Arguably the first photography job I ever dreamed of, around the age of 14, was that of food photographer (plus travel writer.) It took me over a decade to come back around to it, but when I’m not photographing the most joyful moments in people’s lives, I’m photographing the subject which, for me, encapsulates every day contentment: good food. So, for this first expansive creative project, I wanted to delve into intentional food styling with complex compositions - so that while a good bit of my business right now is more simple and stand alone restaurant menu imagery, I could just as easily choose one dish and build a whole story around it. I don’t tend to eat out frequently as I can cook most everything I want at home, but every once in a while I’ll crave a really good cannoli, which I haven’t yet been able to find in Durham. So, why not learn to make a dessert I love, which would be impressive for home bakers, and which would help me practice styling for one of my next goals: collaborating on a cookbook AND regularly partnering with a recipe developer or food blogger.

Read More