When someone asks how I got into food photography or how Before the Bite Photography came to be, I usually tell them the story starts with my husband encouraging me to buy a camera or that for years my iPhone contained images of my food adventures.
But recently, I realized the story actually began long before I ever picked up a camera.
Growing up, I spent many weekends with my grandma Eva. She loved hosting family gatherings and holiday meals. After spending hours preparing the food, she'd stop everyone from grabbing a plate so she could take a picture of the table.
Only then was it time to eat.
At the time, it seemed like a silly tradition.
Now, I smile because I catch myself doing the same thing.
While looking through old family photo albums, I recently discovered something I never knew.
My grandpa, who passed away before I was born, was the photographer in our family.
He owned a Nikon camera and photographed everything he loved: family gatherings, friends, hunting trips, and even some of the holiday meals my grandma prepared.
I never had the opportunity to meet him or learn photography from him.
Yet somehow, I find myself holding a camera for many of the same reasons he did.
Today, my photographs are more polished than the snapshots tucked inside those albums, but the intent behind them is surprisingly familiar.
Food is temporary.
A beautifully prepared meal lasts only moments before it's shared.
Photography allows us to pause for just a second before that first bite.
As I continue to build Before the Bite Photography, I love knowing that what I do today echoes something my grandparents were doing decades ago.
Grandma Eva taught me that a meal was worth photographing before anyone took the first bite.
My grandpa showed me that even ordinary moments are worth photographing.
Looking back, I realize I've always been surrounded by people who appreciate food made with love and the memory of those moments. Today, that appreciation shapes the way I approach my work: with intention, patience, and attention to every detail before the first bite.
Maybe that's why "Before the Bite" was the right name all along. It isn't just about photographing food before it's eaten. It's about carrying forward a quiet family tradition I never fully recognized until now. And every time I pick up my camera, I like to think a small piece of that story lives on.
