About me
Hi There! Im Ryan, a Food Photographer with a studio based in Leeds. Im an ex-chef with food in my blood, its the heart of my home and the heart of my studio. For me, the real drive is the magic you feel when you create a dish that is exactly the way you fantasied it would be, something I look for in my work. Tasting with our eyes, the magic happens when every little detail comes together to create an image that looks as good as it tastes. Im passionate about realness, I like to let the ingredients do the talking. Creating images that we can all relate to. Where the food looks natural, a little gnarly and ultimately damn tasty.
My journey had to start somewhere, here's a little about mine. I was always a hand on, practical child. I had to know how things worked, forever taking things apart and re-building them in a way that made sense to me. Cameras weren't an exception to this curiosity. Photography when I was a child was solely made up of birthday and holiday snaps and I think most of us appreciated the magic of having our memories realised at the film lab. Here's a photograph of me as a child taken on the family film camera, with a toy camera - not sure if it actually worked, probably not. 
Truth is, photography wasn't my first thing I became passionate about growing up. I always knew I wanted to be a chef from being a child. When my grandmother would slip me her spare change for sweets I would always say "I'll save that for my restaurant". This was a lie and did in-fact get spent on sweets. My path was always laid out. I started working in kitchens as a teen as most do, washing pots and prepping vegetables. I attended catering college where I was classically trained and off I went out into industry , working my way up the ranks and landing my first head chef position at 21 years old. To the left is a photo of me in one of the first kitchen I worked in, baby faced and full of passion. I loved the buzz of service, there was no better high. Photography was a growing passion that I practiced in and out of service. I would photograph my dishes along with as most amateurs do, anything and everything else. I never did buy that restaurant. 
I enrolled at the University of Huddersfield on BA photography course, not really knowing where it would take me but hungry for change. I never thought I would say this but I was overjoyed to be back in the classroom. I started assisting whilst completing my degree for some of the North's best Food Photographers. Graduating back in 2016 with a first and heading straight into industry, taking every opportunity presented to me. Shortly after I was scouted by a leading talent agency to join their books as a food stylist. Not necessarily the journey I had planned, but I'd seen just what it takes to be the best and knew I had more to learn, food styling was adapting the skills I already had and presented me with a career that I could develop my skill set as a photographer alongside. My career has taken me all over the UK, working with SMEs, national and international clients such as Haagan Daaz, M&S, Waitrose, Morrisons and Asda to name a few. Working now predominantly out of my leeds based studio. My work takes me throughout the North and Beyond, drop me a line - lets discuss how I can help with your next project.Thanks for listening!R xRyan Fitzpatrick
Food Photographer
grain:studio, unit 16, Swinnow grange mills, leeds, LS13 4EP
Available
Monday–Friday
9am–6pm
Phone
07984 519 079