The Secret Life of Chocolate Chip Cookies in pictures

The funny thing about photographing cookbooks is the way the project completely takes over your life for a couple of months — planning, styling and shooting, editing (and more editing), then poof, it disappears. Seasons change, other projects take priority, and the itch to share those images fades. Then out of the blue, a package arrives, you open the box, and there it is: the finished book, more beautiful than you imagined. That long-ago shoot almost feels like a dream.

That’s exactly where we are now because The Secret Life of Chocolate Chip Cookies has officially launched! I had the absolute pleasure of photographing this cookbook with author Marissa Rothkopf Bates last year during the holiday season — honestly, the perfect time to be awash in cookies.

When the publisher first approached me, I did a little due diligence (aka Googling Marissa). Within minutes of reading her Substack, The Secret Life of Cookies, I knew we’d get along. It’s a fascinating combination of topics (baking + democracy) and I admired her ability to bring both together with warmth and wit. Marissa thought I’d be a good fit because, as she put it, my portfolio has a thing for luscious-looking brown foods.

We turned her dining room into a temporary photo studio, working around holiday chaos, her teaching schedule, and (because life is never simple) the arrival of her new puppy, Norman. Yes, he’s as adorable as you’re imagining.

For most cookbook shoots, I plan everything down to the smallest detail. It’s a big project, and every recipe needs to look its best while still giving the book a lively rhythm. For this one, because it was tough to visualize each cookie just from the recipe, I gathered lots of inspiration images. We used them as anchors for each chapter, then filled in with a mix of singles and multiples, dark and light setups, hard and soft light, colorful surfaces and neutral ones. The styling always stayed simple to keep the focus on the cookies.

Here’s the kicker: I’m not even a huge fan of chocolate or cookies, which is why I can confidently say these recipes are worth your time. They’re inventive, delicious, and a little bit surprising. My personal favorite? The Lemon White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies. Absolute perfection.

Lemon White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

Trust me — just make them.

p43.

You’re welcome.

If you’d like a deeper dive into the process behind this project — from concept through final images — I’ve written up a full case study on my Projects page.

Planning a cookbook or food photography project of your own? Let’s talk about how I can bring your recipes to life.