COOKBOOKS
Hi, I'm Amanda,
and I'm your artist.
I plan your shoot before I ever pick up the camera.
Long before shoot day, I'm already deep in it. Pouring over your menu, pulling props and surfaces, working out which dishes will photograph like the showstoppers they are and which ones won't serve you the way you hope. By the time we shoot, I've already seen it.​
I'm your food stylist and chef.
I take your dish from plated-for-eating to camera-ready and assemble it right on set, placing every crumb, building every cheesy drip. I reduce the syrup until it's almost solid so it can be sculpted. I keep a foamer on hand for when the beer goes flat.
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I spend hours tossing peppers into water to get the perfect splash! Of course it's always the final shot of the day.
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Creating art is my job and I don't take it lightly.
Here's what I need from you.
Hire me because you've seen what I do and you want it. Then let me go do it.
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I'm at my best when I'm trusted with the vision, not managed through it. My obsession is your product. If you want someone to shoot exactly what you sketch, we're probably not a match. If you want to collaborate, hand me the vision, and then see your food looking better than you imagined, we're going to get along.
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I know what your food means to you. It's your name, your years, your whole life. I don't take it lightly. I know it's a privilege to be a small part of what you do.
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Let's make some magic.
We did our first corporate dinner party for 25 guests. Five-course sit-down, passed hors d'oeuvres, champagne reception, the whole kit and kaboodle. When the client's assistant saw the website, she didn't even bother to shop around, and booked me immediately.
Chef David DeQuay, Chicago, IL
Make your food impossible to scroll past.
After Monica's first food photography session:
“The value of the digital imagery is simply amazing. My food photos are working to help me connect with my ideal clients. THANK YOU!”
After Monica's second session:
"I just booked three clients in one day, so something is working. My photos created the shift in my business that I wanted to happen this year."​
Chef Monica Thomas, Washington DC,
WHERE TO BEGIN
How We Work Together
Every project begins with your Menu Map, the plan we build together before a single shot is taken. It is where we decide which dishes will photograph beautifully, which will not serve your brand the way you hope, and exactly how many images you need for your website and your menu. It is yours (and/or your teams) to keep, and it is the step I always wished someone had built for me back when I was the one drowning in the details of my own food business.
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When it's time to execute, day one is our alignment day. You're either in studio with me or on the live link for a longer session, and we take the time to get the look right. After that we settle into the rhythm of the shoot, and every final shot goes to your screen for approval in real time.
The consult is $250, credited toward your project when you book.
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I take a limited number of full projects each year,
so every one gets my complete focus.
Now Booking: One spot left for October 2026.
"The photos look amazing!!
You did such a great job & I'm so excited to start using them.
Thank you so much!!!"
Lily, Marketing Director | Survival Frog
