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  • Γ—

    Kelly Neil

    About

    Hi, I’m Kelly Neil and welcome to kellyneil.com! This is my little corner of the internet where I share my food photography along with easy recipes for home bakers and cooks.

    Jump to:
    • πŸ•° My Background
    • 🍽 Food Photography, Styling, And Writing
    • πŸ‘€ What You’ll Find Here
    • πŸ“Έ My Photography Gear & Studio
    • πŸ‘πŸ» Testimonials
    • πŸ“Ί Some Places I’ve Been Featured
    • πŸ’¬ Stay In Touch!

    πŸ•° My Background

    I started my food journey working in restaurants. At the end of my restaurant career, I was the general manager of one of Halifax’s most acclaimed Italian restaurants.

    On the side, I had a personal passion for photography. One day I was approached to photograph new menu items and an obsession was born!

    🍽 Food Photography, Styling, And Writing

    I started kellyneil.com as a way to showcase my food photography, and over time, it’s evolved into a full-time career. I do all of my own prop sourcing, shopping, and styling, as well as all of my own food styling.

    I’ve created content, photography, and recipes for:

    Baked

    Baked is a collaborative project by several Canadian recipe developers, food photographers, and stylists. I've been a core contributor to Baked since January 2017.
    Visit Website

    Cavendish Farms

    I've been photographing almost all of the social content for Cavendish Farms' retail products since February 2020. I've also shot national billboard images, as well as full campaign collateral for their restaurant food service division.
    Visit Website

    Lee Valley

    I've created quite a lot of tutorial style content for Lee Valley, including articles called How To Make The Perfect Apple Pie, Turkey Tips, and How To Bake The Perfect Cake.
    Visit Website

    Loblaws / President’s Choice

    I've had an ongoing partnership with Loblaws / President's Choice since 2017. I was flown to Toronto for an influencer event, I've created numerous recipes and other content for different campaigns, and have appeared on live morning television many times to promote various PC products and their bi-annual Insider's Reports.
    Visit Website

    The Chronicle Herald

    For three years, I was a food columnist for The Chronicle Herald, one of The Saltwire Network's largest media titles. During this time I wrote and photographed four different bi-weekly columnsβ€”The Nanny Project, In Season, The Menu Board, and The List. These columns ranged from interviews with people about grandparents and their food memories of them, to showcasing seasonal produce, to restaurant reviews, to local recommendations for various food spots and products.
    Visit Website

    πŸ‘€ What You’ll Find Here

    My recipes range from classic East Coast fare like Nova Scotia seafood chowder and Nova Scotia blueberry grunt to simple family meals like pesto gnocchi. My favorite things to make are sweet treats I like to eat such as blueberry cake donuts, Biscoff ice cream, and brown sugar shortbread cookies.

    A Note About Sponsored Content

    Sponsored content, that is, recipes created specifically for clients and brands that compensate me financially, are always indicated as such.

    πŸ“Έ My Photography Gear & Studio

    I shoot with Canon gear, tethered to my computer, using artificial light.

    The following list contains Amazon affiliate links. If you order anything, I may get a small commission.

    My Gear

    • Canon Camerasβ€”Canon 5D Mark iv, Canon 5D Mark ii, Canon 6D Mark ii, Canon LP-E6N battery pack
    • Canon Lensesβ€”Canon EF 24-70mm 2.8 L-series, Canon EF 50mm 1.4, Canon EF 85mm 1.2 L-series, Canon EF 100mm 2.8 macro L-series
    • Tripodβ€”Manfrotto 190XPROB tripod, Manfrotto MHXPRO-BHQ2 ball head
    • Camera Standβ€”Neewer 93-inch wheeled stand with boom arm
    • Lightingβ€”Godox SL-200W LED video light, Godox SL-150WII LED video light, Godox-SL 60W LED video light, Godox S30 Focusing LED light, Savage medium weight translum 60 x 118-inch paper roll, Strobe Pro beauty dish
    • Light Stands & Accessoriesβ€”Manfrotto light stands, Neewer light stands, AmazonBasics light stands, Cameron background stand, Matthews C-stands, AmazonBasics sand bags, gaffers tape, Neewer heavy duty metal reflector clamps
    • Tether Cableβ€”Tether Tools TetherPro USB 2.0
    • Studio Tableβ€”Husky 46-inch adjustable solid wood-top workbench
    • Shooting & Editing Softwareβ€”Capture One, Canon Utility (video), Adobe Photoshop
    • Audio Toolsβ€”lavalier clip-on microphone, condenser mic kit with boom arm stand
    • Computers & Desk Accessoriesβ€”27-inch 2020 Apple iMac, 16-inch Apple MacBook Pro, VIVO desk converter with adjustable height riser, adjustable lap desk with 8 angles, memory foam under desk foot rest, iPhone 11S, Arkon pro phone stand

    My Studio

    I currently have a dedicated studio space in my home. With easy access to my kitchen, plus a large collection of surfaces, props, and linens on hand, it works well for me. I have hosted many clients in this space!

    I sometimes shoot on location, however, this occurs on a project-by-project basis.

    πŸ‘πŸ» Testimonials

    Working with Kelly was awe-inspiring! Anyone who needs food photography done should contact her right now. It will be the best decision you made this year! Jennifer Laughlin, Owner, Schoolhouse Gluten-Free Gourmet

    Kelly fully grasped the intent and character of my recipes and portrayed them beautifully through her work. An outstanding culinary professional, excellent professional photographer, and lovely person to have around the kitchen, Kelly’s a true triple threat! Elisabeth Bailey, author of Maritime Fresh

    I can’t recommend Kelly enough. The quality of her work is exceptional, but beyond that she is a dream to work with. Specifically I was impressed by her ability to ask the right questions, understand exactly what the client wanted, then execute the process herself. She went above and beyond what I expected and I would work with her again in a heartbeat. Andrew Breen, Outshine Online Marketing

    πŸ“Ί Some Places I’ve Been Featured

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    Bronze BOH winner.
    Bronze BOH winner.
    Won 1st place for Best Weblog in Food and Photography, 2013.

    πŸ’¬ Stay In Touch!

    • A collage of Cinco de Mayo recipes.
      25 Easy Cinco De Mayo Recipes
    • A Paloma Mocktail with a green and white striped straw and a bottle of grapefruit soda and a wedge of grapefruit nearby.
      Paloma Mocktail
    • A raspberry margarita Mocktail sitting on three round marble coasters. The glass is filled with ice and has a salted rim and a lime wheel for garnish. The margarita itself is a vibrant rich red color and two limes sit nearby on the counter.
      Raspberry Margarita Mocktail
    • A jar of basic simple syrup and a jar of rich simple syrup with the lids on the jars.
      How To Make Basic & Rich Simple Syrups

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi there! πŸ‘‹πŸ» I'm Kelly, the food photographer and voice behind kellyneil.com. This is where you'll find my favorite Nova Scotia food and easy seasonal recipes.
    More about me β†’

    Father's Day Breakfast

    • Nut free granola with dried cranberries and dried apricots.
      Nut-Free Granola With Honey
    • A small glass jar of raspberry rhubarb jam on a stone surface next to a white windowsill.
      Raspberry Rhubarb Jam (small-batch)
    • A spoonful of spinach pesto laying on a stone surface.
      Spinach Pesto With Arugula
    • Overhead close up of a lobster quiche with cream cheese and asparagus in a rectangular metal tart tin on a stone surface.
      Lobster Quiche
    • A hand about to place the lid on a jar of microwave lemon curd.
      Microwave Lemon Curd
    • A wire cooling rack topped with glazed raspberry scones and a small pink bowl of lemon glaze.
      Raspberry Scones

    Featured In


    Popular Recipes

    • A serving of Nova Scotia blueberry grunt topped with whipped cream in a white speckled bowl on a stone surface.
      Nova Scotia Blueberry Grunt
    • A bowl of Nova Scotia seafood chowder topped with a pan seared scallop.
      Nova Scotia Seafood Chowder
    • Close up overhead imahe of whipped cream cheese frosting.
      Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
    • Bowls of homemade molasses baked beans and plates of cheese tea biscuits on the side.
      Homemade Baked Beans With Molasses
    • A whole sliced buttermilk quiche with two slices removed.
      Buttermilk Quiche
    • A jar of rhubarb curd with a wooden spoon inside.
      Rhubarb Curd
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    Kelly Neil