about
I was born and raised in San Francisco's Haight Ashbury neighborhood. I picked up my first camera in high school and never put it down. After the SF earthquake of ’89, I walked around with my Nikomat, and documented people and listened to their stories, sparking my obsession with photo journalism.This led me to UCLA, where I shot and edited their Daily Bruin and studied all forms of art. As art students, we were warned to find other ways to make money if we didn’t want to “live off of Top Ramen." This motivated me to explore commercial photography, specifically food photography. After assisting in a food photographer’s studio, I met talented food stylists who asked me to collaborate with them on cookbook projects. I have since shot over 100 cookbooks to date.
Shooting food has taught me how to look at things and make them come to life with light. There is a special moment when food reveals its optimum appetite appeal. Like food, all objects have their sweet spot and finding it, is what I challenge myself to do with everything that I photograph. Revealing imperfections and curious situations drives my imagery making.
Living in San Francisco with my husband and two young boys, I've learned to embrace the unpredictability of life. They constantly challenge me to do and see things in different ways. Trips up the coast of Northern CA inspire and renew me; visiting hot springs, riding horses, finding and collecting natural objects to paint. Nowadays, I love myself a ghost salt rimmed mezcal margarita, listening to our family band jamming away and drawing.