A cookbook is a little treasure, really. Hundreds of pages enclosing what the author has to say. About food. About life. About history or technique or the many ways that food can bring joy.

Cookbooks of course are made of recipes, but the best cookbooks explore the “whys” and “hows” and histories of the meal. John Valls partners with authors to give their words a visual life. Creating photos that instruct or inspire, teach or tempt. Giving the reader a richer way to connect with the recipes and ideas inside.

Shooting for some of the country’s most esteemed publishers, John Valls has helped share the recipes and stories of the region’s finest chefs, bakers and restauranteurs.