About me

My creative path

Long story short

My name is Kristina Smodila and I am a passionate food stylist and food photographer from super small country Slovenia (Europe).

I always had a thing for cooking, baking and adding magical touch to the dish. Preparing table for parties and gatherings was such a fulfilling thing for me, from planning colour combination, cutlery and tableware selection, napkins, choice of music with a final touch of hand-picked flowers from the garden.

It was somewhere in me and I was drawn to it more and more. It was just a matter of time.

Few years ago I decided I would like to have more time for photography and stylings, I wanted them to become more than just a hobby, so I decided to improve my photography skills. I cooked, baked, attended workshops, there was a lot of asking, exploring and Googling, I started taking photos and practising day by day. I invested all my free time to grow and develop food business. With the time I learned more about the style developing, about work flow and about where my creative path is going.

I am here to inspire your creative soul.
Either with a recipe, if you are enthusiastic cooker/baker like me. I am also here to share my knowledge about food styling & photography if you would like to learn from me.

And if you think I could be a good fit to your project, please reach out and let’s have a meeting. I am always up for a great project.

Wait, there is more

As a child I have been very picky when it came to food. I rarely tried anything new so it is very surprising that that today I am working with food every day, trying new things, I explore and see so much beauty in dishes or ingredients itself.

As a typical libra sign, my thing is to strive for pretty things. I studied fashion design in high school and continued my education at University for graphic & print. I was always business oriented and by the age 22 I established my own graphic design company, which I am still running and developing.

My passion for food and styling goes a long time back. It all started with my love to decorate the the table, collecting pretty bowls and plates, cooking, baking, hosting dinner events and all kinds of gatherings. In 2015 I was invited to be the designer and co-owner of the first Slovene culinary lifestyle magazine. This was my first serious dating with food styling. I soon started helping different photographers to set up food scenes. The magazine was self published, with our own resources. 

In 2016 me and my colleague (from the magazine) were invited to participate in a recipe project for very well known Slovene supermarket chain. We created video recipes and photos with a team of proffessional photograpehrs and videographers. In the meantime I got hired for recepie creating projects, food styling and photography for various clients and brands. I loved creating stylings and still strived for something more, something with my unique signature. In December 2019, I made a big step in my career, I signed up for photography class and started practising almost every day and publishing my food styling photographs to Instagram account. 

My beginnings were challenging and tricky, my images were too dark or too bright or they did not work at all. I spent many hours practising and improving my work. Big thanks goes as well to a great food photographers community on Instagram who took me in, helped me discover and grow fields of food photography and slowly, slowly I officially titled myself as a food stylist and a food photographer. 

Three months after starting my Instagram account I got my first contract, yearly gig for another major Slovene supermarket chain and it is going on for the 3rd year now, the first Slovene female vegan chef invited me to be the photographer of her cook book, I worked for many food brands, hotels, magazines, tv commercials and more. I started performing workshops for startups and gave lectures about creative food business and this year I opened my private mentoring sessions 1:1, for beginner creatives all over the world. 

My gear

Photographic equipment that I usually use

Camera: Fuji XT-4

• XF50mm / F2, which is very versatile for beginners 
• XF80mm / F2.8 which is perfect for getting closer to the scene and capture details and feel more depth
• Macro 35mm / F1.4, small and light to carry around, also great for macro details
• XF16-55mm / F2.8, love it for flatlays and for wider table scenes
• XF56mm / F1.2, perfect for portraits

Post-production: Lightroom / Photoshop

I mostly work with natural light source, but lately I’m implementing also artificial light into my work.

How I started as a food blogger?

I was actually more in graphic design business, when I met my dear friend Mateja Delakorda, who owned personal blog Zgodbe na krožniku (translated into Story on a plate). We started a food blog business together but our paths got separated for different career reasons. I was the one started Instagram more seriously so we agreed I keep the english name as it was already well known in the food community.

Mateja, I’m forever thankful for starting food journey with me 🤍.

What is my favourite part of the creative process?

I would be lying if I said I loved every step equally. Of course preparation, carrying heavy photographic equipment, cleaning up all the mess and doing the dishes are not on my list. But I love all the pretty parts of the creative process. From developing recipe, creating moodboards, cooking & baking, then styling the scene, taking photos and as a cherry on top – editing.

Thank you for being here with me.

I’m forever thankful for very supportive and cheering food community on Instagram, for my super amazing clients, for mentors and teachers who always show me new ways and for all you guys, reading these lines, who are passioned about the food, either preparing or just eating it. We all know what Julia Child once said right?

Seasonal recipes

Festive dishes

Desserts