18 lobster shacks in three days. Doesn’t sound too bad, right? This is what Connecticut-based commercial photographer Jane Shauck got herself into with a recent project photographing the New England lobster scene for a cookbook, Lobster Rolls of New England, for author Sally Lerman.
Sally chose different lobster shacks to visit based on her favorites, and she and Jane then created a shot list for each store, covering the venue, people, and food to highlight unique features and stories about each location.
As one would imagine, there was a lot of ground to cover on this three-day shoot, and it was all done in natural light to give the photos that “real people” feel that Sally was going for. Jane emphasized the importance of gaining rapport with her subjects quickly so that she could get all the right shots.
Jane’s favorite part of this adventure was heading out with a lobster boat crew out of Kittery, Maine, saying that she “saw up close what a tough business lobstering is, and the high standards the restauranteurs have for their product-they really care about the quality.”
Finally and most importantly, the lobster rolls! Jane sampled six rolls a day, and as one would imagine, by the end she was only taking small bites of each one. Her favorite? Sea Well‘s lobster roll from Pawcatuck, CT— warm with butter and leeks.
Check out the final cover below, and if you’re interested in discovering more about all of the wonderful New England lobster, purchase the book right here.