My First Cookbook Photography Gig

Last July, while Jon and I were in Maui still looking for a place to move to, I got a call from my dear friend and now business partner, Anni Daulter.  She was in the middle of writing two books, while another one fell in her lap and would I like to be the photographer for it?

We had just wrapped up the work on Sacred Pregnancy, were visioning the online magazine for it, she was packing up her family to move to Pennsylvania, and I was heading back to California to pack up our lives before heading back out to Maui.

“Totally!”  Was my only response.

The publisher and the original creator for this book parted ways and having seen Anni’s previous work in, they asked her to write it. This book is one of those flukes that just comes along when you are doing the thing you love most.  There was no proposal, no real prep time, no time really.  We got the book deal in July and by December 1st, 5 months later, the book was written and photographed and on its way to the designer.

I can’t imagine that any two book creating and publishing processes are the same.  This being my second, I can only assume this is true.  The first book, Sacred Pregnancy, contained 40 images, and the creation and selling process took over 4 years!  This one?  5 months, over 400 photos (submitted, because the amount of photos I actually took are countless), 6 days of shooting across 2 different states, with travel from one end of the country to the other and lots and lots of food.

Creative collaboration is a tricky thing.  Over the years I’ve learned that I’m not really that good at it.  That is, if I’m working with people that don’t match my particular style.  Understanding that style is also a tricky thing.  With Anni, having known her for over fourteen years and having collaborated with her on countless projects, things just flow.  Sentences don’t have to be finished, brainstorms are like a sacred speaking of tongues, and no matter how outlandish an idea seems, it always just seems to pan out.  There is a swirly creative chaos to our madness and I swear, it’s a pretty exhilarating thing, even if at the end of the day I’m completely zapped.

I say this to preface the fact that on any given day we would cook, design and shoot photos for over 20 recipes.  This happened on the first day of shooting when she and I met in California for the one day we would actually be in the same state together.  It was a marathon run that I doubt many would undertake, but it’s how we roll, and I have to say, I’m quite proud of how this turned out.  The book is lovely and due out August 1, 2012 and available for pre-orders now.

Photos were taken in California and Pennsylvania, using private kitchens lent to us by amazing folks.  We went to organic farms, hosted a food swap, a children’s gathering and broke into a pumpkin patch.  I love my job!

Here’s a blurb on the book:

Bountiful Baby Purées takes the chaos out of mealtime by providing you with pure and wholesome recipes you can make for baby, and then turn into delicious dishes for your entire family. Prepare a tasty Apple, Squash and Raisin Purée for your seventh-month old, for example, and then use the extra to make hearty Spiced Mini Muffins for the rest of the clan. Or treat your baby to Kale and Banana Purée, and turn a portion of it into an evening side dish of Green Quinoa. With a companion recipe for every baby purée, your recipes will be working double-duty, but you won’t have to!

It’s a great book for food conscious parents who want to make the most out of the meals and ingredients they are using to feed baby, while not having to cook two completely different meals. BUY THE BOOK! It’s great for all families, and the recipes are all healthful and delicious. I should know… I tasted most of them.

The following images are from the the BLAD (book layout and design mock ups)  So the quality is low, but it will give you a lovely visual of what to look forward to.