I ended up in the movie business after taking a few lucky turns along the road, a choice I had the freedom to make – carried as I was on the wave of faith my parents had placed in me. Although they’d dreamed of me becoming a lawyer or an engineer, I didn’t hesitate to travel a different, if somewhat winding and at times rocky, path.

Although I was fortunate to have inspiring mentors, I consider my luckiest break being blessed with a talent – the kind that emanates from the gut: a keen intuition, an observant eye, a strong instinct, and above all, a never-ending passion for what I do. It’s the sort of equipment you simply can’t buy.

For the past thirty years I have worked internationally as a Director of Photography, with shoots – both in films and commercials – in every corner of the world. Over the years I’ve perfected my precision and pace, and focused on the unique niches that best suit my skills.

I divide the main body of my work into four categories: Direction and execution of Table-Top demos for food products; TV commercial director; Director of photography; Underwater photography and direction.

DP. We live in a world that’s saturated with images. In my thirty years behind the lens, I’ve seen a growing impatience with the repetition of the same shots being used again and again. I see this as the greatest challenge a DP faces today: how to surprise an audience. I respond by testing the limits of what’s been done before. My goal is to bring a poetic elegance into every shot, pushing a shoot to stay one step ahead of the pack.

Director. The food demos I direct often incorporate live action or underwater locations. Combining a compelling storyline is just one technique I use to my advantage. I can capture the attention of my audience in a fraction of a second, often by coloring outside the lines. It might be a great kid who hits a home run, or it might be a memorable opening sequence that draws the viewer in. I work for the a one-of-a-kind shot, the hook that pulls the commercial out of the ordinary and turns it into a classic.

Underwater. As the seventh generation in a line of fishermen with a taste for fish fillet, I used to free dive in the freezing waters of the Baltic Sea in search of the perfect sized salmon. When I discovered that Finnish women were competing with me in the same category, and with great chutzpa doing it in Polish territorial waters (my ancestral home), I decided to act. I wrapped my DV with some pig fat and began videotaping those Finnish trespassers underwater, then sent the tapes to the EU court along with a complaint. Not only did they catch those Finnish women, putting a stop to their transgressions, I got a job as an EU official UW cameraman. That’s how I got into underwater photography. And while I may not exactly be Jacques Cousteau, I do have one advantage over so many divers-turned-cameramen: I dive into a shoot with a photographer’s head first, and then I turn my love of water into spectacular images.

Table-Top. This is the only time where I get to play with my food. Whether the setting is a shimmering white limbo, a cool body of water, a stainless steel counter, or a wooden table, I instantly transform it into a circus arena. I’m the chief choreographer. Creating shots of food moving, gliding, diving, colliding, and mixing is a lot like composing a dance. I design mood, image, sound, movement, and color which give the photographed food a flavor one can almost taste.

I’ve surrounded myself with a world class team, maintaining a flawless work environment. Our production company holds three studios, in Israel and Budapest, and it hires the most competent team players – from food stylists and mock-up artists, to an advanced special effects unit. And we always – always – work with film. Our experience has taught us that is the only way to portray truly appetizing food. The digital image tends to attract attention to minute details, resulting in a picture that’s more informative than it is truly mouth-watering. This is, perhaps, one of the best unknown secrets of our profession. We aim to produce a stream of images that instinctively trigger the eye and the mouth. To do that takes more than great technical skill – it takes the ability to orchestrate beautiful, elaborate shots, with impeccable taste. I liken it to a cook who can cut up ingredients with virtuosic bravado, but doesn’t know anything about seasoning. He won’t be serving a very tasty dish.

That’s our guiding philosophy: in order to serve viewers food that truly awakens their taste buds, we must exemplify great taste ourselves.

No matter where I’m shooting in the world, it feels like I’m playing home field. And what I do, I do out of great passion. Passion to capture images. Passion for creating an unforgettable moment. Passion for crafting boundary-crossing shots, whether they’re of an adventurous underwater world, or of the most appetizing food you could imagine. And with this passion comes a desire. The desire for perfection. The desire to shoot images more interesting, more beautiful, and more compelling than ever before. And in order to do that, I’m constantly pushing the envelope.

Avi Karpick.