Michelle Liu
About
Hi there! I’m Michelle, and I'm a Bay Area-based photographer with a lifelong passion for all things food, cooking, and storytelling. Growing up, I was the kind of kid who was always more interested in magazines than comic books or young adult novels, and I found myself particularly drawn to food magazines. I was tantalized by the photographs that captured the natural beauty of fresh ingredients and regional cooking techniques, as well as the stories of travels and traditions that transported me to faraway places my family never had a chance to visit. To this day, I still find myself captivated by the vibrant colors and distinctive textures in the world around me, and I learn as much as I can about the world’s many food traditions as I can.
Over the years, I’ve spent countless hours in the kitchen cooking, baking, and experimenting. Sometimes, it's to master a technique, and sometimes, it's to recreate a memory. Sometimes, it's to make a custom birthday cake (or tart, as the case may be – in any case, it’s a gift that I know will never go to waste), and sometimes, it's out of curiosity - just to see what I can make with an unfamiliar ingredient. You can find the results of these experiments on my “In the Lab” page.
As a food photographer, my mission is to capture mouthwatering photos for food businesses of all shapes and sizes that keep customers coming back for more. As a fellow cook and baker, I understand the value of quality ingredients and carefully honed technique. I work closely with clients to understand their goals and not only make their products shine, but also to tell their unique stories.
Although I’m an East Bay girl born and bred, I’ve also had a perpetual case of wanderlust – and the good fortune to have spent almost 15 years living abroad (in Barcelona, Zhuhai, and Guangzhou). My time abroad has shaped so many aspects of my life and the way I see things – more than I could count or name here - but one of them is my desire to explore places and truly get to know them.
In my “On the Road” page, you’ll find photographs of landscapes, people, and moments captured during adventures near and far. They’re not always the most epic locations (many of them are in my proverbial backyard), but I hope they give you a sense of what it’s like to be on the road (or the trail) with me and maybe inspire you to take a closer look at the beautiful things hiding in plain sight all around us. You can find more of my landscape photographs on Instagram: @miel_y_nieve
I’m incredibly honored and grateful to have had my photograph “Flow State” selected for the 2023 DeYoung Open: https://deyoungopen2023.artcall.org/submissions/qr-view/433952