers, mozzarella—without over-staging. Clean lighting. Minimal props. A process-driven approach built for brands that want their food to look like something you actually want to eat.
Every casserole starts with the basics. This one pulls no punches—simple, familiar, filling.
Spiral pasta keeps its shape and holds sauce like a champ.
Step one: brown the beef and layer it in.
Bell peppers bring texture, color, and just enough bite.
Don’t skimp on layering—it’s where the flavor builds.
The more cheese, the better the crust.
Homemade or jarred—use what you love.
This is the moment right before the magic happens.
If comfort had a scent, this would be it.
If you’re a restaurant owner, food truck operator, or brand looking to showcase your dishes with clean, professional photography like this, let’s talk. I offer commission-based food photography throughout the South Carolina Upstate and beyond.