The Paparepa Effect: How a Seattle Restaurant Helped Launch My Food Photography Dream
A spread of some of the delicious Venezuelan food available at Paparepas including arepas, empanadas, and a Papabowl.
Photography: Barrie Silva
After moving to the Seattle-area from California, I became an Insta-Foodie: always searching for new PNW restaurants to explore and post on Instagram. Back in April 2022, I went to check out Paparepas’s newest location in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood and posted a couple of stories about all the delicious Venezuelan food we ate.
The owner’s son saw my stories and DM’d me asking if I do food photography. And then he asked the question: “How much would you charge?”
This was the question that sparked it all! I was at such a loss on how to respond that I immediately began researching on how to price photography. This led me down a Google-search rabbit hole of the basics of running a photography business. I now saw food photography in a whole new light; it evolved from a side hobby for Instagram, to a viable and exciting new career opportunity! If one person was willing to pay me off of what they saw on my Instagram story, who knows what else is out there?!
Today I’m happy to say I have an established food photography LLC, as well as a standardized approach to pricing. Paparepas also became my first paying client and to this day I’ve done several photoshoots for them! Grecia, her family, and her whole team have been so warm and welcoming. I couldn’t have asked for a better first client. If you’re by Broadway and Pine, near CalAnderson Park or Seattle Central College, or any of their other Seattle-area locations, stop by Paparepas! You might even see my work throughout the restaurant!
A Grecia y todo su equipo: ¡Muchísimas gracias por ver algo especial en mí y mis fotos! No creo que saben el impacto que tuvieron en mi vida y siempre estaré agradecido por eso.
