The Green Frog Photo Story

Green Frog Photo came together as a group of photographers with a wide range of styles and personalities who wanted to explore specific areas while learning from each other. The result is a powerful collaboration, and a studio that can offer you the right shooter for the right job. 

“Growing up in an ethnic home makes food more than about just eating. It's social, it's entertaining, it's bonding – it is love. And it has shaped my passion for shooting people, products and food.”

As a commercial photographer specializing in food and location shooting, I’m always uncovering new restaurants and interesting places to visit and explore. I love everything about growing, preparing, cooking and presenting food.

I’m based in West Michigan, which is known for its farm-to-table centric community, and I enjoy being a part of the local restaurant scene, working with chefs, artisanal and slow food businesses, local sustainable farms, craft beer breweries and wine makers. Now the rest of the world has come calling for me to work in new and distant settings.

Why did I choose food photography? 
It chose me. I grew up in Detroit, Michigan, surrounded by my Polish and Lebanese relatives. Growing up in an ethnic home makes food more than about just eating. It's social, it's entertaining, it's bonding – it is love. And it has shaped my passion for shooting people, products and food.

When I smell spices, I can feel how they will blend together, and when I look at food I am shooting, I can see how it will become an image. My goal is to make food appear honest and inviting, like welcoming someone to your table.

Fun is a requirement. It can lead to some pretty amazing creative solutions.
I have a strong work ethic – it’s how I was raised, and I believe in developing a partnership with each individual client. I like to have fun while I work. It’s a requirement for each of my projects, and it can lead to some pretty amazing creative solutions. When you work with me, you have the benefit of working with a photographer who cannot only draw on over 25 years of experience, but who can also leverage the latest techniques and technologies to guide your project. After attending the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, I opened my own studio, and I’ve in business ever since then. 

My images have been used for videos, television ads, billboards, websites, national magazines, food publications, packaging and in-store merchandising for national retailers, cookbooks and more. Plus, I work with some of the most talented food stylists in the industry. 

If you would like to learn more about how I work or talk to me about your next project, just contact me. 

“My goal is to create photos that convey a true and exciting sense of a space; to show the way the building is designed to look as well as how it’s used.”

I’ve been interested in the structure, function and design of buildings since I was young. Seeing how they are designed and then capturing not only the structure – but how they function – is fascinating to me. My goal is to create photos that convey a true and exciting sense of a space; to show the way the building is designed to look as well as how it’s used.

Clients mainly use the photographs I shoot for them to demonstrate their capabilities and processes. They are featured in project proposals and as visuals for professional awards entries that are used to generate new business and growth.

I grew up on a farm in central Michigan. 
Growing up, I discovered that a little isolation encourages some healthy problem-solving habits. I learned to define problems and bring unrelated skills and knowledge together to create a solution, which has been very beneficial in my approach to architectural photography.

I've been fascinated with photography since I was about 12, when my grandmother gave me an old Kodak box camera. There was a magical element to the way it preserved a moment in time. It wasn't until college that it finally occurred to me that I could make a career out of my passion.

After graduating with a BFA from Alma College, I worked for a variety of studios throughout Michigan, and then started my own in Grand Rapids in 1979. Ten years ago, I merged my studio with another partner and JD Hage to form Green Frog Photo. Working together, we augmented each other's strengths. Much like musicians, we riffed off of each other, pushing ourselves further than we ever would have alone. All things change. Over time, the other partner moved into teaching, and JD’s food photography work expanded as well as my work with architecture clients.

It’s important to me to give back to my community. 
Together with my wife, I have volunteered with housing projects such as Habitat for Humanity locally, and through Church World Service at building sites from Pennsylvania to Honduras. We have also been involved in local food programs as well as volunteering through West Michigan Therapy Dogs. We take our two trained therapy dogs to the local Ronald McDonald House, our local veterans facility, and the Ruff Readers program at our local library. 

If you would like to learn more about how I work or talk to me about your next project, just contact me.