Meet Samantha, founder and photographer at Spoonful of Happy

This month we’re welcoming Samantha Couzens. Samatha runs the food styling and food photography business, Spoonful of Happy Photography, where she is creating a community of foodie businesses who are all working to highlight the joy and celebration that good food can bring. So, over to Samantha!

Spoonful of Happy Photography is my food styling and food photography business that I set up earlier this year. I work primarily with food brands, restaurants and recipe writers based in London to help them share their love of good food.

The biggest inspiration for me was a love of good food and the power of sharing that with others. Food brings people together, it makes us happy and it can help us feel healthy and strong. At the end of the day, my photos aren’t really about the food; they’re about the emotions evoked in others and the joy and inspiration they bring. When you’re scrolling through Instagram and see a beautiful recipe or table of food, you don’t imagine scoffing the lot on your own. You imagine friends, loved ones, laughter, togetherness – that’s what I aim to convey. 

For me, the earlier I can start, the better! The mornings are when I’m at my best, so I like to get as much of my planning, strategising and more creative work done before lunch, so I can dedicate the afternoons to more mindless tasks. I also keep my mornings free of meetings wherever possible and tend to schedule those in from 2pm onwards. On shoot days I might catch up on a couple of emails, but otherwise keep the day free so I can work whenever the light is best. I also find my creativity runs out as I get tired so I try to save my energy for my shoots.

I like to think I work best from home but I get distracted very easily so this is often not the case..! I’m trying to work more with others when I can, or from co-working spaces and cafes in the city – whatever keeps me away from the 3pm tv sesh! 

I want to make people hungry! A great photo to me is one that evokes a real primal hunger, one that can only be expressed through the classic ‘food noises’. Having a client respond with wide eyes and a loud ‘mmmmm’ is the dream!

Samantha’s photography captures ‘happy’ food in a way that’s guaranteed to make your mouth water!

One of the best things about being my own boss is that I can be 100% myself. I don’t have to act a certain way to fit in and that’s really empowering. I also embrace the mistakes in my business, viewing them not as failures, but as proof that I’m pushing myself out of my comfort zone and learning all the time. 

Client wise, I only work with those that have wholesome, honest products and brand values that I align with. There are some incredible brands out there doing amazing things in the world of food and sustainability and it’s an honour to work with people that are passionate about positive change.

I […] embrace the mistakes in my business, viewing them not as failures, but as proof that I’m pushing myself out of my comfort zone and learning all the time.

Seeing my recipes and images on the Merchant Gourmet website was a pretty big deal, but generally the best bit is seeing the excitement of my clients when they receive the final images and proudly share them on social media. 

Samantha works with numerous foodie clients on her shoots, like this one for Better Nature

My biggest fear was appearing naive or irresponsible to those around me. Stepping away from a stable career and setting up a business can be a risky move and it took a lot of courage to announce my plans to the world!

I’m lucky to have a really supportive network of friends and family who all understand the importance of doing what you love, so I haven’t actually had any problems, but there was understandably some hesitation at the beginning. As my work calendar started to fill up with clients though I felt a lot more confident, as I could prove to people that I had jobs coming in and money to pay the bills!

I have a simple list of things I do when that self doubt creeps in, like re-read some of my testimonials, look back at my favourite images from a shoot, or remind myself of the value I’m bringing to other people through my work. But most importantly, I don’t ever describe myself or allow people to describe me as ‘lucky’. I feel it’s really limiting, as I’ve worked hard to be in my position and I’ve made some difficult decisions that needed real strength of character.

Reducing my value to ‘luck’ as opposed to hard work is a sure fire way to start doubting myself as a business owner. Instead, I use the word ‘grateful’: I’m grateful for the opportunity to have my own business, grateful for the support of my family, friends and clients and grateful to myself for showing up every day. 

I do find this difficult. My business is born out of passion, so I really like to work! But I am definitely prone to overwhelm and exhaustion, so I’m constantly reminding myself to take it easy – you can’t pour from an empty cup right?

I find the best way to maintain the slightly crazy hours is with a few non-negotiables. No matter what my day looks like, I prioritise early nights, good sleep and at least half an hour to myself in the morning before I start work. This can be a coffee sat on the sofa, a bit of movement, a few pages of my book, listening to a podcast, or doodling and writing in a journal. Having friends and a boyfriend in the 9-5 world really helps me switch off at the weekends too. 

Building a business is about living a few years of your life in a way that most people won’t, in order to live the rest of your life in a way that most people can’t. You’ve got to stick with it through the hard part, because the life you’re creating for yourself will definitely be worth it in the end.

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