Today we’d like to introduce you to Laura Kinsey Dolph.
Hi Laura Kinsey, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My path to becoming a food stylist is a long one! I began by working as an assistant food stylist in 2011, and in 2017 went out on my own as a lead stylist. I had been in a completely different line of work – interior design – for ten years or so before that. It’s what I studied in college, and my life back then was filled with classes like color theory, art history, architecture studios, and the like, which serves me very well now. On the side, I was working as a server at a country club, learning a lot about food and cocktails – and people! I loved it. And missed that life quite a bit as I worked in different architecture firms, first in Cleveland, where I grew up, and then in New York City, where I moved in 2000.
By 2011 I had rather had it with interior design, so I threw in the towel and started emailing established food stylists in NYC to see if they’d hire me to assist. I grew up cooking but never went to culinary school, and my jobs at restaurants we always front of house, so I had a lot to learn. I joke that at age 35 I became the oldest assistant in New York City, and those first few years were tough. It was a lot of washing dishes and schlepping groceries and standing all day. I think people think it’s all very glamorous, and sometimes it is a little, but in general, it’s a pretty physically demanding job. I tried to just be a sponge; listen, learn, and absorb everything I could.
I went out on my own in 2017 and one of my first jobs was to create the food for a TV show on the Starz network called Sweetbitter. It’s something my mentor and former boss, Susan Spungen, recommended me for. The show was set in a restaurant, so most scenes happened either in the dining room or the kitchen. It was a wild ride – literally like running a restaurant kitchen but on a soundstage, and by the way, nothing in the kitchen actually worked! I worked on that show for two seasons, which lead to more work on scripted shows like The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and The Blacklist, but after a couple of years, I resumed food styling strictly for things like cookbooks, print media, and commercials. In 2019 I started splitting my time between NYC and Los Angeles, and now I work mostly in LA.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I think when you change careers in your mid-30s, it’s never really smooth. Initially, my biggest struggle was finding people who were willing to hire me as an assistant with my experience level. Adjusting to the life of a freelancer also took getting used to – no guaranteed paycheck, no paid vacation. It’s a lot of uncertainty. When I went out on my own it was a different kind of struggle – I had to start attracting my own clients. That’s nearly a full-time job in and of itself. I also made a mistake signing with a rep agency in 2017 that I almost immediately realized was a mismatch. It took a few years to untangle myself from that situation, but I’m in much better hands now! I had another little speed bump when my partner took a full-time job in LA in 2019. I thought, well, I freelance anyway, so I can work in LA! But it was a little like starting over. I didn’t know anyone here, and I think for the most part all I did that year was go on professional coffee dates and try to network. After a few weeks of that, I’d run home to NYC to work for a bit. But by early 2020 I had signed with a new rep – we are much more on the same page – and all that networking was starting to pay off. Now, most of my work is here in Los Angeles.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a Food & Beverage Stylist working in Los Angeles and New York City. I’ve styled food for scripted TV shows, cookbooks, and advertising campaigns. I’m proud that I was able to successfully change careers in my mid-30s and find a job I truly love and look forward to. My approach to what I do would likely be very different if I had classic chef training. I think I bring a more artistic, natural approach the work, and I tend to let the beauty of the ingredients and my mind’s eye lead the way. Meaning I listen to my gut more that reason and logic, but that’s the way I like it.
Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
Yes. So many things. Don’t panic! Save for a rainy day. Check in on people. And probably most importantly, use your downtime wisely. I ended up doing quite a few test photoshoots during Covid, carefully of course. It kept my head on straight and my skills sharp, and gave me a little bank of images to use on my website and social media.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.laurakinseydolph.com
- Instagram: @laurakinsey
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurakinseydolph
Image Credits
Ren Fuller
