Welcome to our “Get to Know” series! Each Tuesday (for the next year), we’re going to introduce you to a creator in the wellness space that we think you NEED to know. The creators we feature are of various backgrounds. Whether they’re an online content creator, coach, or owner of a product-based brand, they each have their own niche in the wellness world and contribute to the space, as a whole, in an incredibly meaningful way. We’re setting this up Q&A-style so that you can learn more about each creator’s why, the content that they’re most proud of, and exactly how you can be a part of and contribute to their journey. We hope you enjoy our conversations with these wonderful people and brands. We know they’re going to enrich your lives!


This week, we’re interviewing Murielle Banackissa. Murielle says, “Growing up in Africa, my mother and her friends would regularly get together on weekends and share their special culinary creations around the dinner table. These gatherings always fascinated me: all those colours, textures, flavours were a feast for my 5 year old senses. Ever since those Sunday gatherings, my passion for food and cooking has never stopped growing.” Follow along as we learn more about Murielle:

Why did you start your business?

Murielle: I never really planned on starting a food photography business. It just kind of happened. I used to take photos of food just for fun and post them on my social media and then a friend of mine who started an ice cream business offered me to take photos for his company. This made me realize that being a food photographer could actually be a job. I could help companies sell their products through beautiful photography. So I learned as much as I could, practiced as often as possible and slowly but surely, I got more contracts and this year will be the 5th year that I have been operating my business. 

What’s your mission/purpose statement?

Murielle: I would say I have different mission statements for the different aspects of my job. For my paid photography work, my purpose is to help create beautiful imagery for my clients that will showcase the beauty of their product, which in turn will result in sales. For my social media channels (on YouTube and Instagram), my goal is to make food photography accessible to everyone and help aspiring photographers understand a little bit more what the job looks like behind the scenes. Through my blog, my goal is to democratize veganism by sharing recipes that are not only visually beautiful but also are packed with flavour. 

What 2 (or 3!) pieces of content are you the proudest of?

I love this shot so much because it is so different from what I usually do. It is very artistic and dramatic and looks so professional. No one would guess I shot this on a random Wednesday afternoon on the floor of my kitchen, using only natural light and using black and white cardboard purchased at the dollar store!

If I could choose one image that would represent the type of photos I want to create, this would be it. It tells a story, it is full of life and evokes so much emotion. Plus, it featured water, which is one of my favorite subjects to photograph!

Where are you going next? What’s your goal for the next year?

Murielle: My goal for the future is to continue serving my community by sharing flavour packed vegan recipes as well as food photography tutorials (both on Instagram and on YouTube). I am also hoping to develop some food photography presets to offer my community to help them in editing their photos. 

How can we (and the Fed and Fit community) best support you?

Murielle: I think following me on social media @muriellebanackissa on Instagram and Murielle Banackissa on YouTube. On both platforms I love to share a lot of behind the scenes of my life as a food photographer as well as photos created for myself or clients. I also have a newsletter in which I share new recipes on my blog and new videos when they are published. You can subscribe at www.muriellebanackissa.com.



About the Author

Brandi Schilhab


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