Meet EAT Creative, the Powerhouse Agency Behind Cedar + Salt
Images by Brette Little
“I love the creative part, being able to work with producers, small business owners and food creators. Developing simple, delicious, recipes that integrate their products into customers everyday life is incredibly satisfying and so rewarding.”
-Emily Lycopolus
If you’ve ever been drawn into the pages of a cookbook, fantasizing of adventures to the whimsical locations within or salivating over heart-warming dishes, you may just have been looking at the work of local food-focused content creation agency EAT Creative. Theirs is the type of work that evokes nostalgia, reminding you of that most precious feeling of “home” with storytelling conveyed through beautiful photography, curated recipes and thoughtful styling.
The EAT Creative trio includes photographer Danielle Acken, recipe developer and olive oil sommelier Emily Lycopolus, and stylist Aurelia Louvet. You might recognize their work from Cedar + Salt, Off the Hook, the Recipes for Olive Oil and Vinegar Lovers series, America The Cookbook, China The Cookbook, and beyond. In addition to their cookbook and client work, they also offer bi-annual food photography and styling workshops here on Salt Spring Island.
We caught up with the powerhouse trio behind EAT Creative for a brief Q&A.
“Working on Cedar & Salt was a pivotal point for me - it was the first time that the three of us really got to execute our own vision and bring a project we were personally invested in to life.”
-Danielle Acken
Danielle Acken, Creative Director and Photographer
What drew you to forming EAT Creative?
EAT was a natural amalgamation of diverse talents from our team - we each brought a cornerstone skill to our joint projects and it became obvious that we had all we needed to offer a full service remote agency here on the island.
What's your favourite part about your role in the agency?
I’ve always been a photographer, so it’s a comfortable role for me, but my work is always amplified and made better by Aurelia and Emily’s talents - they’re really incredible to work with, and who can complain when work means hanging out with your two best friends!
One of your most memorable projects, and why?
I think working on Cedar & Salt was a pivotal point for me - it was the first time that the three of us really got to execute our own vision and bring a project we were personally invested in to life.
What are some of the most challenging aspects of your work?
That really depends on the project - but some of the large Phaidon books have been crazy: 140 recipes made and photographed in multiple formats makes for some unique challenges, especially when they require natural light during the winter months and our days draw really short. The other big challenge for me has been learning the digital side of the work we do. I came up in the days of film, so the learning curve for digital application was and remains large as things are always constantly evolving and upgrading.
What resources, references or learning materials do you look to for inspiration or knowledge?
I actually try not to look at others work too much - I like to stay original. That being said, I love travel books and really look to landscape for inspiration. I also love some of the digital classes on CreativeLive out of Seattle.
What advice do you have for someone looking to get into your field?
I would definitely recommend taking some classes - either in person or online…even if you are already a photographer. Food is a completely different medium and the rules to portraiture or other forms of photography do not apply.
Aurelia Louvet, Stylist
What drew you to forming EAT Creative?
I was approached by Danielle and Emily to form EAT Creative, combining our expertise under one collective. The three of us form a female trifecta in the industry – photographer, developer, stylist. We work incredibly well together and enjoy the creative process, and that’s evident in our work.
What's your favourite part about your role in the agency?
Props! I love setting the tone for shoots with props and backgrounds. It’s also great to work with the client, share a Pinterest board, get a feel for what they are looking for.
One of your most memorable projects, and why?
We’ve had several shoots for female-owned artisanal businesses which were incredible. Most recently, we had the chance to partner with Salt Spring Harvest. The photoshoot was filled with creativity. The art direction was modern, colorful, and playful. It’s wonderful to be able to work with so many Salt Spring Island companies.
What are some of the most challenging aspects of your work?
Working with seasonal changes. Sometimes you get a chance to work with fresh local produce and that’s a beautiful thing. But a lot of times, we’re making January look like July! Getting foods to look fresh and seasonal through the winter is challenging.
What resources, references or learning materials do you look to for inspiration or knowledge?
I love to read cookbooks but I also love fashion, art, and art history. To see how things are presented, textures, color, composition. There’s a correlation between food and art and creativity. Depending on the shoot I also look online – Pinterest and Instagram are both great tools to access a wealth of inspiration.
Is there anything you know now that you wish you knew when first starting out in the business?
Taking the risk is worth it! Learning to trust your gut to get the perfect shot and not second guess yourself is a difficult hurdle to overcome.
What advice do you have for someone looking to get into your field?
Be creative and confident. There’s a lot of resources available. There are books on styling and also blogs and workshops that dive deep and are incredibly useful. Understanding the foundations of photography would also be important.
Above images courtesy of Eat Creative
Emily Lycopolus, R&D Director
What drew you to forming EAT Creative?
We loved working together, and it just made sense to connect all our talents under one umbrella! The sum of our three parts is much more delightful and stronger than each of us on our own.
What's your favourite part about your role in the agency?
I love the creative part, being able to work with producers, small business owners and food creators. Developing simple, delicious, recipes that integrate their products into customers everyday life is incredibly satisfying and so rewarding. Cooking for camera is an art as much as it is a science, and I also love the details involved in the kitchen. The kitchen and studio is my little science lab and I love working in that space.
One of your most memorable projects, and why?
This summer we did a wonderful shoot for Salt Spring Kitchen Co, and being a set of summer recipes, we ended up working and shooting outside. Perfecting 6 different burger recipes, picnic salads, and summer desserts using their incredible spreads was so much fun, and cooking on the grill, working outside together, it felt like we were creating a little piece of magic for Melanie.
What are some of the most challenging aspects of your work?
Everything is always new, there is never a template for my part of what we do, which is my favourite part, but also the most challenging. There isn’t a template or old resources I can draw on, every recipe starts from scratch, the very foundation of the ingredients that need to be included and the idea of the final result. That’s it. Every recipe is built from the ground up and is totally custom made. Finding new inspiration, creating new creations to keep our taste buds tantalized is definitely a challenge, but one I love.
What resources, references or learning materials do you look to for inspiration or knowledge?
My cookbook collection is embarrassingly extensive and I love my books, all shapes, sizes, genre, and ages, I draw upon them constantly, and the collection continues to grow. I also reference a lot of food chemistry resources, flavour pairing guides, but in reality I'm old school and am much more of a book worm than an internet wiz. My other rule of thumb is use all my senses, all the time. I dive deeply into ingredients, and learn so much from producers, farmers and experts. Food is something that you need to fully experience, well beyond taste and smell, the visual draw, texture, and sound - from the sizzle in a pan, to the crunch in your mouth, even humour found around the dinner table. I try to find and incorporate each of these in every recipe I create, which means I spend lots of time beyond just the garden, farmers markets, grocery stores, to be with people to learn what they love and why.
Is there anything you know now that you wish you knew when first starting out in the business?
To be constantly creating, you also need to rest, absorb and restore, something I’m not the best at. It’s a practice that I’m learning, now more than ever.
What advice do you have for someone looking to get into your field?
It sounds easy, recipes abound - on the internet, everyone has a blog with recipes and calls themselves a “Recipe Developer,” how hard can it be to make a cake, or stir up a cocktail? To make sure that the recipes turn out, perfectly, every time, has the right flavour balance yet is not too complicated and looks beautiful, for every altitude and season, home kitchen and cook, is easier said than done. It’s fun, but know what you’re diving into :)
Be sure to follow EAT Creative on Instagram to keep your feed full of delicious images, and to be updated when the next workshop date will be.
