Edwina Morgan Murphy

In France there is the idea of “terroir” which refers to the unique characteristics of a geographic location that directly influence the taste and quality of a product grown there. I am a full believer in the concept of terroir and happily it can apply to anywhere in the world. Myself, I am originally from the northern Mississippi River Valley where the river is three miles wide. One of my first memories as a small child is of my grandfather explaining that the fishing boats in a small harbor were commercial, and they sold what they caught. The area is loused with apple orchards, dairy farms and produce stands. As a young person, my mother would heap morel mushrooms on our plates with a cafeteria-lady spoon because they were so plentiful. Currently, I have the opportunity to spend time in northern Michigan where the neighbors have been accepting enough to tell us where the stashes of wild blueberries are found. As well, cattle still live on grass and produce stands are plentiful. In believing in terroir, I see simple food staples as something special and it is from this vantage point that I photograph food. A perfect red tomato is as important as a slice of cake.

My education in photography is courtesy of the Cornell University College of Architecture, Art, and Planning. I came to photography through my career as an archivist. Part of my job was to photograph objects well enough to be used by researchers and shared on social media. Details coupled with accurate rendition were important, elements that I have carried forward to my style of food photography. My husband, also a photographer, and I live in Ann Arbor with our three beagles: Jeffy, Petey and Max.