Late last year I was approached by Ethan Stowell to discuss a new project he was working on, his first cookbook. We had worked together before on a few of his websites, but this was going to be a big deal. And while I had shot plenty of photos for websites and a handful of magazines over the years, I hadn't really taken on something of this scale—so I had to think about it. At the time I was working as senior interactive designer at an agency, so I was fairly concerned about how I was going to juggle a full-time job and a full-time book project.

So, I did the only logical thing: I quit my job. Granted, I had been entertaining this idea for some time already, but the book project was just the impetus I needed to start my own full-time business in one of the worst economies on record. And it was the best decision I ever made.

We shot the photos over the course of a year at Ethan's restaurants and we also spent two days on location on Whidbey Island where we dug for clams, cooked food, ate food and drank wine all night. It was a great time. I learned a lot. About Ethan's food and about how to be a photographer. I should probably thank Ten Speed Press for taking a chance on a graphic designer with a camera—but luckily for me they have had success with this formula in the past.

The cookbook itself is great. Ethan makes some of the best food I've ever had. Everything is simple, clean and delicious. You should buy this book. I've cooked from it myself. It works. And the photos aren't half bad.