People of Bermondsey : Meet Iona Kong, Photographer and Founder of Studio Iona

Apr 9

Hi Iona, please introduce yourself and business.

I’m Iona, a freelance food + lifestyle photographer. I’ve lived in SE1 since 2012, I love the area and I’d say the accessibility of exceptionally high quality of restaurants, cafes, bars and bakeries has nurtured my career from its humble beginnings to being an established photographer. I am the founder of Studio Iona.

When was the moment you realised you were going to make a go of your own business?

I always knew I wanted a career in food, having worked in hospitality for years. My interest in photography was sparked whilst doing a course at the London Institute of Photography, and afterwards I began to build up a small client base for content creation, all whilst using my knowledge of food which I found really benefited my niche. Now, I am motivated by the independence of being self-employed whilst also making lots of meaningful connections within the food industry.

What does an average photography job entail?

Every job is different, which I love and keeps me on my toes. But I offer services for recipe creation, food styling and photography. It really depends on the clients needs. Recently I have been enjoying going into restaurants and shooting their food, interiors and chef portraits. But over lockdown I was able to work from home for food businesses who needed their products incorporated into a recipe, shot and styled beautifully. I like to describe it as: I help my clients ‘show up’ digitally, as well as making people hungry.

Iona Kong, the photographer behind the viral Weetabix with Heinz Beans campaign. Catch up with the hilarious Twitter feed here.

Where do you get your coffee in SE1 and what’s your order?

Stoney Street! I used to work at 26 Grains so I love seeing friendly faces, and their oat matcha latte is a hug in a mug.

What is the best meal you’ve had in SE1?

It was years ago, but a cheese soufflé with tomato sauce at 40 Maltby Street. It was literally just cheese and tomato but the textures and flavours were exceptional. Simplicity at its best!