SternRep is excited to announce that photographer + director Maddie Eickhoff has joined our artists roster!
Maddie is making a splash in the photo and video world with her bold, vibrant, offbeat style. She specializes in food + beverage + products + motion and captures every moment with a delectable energy that leaps off the page.
Read on for a glimpse into Maddie's world!
Alright Maddie, nice to meet you! Anything we should know about you right off the bat?
Wow, such a hard open range question. I guess I could say currently as I write this I'm on the plane to Minnesota where I grew up. I owe a lot of my career to the way I was raised. I grew up in a very small farm town without social media or ipads or easy access to the internet which I think forced me to be creative to fill my time in the summers. I have endless amounts of home videos where my friends and I would make music videos, make our own commercials and reenact movies. Yes, I have a whole remake of the Olsens twins, It Takes Two. I think doing that at such a young age really trains your brain into creative thinking. Now in my work I love being part of the creative process and concepting ideas for brands' visual presence.
I’m guessing you started solely with photography, how did you get into motion work?
I think I was kind of pushed into motion work. My clients just kept asking for more motions, gifs, recipe videos, stop motion. At one point I just gave in and started the learning process. It was definitely a frustrating start as it is when learning any new kind of skill. But I'm glad I kept going with it. Now I find myself always thinking of how can I make this image into motion.
Likewise, you obviously work a lot with food products, what made you choose that?
I began working in marketing and sales for start up companies in the food and beverage space and I just fell in love with the art of photographing food. The way you can manipulate it and enhance it really excites me and the more I shoot it the more I love it.
Do you have a favorite food to photograph? I did see a lot of ice cream in there….
I definitely shoot a lot of ice cream, although I don't know if I would say it's my favorite food to photograph. I'm not sure if there is a favorite as I think shooting a balance of different types of foods keeps things exciting for me.
There’s a lot of color in your images, how does that translate into the vibe on set?
I’m betting it’s a fun time being there! I want people to be happy and feel energized when looking at my photographs which is why I lean more into the color space. I sure hope the vibes on set translate into that. Creating art should be fun even if we call it "work"
Your images are always beautifully placed, do you work with a stylist or are you the mastermind behind it?
I love working with a team of stylists and seeing how they style a dish. That being said I have had my hands in the styling role many times and I always feel a bit more prideful of the work I create when I have a part in the styling. Like, "wow, I did that", kind of feeling.
I saw you have some new work with NERDS, did you have any challenges working with such a small candy?
There were MANY hours spent sorting through nerds. We sorted 2 cases full of nerds into larger good looking pieces, medium size and really tiny size that would be able to stick on the lips and not be too heavy to fall off. It was a team effort to put in those kinds of hours.
Last but not least, since you are a foodie we have to ask - if you could only eat one type of food for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Probably the hardest question of this interview.... There are soooo many things I could say but I would say a french baguette (has to be in France, made in France) with dijon mustard from dijon France, prosciutto and cheese. If it's the rest of my life we gotta get it right :)
We are so happy to have Maddie be a part of our SternRep family! Be sure to check out her work at MaddieEickhoff.com or follow her on Instagram @Maddie.Eickhoff
Watch our announcement reel here --> WATCH NOW