The job role of Food Photographer is a career path within commercial photography.

Food Photography is a specialty career where you would be photographing food for cookbooks, advertisements, packaging, magazines & websites. 

Food photographers should understand the art of food styling, and have the ability to prepare, arrange, and touch-up food so it looks esthetic and conveys the clients image. Often food photographers work in a team with a chef, and a professional food stylist who prepare the food prior to photos being taken using food styling tricks. The process may also involve a graphic designer who requires a specific image for print media. With these roles taken care of the food photographer can generally concentrate on the lighting, set-up and photography of the food.

Besides education or experience in commercial photography, food photographers do well from having a education in culinary arts, graphic design, and/or experience in food styling.

Most food photographers run their own businesses, and serve cookbook, magazine, and commercial clients. Besides the actual photographing, food photographers spend much of their time running their business. Food photographers need to organize photo shoots, prepare locations, liaise with clients, understand the culinary market & food industry and prepare copyright registrations. It's important for food photographers to have good business, marketing, and communication skills.

Food Photography Equipment:
Food stylists are known to use an amazing array of items to create a presentation, see the article: Food Styling Tricks. For the photographer with their own studio props such as mirrors, glass pieces, glass bottles, wooden blocks, various napkins, cutlery sets, plates, along with other typical photography and lighting equipment is standard. 

Food Photography Education
If you are a student wanting to get a job as a food photographers you will first need traditional photography experience. You can find photography courses and degree programs at most colleges, universities, and fine art schools. It's also extremely common for food photographers to have experience in the culinary arts, first working as chefs or food stylists, an understanding and appreciation for food can go along way when photographing it.

Going for the Job Interview:
With experience or a photography course completed, the best path to a career is apply for an assistant job with a well-established food photographer or food stylist. Before going for the job interview put together a resume/portfolio, of your best food photographs, include any certificates from photography schools or education programs. And if you happen to have related experience in Graphic Design, include some examples of packaging or food advertisements that you designed. 

Other Career Paths:
Other food industry jobs Other artistic jobs in the food industry include executive chefs, sous-chefs, sauciers, garde mangers, pastry chefs, cake decorators, and food stylists