"Ken is to chefs what Danny Clinch is to musicians, the go-to photographer of the A-list."
— Ted Allen, host of the hit competition series Chopped on Food Network, from the Foreword to Chefs & Company
ABOUT KEN
Ken Goodman is a food and music photographer specializing in cookbooks, concerts and food events. Prior to photography, Ken spent 20 great years in the restaurant industry as a classically trained chef with a culinary degree from Johnson & Wales University. He still satisfies his cooking vice as a long-time member of the competition barbecue team IQUE, past winners of the Jack Daniel's World Championship of Barbecue. Ken is also an official photographer for the Jacques Pépin Foundation, the F&W Classic in Aspen, and Bocuse d'Or Team USA.
Ken has photographed over 50 cookbooks including Cook It Up by Alex Guarnaschelli & Ave Clark (Clarkson Potter), Peace Love & Pasta by Scott Conant (Abrams), Come On Over by Jeff Mauro (William Morrow), Pitmaster by Andy Husbands & Chris Hart (Fair Winds Press), 101 Asian Dishes by Jet Tila (Page Street), Cool Smoke by Tuffy Stone (St. Martin's Press), Praise the Lard by Mike & Amy Mills (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) and the highly anticipated Barbuto Cookbook by Jonathan Waxman (Abrams).
Though based in NYC, Ken travels extensively, so when not on assignment he's likely enjoying the company of his amazing wife Jessica and their two incredible kids.
COOKBOOK AUTHOR TESTIMONIALS
"As we sail through the sea of creativity, we come upon serpents whom try to thwart us. Kenneth sails this sea as a slayer of serpents and master of the realm. I would travel the river Styx with him."
"Thank you Ken, for lending your incredible talent to my book. Your beautiful photos truly captured my dumpling vision and my personality, bringing it all to life on the page."
"Ken, photographer to the stars: Your reputation is the best in the biz for a reason. You're fluent in the languages of both chefs and entertainers. You have a brilliant eye and a boundless work ethic. Thank You!"
"Ken brings a remarkable set of skills to a cookbook shoot. He's a photographer, a chef, and a food stylist. If we were a rock band, Ken would be the brown M&M's on our tour rider. Without him, there is no show."
"It's simple - no Ken, no contract."
"Ken, you are so talented. When you shared the images from our photo shoot, I was blown away. What's amazing is that the images still have that impact on me after looking at them so many times."
"To Ken Goodman, whose photos always make me hungry! I can't believe we finally made a cookbook and I look forward to many more."
- Jet Tila
"To the LEGENDARY Ken Goodman: The only thing better than your photos is your incredible kindness! Thanks for capturing the heart and soul of our BBQ."
A NOTE FROM KEN ABOUT HIS COOKBOOK APPROACH
I thrive on the creativity and pressure that exists when photographing a cookbook. I find it so rewarding to make something that is lasting out of the impermanent nature of plated cuisine. And I love that photographing cookbooks allows me to grow relationships with people who share my deep appreciation for food, kitchens and chefs.
Even though I changed careers in 2010, I'll always be a chef at heart. It's not an instinct that fades or a language that gets unlearned, and I'm proud of my scars. Most of my closest friends are chefs and since I photograph some of the top culinary events in the country; such as the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, and the James Beard Awards, I'm always making new chef friends. Through these interactions, many of my cookbook collaborations have been born. Often I have connected these talented chefs and aspiring authors directly with publishers, almost acting as a literary agent. (almost)
Writing a cookbook can be very stressful, especially for first time authors. So when photographing a cookbook, a priority of mine is to help the author feel comfortable. I like to shoot on their turf or someplace where they are familiar. I shoot mostly in natural light, as I believe food looks best that way. And again, since I'm a classically trained chef, I often assist with food styling. My goal and my responsibility as a photographer, is to ensure that the authors vision for his or her food is realized beautifully and honestly on the page. It's part of their legacy... and mine.
I'm always looking forward to my next great cookbook collaboration. So if you're a publisher or a chef and you'd like to chat about a project, please shoot me an email, or go old school and pick up the phone. 845.367.3945.