Food Photography San Diego

Hi, I'm Laura. I have been cooking and blogging at Family Spice since 2006. I started blogging in 2008 as a way to express myself creatively. I left my career in advertising as an account executive and graphic designer to stay home and raise my kids. I create all of my recipes, style every dish, photograph them, video them and write all the posts on my blog.

Getting creative in the kitchen, combining fresh ingredients, contrasting flavors, exotic spices and multiple cooking techniques from all over the world continues to be my passion today. I have worked with all kinds of brands for recipe development and food photography, like Sun-Maid Raisins, Harris Ranch Beef, Newman’s Own, Crazy Cuizine, Boulder Canyon Chips, Frieda’s Produce and Idaho Potato Commission.

My passion for photography began at a young age. My father gave me my first camera, a Pentax K1000, as well as the love for photography. I took classes, joined my high school newspaper and yearbook, where I developed my own black and white film and photographs. I covered local sports events for my community newspaper and interned at The Houston Chronicle.

I have a BSBA in Marketing from the University of Arizona. I worked in advertising for over seven years before I chose to stay home and raise my three children. Blogging has become a wonderful creative outlet for me. I have styled and photographed all the pictures on my blog and featured here.

I photographed, designed and co-wrote my first cookbook, Cooking Techniques and Recipes with Olive Oil (Two Extra Virgins 2014). I am also a certified olive oil specialist after completing the Olive Oil Sensory Class with UC Davis.

My second cookbook, The Camp and Cabin Cookbook (Countryman Press, May 2018), is all about cooking outdoors. I developed and photographed over 100 recipes from breakfast to main courses, desserts to drinks where everything is made outdoors using multiple cooking techniques, i.e. Dutch oven, grill, coal, foil, ash, etc..

In 2015, I became a member of Les Dames d'Escoffier San Diego Chapter, where I am currently the Vice President. In 2020, I completed Rouxbe's Online Culinary School and received my Professional Cook Certification.

If you have any questions or would like to work with me please email me:   Laura AT familyspice DOT com.

All Images Protected By Copyright

All images on this site may not be used for any purposed and are protected by US copyright. If you would like to license any images for your projects, please email me  so we can discuss the details. Thank you.