Welcome…
It’s hard to say what came first, my love of food or my love of photography. From pouring over food magazines and cooking multi-coursed dinners for my brothers and friends as a kid, to moving to Italy in my twenties to study the culinary arts and, well, eat my way through Europe, I have always been moved by how food—selecting it, cooking it, serving and eating it—can tell a story.
Anne Watson • FOOD PHOTOGRAPHER
About me
It’s hard to say what came first, my love of food or my love of photography. From pouring over food magazines and cooking multi-coursed dinners for my brothers and friends as a kid, to moving to Italy in my twenties to study the culinary arts and, well, eat my way through Europe, I have always been moved by how food—selecting it, cooking it, serving and eating it—can tell a story.
At the same time, with a dad who loved photography and a great high school photo class darkroom, I began carrying a camera with me everywhere at a very young age. Photography remained my hobby through many years in the corporate world, traveling country to country for work and documenting what I saw in my time off.
I suppose it’s because I have always loved both food and photography that photographing food, and the farmers, chefs, and restaurants behind it, comes naturally to me. My personal style comes out of a deep love, and understanding, of the food culture of Southern California and the places I’ve lived and traveled — from Europe to Asia, Africa, Australia, all over America, and everywhere in between. With a background in professional kitchens, I am as comfortable on the line, shooting chefs as they plate dishes on fine china, as I am riding in a pickup truck to an orchard to capture the avocado harvest.
My work has been featured in nationally and internationally celebrated magazines, newspapers, and cookbooks, and my clients range from publications to national brands to the local food truck…
I have offices based in Orange County and San Diego, and when not behind the camera lens, I have another full-time role as a mother and stepmother. I live with my husband on a ranch and vineyard in North San Diego County.
Creamy Avocado Garlic Mashed Potatoes - aka, one of the Best. Things. Ever. 🥑🥔🧄🤤 I cooked, styled & shot this dish recently as part of a recipe project for the Hass Avocado Board ...
May 31
Quarantine & C H I L L ☀️🍷 Cheers to the weekend & poolside vibes with @fieldrecordingswine’s chilled Sangiovese, FREDDO, from @brixandbarrel. #OnlineWineShop #Sangiovese ...
May 30
I heard it was #NationalBurgerDay today - for those who are of the meatless persuasion, this one’s for you 🥬🍔🍅🤤 #VeggieBurger #BurgerDay #EatYourVeggies
May 29
I love when a trip to the local farmstand inspires a dish! I still have Fava Bean fever & can’t get enough of them - so I bought some more today along with fresh strawberries, heirloom tomatoes,...
May 23
Light ✨ & berries 🍓♥️ What would you make with these little bowls of Springtime sunshine? (Or would you just snack on them until they’re ALL gone, like I did!? Hmm 🤔😆) ...
May 18
Cacio e Pepe 💛 It’s pizza night here on The Watson Ranch, and I was dreaming of when we used to live in Rome... so it was time to revive some Roman flavors - @jovialfoods Einkorn wheat crust ...
May 18
Sending you all a big ol’ juicy ray of citrusy sunshine love! ☀️💛🍋🍊🧡☀️ #PlayWithYourFood #Citrus #CitrusLove #TheFamilyThrive
May 16
I asked myself, “What would Springtime-on-a-plate look like?” ☀️🌱 Blanched-and-chilled Fava Beans from @elisfarm, French Beans, green Peas, Golden Squash & Zucchini Ribbons from ...
May 15
Amen, @noblebirdrotisserie. AMEN. And cheers! 🍷🍾🥂 (This mama will take hers paired with some scrumptious hummus & sides from Noble Bird, please. Now open at @2nd_pch & available for ...
May 9
I have been so excited to share this project with all of you & today (aka #wellnesswednesday) feels like the day! My heartfelt belief is that out of times of challenge, true creativity, power ...
May 7
Nature’s candy 🍓❤️ Who else looooooves strawberries?? #StrawberrySeason @maxloveproject #TheFamilyThrive
May 5
It was time for a stay-at-home made-from-scratch Pizza partayyyy here on The Watson Ranch tonight! 🍕✨🍕✨🍕 This is my personal favorite - homemade @jovialfoods Einkorn wheat crust, sauce ...
May 3
My sentiments exactly! 🧡 #GoodFoodGoodMood @eatdrinkvibe #DanaPoint #NewportBeach #Takeout #quarantineandchill
Apr 30
Cooking-up some belly-pleasing, probiotic-packed Loaded Baked Sweet Potatoes today topped with my new obsession: @clevelandkitchen Fermented Dressings & Kraut (available nationwide now at ...
Apr 27
Have you tried Oven-Roasted BBQ Cauliflower? It. Is. SO. Delicious!! (And easy. Who doesn’t love easy?!) To make: Roast 1 head of cauliflower florets, tossed in salt, pepper & Olive Oil (I ...
Apr 23
Celebrating alllll the colors of Mother Nature, today & everyday 💚🌎✨ #HappyEarthDay
Apr 23
Taking Meatless Monday to a new level here on The Watson Ranch today with this Soba Noodle-Veggie Stir Fry, loaded with extra protein from @noevilfoods Comrade Cluck plant meat. I’ve not been a fan ...
Apr 20
It’s a hummus-from-scratch kind of Wednesday here on The Watson Ranch today ✨ I had fun playing with different flavor combinations and came up with an Organic Original (of course! Gotta have an ...
Apr 15
