I’ll never forget the familiar buzz of excitement I experienced the first time I picked up a camera to take pictures for my food blog. Having previously taken nothing but vacation snaps, I was stunned by this sudden interest in an art form that had previously held little interest for me.

A photography teacher once told me that there are two types of photographers: one who is good at capturing what Henri Cartier Bresson called the “decisive moment”, the other who is best at arranging objects or a scene to create the image as he or she envisions it.

I am definitely the latter. I’ve been in love with words all my life, but am also a visual learner who has always made art. Photography wasn’t such a stretch, after all.

To me, the real allure of every photograph is the story within the frame.

It took time for me to realize that the element of story is the common denominator in the writing that I do and the photographs I take. Storytelling is in my blood and it’s what ties these seemingly disparate skills of writing and photography together.

I didn’t become a photographer right away. I simultaneously went to photography school and trained to become a certified career counselor and coach. A little over ten year after starting my first blog, I’m a full-time photographer, writer, and teacher. I currently teach food photography at the Vancouver Institute of Media Arts and write for various photography education sites like PRO EDU and Digital Photography School.

I also mentor emerging photographers from around the world on how to navigate the photographic industry.  If you wand to find out more about my programs, take a look at my coaching page or contact me about a bespoke program tailored to suit your needs.

I license many of my images through Stocksy, OFFset and Adobe Premium. My commercial photography portfolio can be found at darinakopcok.com.

Thanks for visiting Gastrostoria.