If you’ve never experienced the deliciousness that is Evolve Chocolate + Cafe in Fairhaven, WA – you’re really missing out on something special. Owned by Shannon and Christy Fox, this sweet little cafe was founded back in 2018 and is located just upstairs inside Village Books boasting a unique ambiance and an incredible view of charming little downtown Fairhaven and they bay beyond. I had the opportunity to work with this wonderful team in early March and we made some magic happen!

The Challenge:

There is a LOT going on in this space from daily menu changes to book club dinners, special author events and even themed dinners! Thanks to the layout of the space, even though it’s constantly bustling, there are plenty of little nooks to sneak away for some more quiet, secluded space. They’ve partnered with the book shop below to offer spots perfect for studying, writing and reading along the mezzanine balcony and in the “Writers Corner”!

Beyond the cozy atmosphere and the epic view, the first things you’ll notice when you walk into Evolve are the custom tables built by the local Re-Store (look closely and you’ll even see some cool original nails in many of the tables!), the beautiful earth toned vintage drapes made by the local Ragfinery and the gorgeous pottery made by Blue Water Pottery – another local small business! If it isn’t obvious enough from the local ingredients that comes out of their kitchen, it’s clear when you absorb the elements around you that they care deeply about supporting their local community. Going even beyond just our local community, Shannon and Christy run a zero waste kitchen giving back to the greater good in an even bigger way!

During our first meeting it became abundantly clear to me that we had to find a way to share the story of Evolve in a thoughtful way that could include all of these special pieces. We wanted to be sure to capture the ambiance of the space, the variety of people it serves and the custom, locally made design elements. We wanted to highlight the changing menu, the locally sourced ingredients, the fresh squeezed juice made in-house daily. And, of course, we wanted to photograph the food in such a way that people would feel like they could just grab it right out of the photo and enjoy. We wanted people’s mouths to WATER.

The Project:

So! We started by creating a timeline where I could spend time in the kitchen with the chef and her rockstar team capturing the bustle of the busy space. From there the chef started pumping out dishes for me to work with individually – focusing on a combination of top down, 45 degree, 90 degree and macro shots. We got shots of the dishes alone and then created more engaging scenes of various dishes together to give depth and a sense of place. I brought in a bit of extra lighting with an off camera flash and my trusty white bounce card! We photographed 12+ individual dishes and drinks during this portion of our session.

From there, we had a group of models come in so we could put these prepared dishes to good use! With just a handful of models, we were able to create lots of different scenarios including a date night scene, a large family gathering and a laid back breakfast date. By bringing in models, rather than just using unexpected people who arrived at the cafe that day, we were able to create visual assets that really speak to the target audience of this business in a thoughtful and efficient way.

The Takeaway:

We spent just about four hours together and the final collection of images is over 300 images, giving these business owners a TON of beautiful content that’s all consistent, coherent and branded especially for them. Having such a large collection of quality photos gives you the arsenal any small business needs to stay relevant and fresh! They intend to use these images for everything from website and social media to various ads and marketing campaigns.

I was honored to hear about the little details and big passion that goes into making Evolve such a special place, and even more delighted to photograph it. If you’d like to see some other restaurant sessions like this check out Due Cucina Italiana, Maple Bar and Terramar Brewstillery!

If you’re looking to refresh your restaurant photography, reach out to me today!