I have to be honest – I never wanted to be a professional food photographer.
Sure, I’d always enjoyed taking photos of food in my own kitchen now and then, but pursuing food photography as a profession was never high on my list. It seemed a little – well, boring.
And then, the unexpected happened – I fell in love with food photography. Like, where-have-you-been-all-my-life kind of love. And I owe it all to a project that is now known as Ornish Kitchen.
In 2013, I had the opportunity to capture some photos of recipes for Dr. Dean Ornish and his awesome team at Ornish Lifestyle Medicine, and – you guessed it – I was hooked. Collaborating with their wildly talented chefs over the years has not only been a lot of fun, but it’s helped to continually fuel my creative spark. I can honestly say I’m a better photographer and stylist today because of my work with them.
In case you aren’t familiar with Dr. Ornish, he’s a prominent physician and researcher who’s helping to transform the way we treat chronic illnesses, like cancer and heart disease. His work has demonstrated that lifestyle changes can prevent, slow, or even reverse the effects of disease in our bodies by focusing on four key elements: nutrition, fitness, stress management, and love and support.
As someone who was once plagued with chronic health issues before making lifestyle changes of my own, I’m a strong advocate of Dr. Ornish’s philosophy, which is actually based on good ol’ common sense. It still baffles me that after countless visits to medical doctors, no one ever suggested to me that the potential root of my problems was that I was stressed, unhappy, and not taking very good care of myself. Looking back now, it just seems so obvious.
Ornish Lifestyle Medicine has just recently unveiled Ornish Kitchen – their all-new, fully rebranded resource for heart-healthy,
Dr. Ornish-approved recipes.
I’m honored to have been a small part of this project with the contribution of my photography. Big kudos to the entire Ornish team, including Travers + Todd, the design and development agency behind the rebrand that gave my photos such a beautiful place to live.
Be sure to check out Ornish Kitchen for some delicious, good-for-you recipes that are designed to help you feel better and live longer. And who doesn’t want to feel better and live longer?
I’d love to know which recipes you try, so please be sure to share! I’ve shared some of my photos from Ornish Kitchen to help inspire your appetite.
Ornish Kitchen logo design: Mike Lee of Travers + Todd
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