For the Love of Chocolate

Banana Dark Rum

These were decadent!

For The Love of Chocolate is a labor of love, not just about recipes but also stories and the reader’s journey. It’s about chocolate as artistry, guiding readers into the art of the chocolatier. Reactor Media photographed the book for Harper Collins and Phillip Ashley Rix, who helped guide the reader through the art of chocolatiery.

Pre-production was crucial. Kris built a spreadsheet based on the recipes, determining the time needed for each. Since baked goods and confections could be prepped and assembled in the studio, many items were ready for photography. Complex dishes like the Baked Memphis were showstoppers.

The book was photographed over two shoots at DR&A studio in Nashville. One day, Phillip Ashley Rix, a renowned chocolatier, was on set, photographing all the bonbons and highly detailed recipes. A few weeks later, we reconvened for a two-day finish. Phillip’s creative exploration of chocolate is imaginative and innovative.

This book was a labor of love for the photo team. Our Editorial Director, Marilyn Jansen from HarperCollins, was an absolute rock star. She performed her normal job and also baked several dishes for the book.

Our team included: Producer Kris D’Amico, Associate Producer Tyler Clark, Photographer Nick Bumgardner, Food Stylist Callie Blount, Food Stylist Assistant Delaney Stephens, Prop Department Ashley Amezcua, Prop Department Brooke Hagaman, Lighting Director Chris Parsons, Creative Director Sabryna Lugge, Editorial Director Marilyn Jansen, Author Phillip Ashley Rix.

Campfire S’mores Fudge

This was the crews favorite recipe in the book and one of the easiest to make!

For this book we photographed 50 unique recipes. All of the recipes were created and test by the author Phillip. That is a rarity in food photography. Often times our food stylist will be the first person to test a recipe out. Having 50 recipes that had all been tested was a life saver for the food styling crew. We knew everything was going to work and come out as planned.

This was one of our lucky projects where all of the food was real. So we were able to snack on some of the leftover samples that did not go to set. Often times we will handle everything and it becomes not really appetizing. The nature of these dishes is such that we were able to keep a few in reserve as back ups. The ones that were not handled we got to taste test.

Side note the Glass Strawberries are to die for.

Working with such a team requires organization and communication. Our rock star producer, Kris, ensures that photography, food, and clients are aligned and aware of the set schedule. We must have a well-organized shoot to prepare props, dishes, and backgrounds promptly.

A cookbook involves budgets, numbers, and details. Once you overcome the initial work and organization, you can focus on creative expression, following the author’s creative path. I am so excited for the launch of this book! I can not wait to receive my print copy!

If you are an author, publisher, creative director, acquisitions editor or just involved with cook books please reach out. We would love to photograph your next book!