Behind the Lens with Food Photography: Capturing Delicious Moments for Tyson Foods’ Fortune 100 Brands

Working with Fortune 100 companies like Tyson Foods is both a creative challenge and a rewarding experience. This year, I had the opportunity to photograph nine products from seven of their renowned brands for media handouts that showcased both products in packaging and staged food photography. From Jimmy Dean’s rustic breakfast vibe to Ball Park’s picnic-perfect hot dogs, every shoot required attention to detail, brand guidelines, and unique styling elements that brought these iconic products to life. Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at how we created stunning, brand-consistent images for Tyson, Aidells, State Fair, Hillshire Farm, Jimmy Dean, and Ball Park and Wright Bacon.

Since each brand has a unique style guide, my first step was to create a comprehensive deck that outlined all key visual elements: brand colors, lighting preferences, props, and background ideas. Inspiration shots and mood boards helped ensure that everyone involved, from the Tyson Foods team to the food stylist, was aligned on the overall vision.

Here are the pages from the guide for Aidells Brand.

Aidells: A Skillet Masterpiece

Aidells produced some of my favorite shots from the project. After a little research, I discovered that their sausages looked especially appetizing on a sage-green. The color harmonized with the product, and when paired with the Italian Style the packaging created a cohesive look. I even found a perfect green skillet at Walmart that tied everything together. This shoot was inspired by a previous collaboration with my friend Sara Reeves for Fire and Smoke Society. As per Aidells’ guidelines, we used soft lighting and linens, many of which I thrifted. Thrift finds not only add character but are an excellent cost-saving strategy—especially when props might be a one-time use!

Tyson Brand: Party at Home

For the Tyson Brand, we focused on Fun Nuggets, Chicken Nuggets, and Anytizers. The brand guidelines were flexible, so we leaned into a “party at home” aesthetic. Using a countertop-like surface and accenting with a brand-colored napkin, we gave the setup a casual, family-friendly feel. The sauces and vegetables brought vibrant pops of color to the Anytizers, while the nuggets were kept simple on a clean, branded background. Fun fact: did you know you can order Pantone-specific backgrounds to match your client’s brand colors?

Ball Park: Grillin’ Vibes

Who doesn’t love a good hot dog? For Ball Park, we created a nostalgic, grill-inspired scene. The vibrant condiments brought bursts of color, and we matched the napkins to the Angus Beef product packaging. Even though we shot indoors, the images radiate that fresh-off-the-grill, summer vibe.

Jimmy Dean: Breakfast Tacos with a Rustic Twist

For Jimmy Dean, we went with breakfast tacos—because, let’s be honest, who doesn’t love a good taco? The setup had a neutral, rustic feel, with the color being brought in through the food itself. A thrift-store find—a set of maroon napkins—fit the brand’s colors perfectly and helped separate the background from the packaging in the shot. And yes, those tacos tasted just as good as they looked!

Wright Brand: Bacon, Waffle and Egg Perfection

While we didn’t photograph Wright Brand bacon during this session, Tyson Foods ended up licensing an image I shot earlier this year with Sara Reeves. Together, we created a perfect breakfast scene with crispy bacon, waffles, and eggs. So, be honest—do you secretly love it when your bacon gets a little syrup on it?

State Fair: Fun with Corn Dogs

Shooting State Fair was another creative highlight. We wanted to evoke the feeling of a summer fair or picnic, so we incorporated plastic baskets, colorful checkered paper, and bright mustard and ketchup as accents. One of my favorite shots was a single corn dog, perfectly dressed with mustard lines on a red-checkered background—simple, but so satisfying.

Hillshire Farm: Building the Perfect Dagwood

Finally, for Hillshire Farm, the food stylist and I collaborated on creating the ultimate Dagwood sandwich. Her enthusiasm for the project was infectious, and we layered the sandwich with multiple products from the Hillshire line. The result was a towering masterpiece that showcased the quality and variety of the brand’s offerings.

Per the Chairman’s request, we added a piece of Wright Brand Bacon for a shot of a perfect sandwich.

This project for Tyson Foods was an exciting blend of creativity and collaboration, where each brand’s unique identity was thoughtfully represented through careful food styling, prop selection, and photography. Whether capturing the vibrant colors of a summer picnic or the warmth of a rustic breakfast, every shot told its own story, one that aligned with the brand while appealing to the viewer’s appetite.

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