Food photographer Ali Rahimi shoots “Love is in the Air Fryer” cookbook for Alex Diaz

Introduced to the project by longtime friend, food stylist, and art director Michael Linnington, food photographer Ali Rahimi was initially brought on after the original photographer became unavailable. But the creative chemistry with cookbook author Alex Diaz was immediate. Impressed by Ali’s approach, the team decided to revisit earlier visuals and eventually rephotographed the entire book from scratch. That book would go on to become a bestseller in Quebec, and the collaboration that started with a last-minute call turned into a multi-year partnership spanning four cookbooks.

One of those cookbooks was “L’amour est dans l’air Fryer,” French for “Love is in the Air Fryer.”

Although Ali wasn’t involved in the initial planning stages of the project, he credits his long-standing working relationship with Michael Linnington as key to the success of the collaboration.

Over the years, we’ve developed a deep creative synergy, allowing us to work efficiently and intuitively. We share a strong vision for impactful food imagery, and that understanding was key to the success of the reshoot. When I joined the project, we focused on redefining the visual approach, ensuring the images aligned with Alex’s evolving creative vision. Our collaboration was fluid, with a strong emphasis on composition, lighting, and styling details to bring each recipe to life.

The Shoot

The shoot took place at Alex’s studio, a space she uses for her own video production and rents out to other creatives. She is also very hands-on in preparing the studio for each shoot.

One of the unique aspects of working with Alex is her dedication to continuously updating and refining her studio. Before each cookbook project, she refreshes the space—whether it’s new furniture, wall treatments, decor, or kitchen fixtures—ensuring every shoot has a distinct and inspiring atmosphere.

The shoot for the air fryer cookbook spanned 10-12 days, with each workday lasting 10-12 hours. Ali ensured he was involved every step of the way.

I was on-site for multiple days throughout the project, fully immersing myself in the process to ensure each image met our creative goals. Over the past two years, we’ve built a consistent team, which has been instrumental in fostering a smooth and productive workflow.

It wasn’t always easy for Ali in the studio. Although he could count on big, beautiful windows for natural light to shine through, Montreal’s unpredictable weather created varying lighting conditions throughout the day.

From bright sun to overcast skies, we had to continuously adapt to maintain a consistent look across the images. To navigate this, I combined continuous lighting with natural light, strategically using small reflectors to redirect sunlight and create intentional highlights.

The Takeaways

This project was dynamic and fast-paced, with the team producing an impressive number of photos each day, which Ali would then edit every evening.

We typically shot around ten recipes daily, capturing multiple angles—from prep stages to air fryer shots to plated dishes—resulting in 50 to 60 carefully curated images per day. Each evening, I reviewed and edited all the images, ensuring a seamless workflow with the art director. Given our tight deadlines, I delivered final edits overnight to keep everything on schedule.

When food photographer Ali Rahimi is on set working on a cookbook, trying out a recipe or two is a must to celebrate the end of a hard day’s work with the team.

A favorite tradition on these cookbook projects is the celebratory meal we share at the end of a shoot (or even during lunch break). Tasting the dishes we’ve just photographed adds an extra layer of appreciation for the work, making the experience even more rewarding.

Credits:
Art Director and Food Stylist: Michael Linnington
Author: Alex Diaz
Hair and Makeup Artist: Amelie Thomas
Makeup Artist: Genevieve Lenneville
Chef and Culinary Assistant: Yan Waters
Editor: Ariane Fontaine