I'm a Creative Director and photographer based in Chicago with over ten years of experience building visual brands for food, beverage, and CPG companies.

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My work sits at the intersection of creative direction and hands-on production. I think about how an image performs just as much as how it looks, which means I'm as comfortable developing a shoot concept and directing a full crew as I am holding the camera myself.

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At Home Chef, I lead photo art direction on the culinary studio team, shaping how the brand's meals look and feel across channels. Before that, I built Crawford Captures into an award-winning commercial studio with clients including Garrett Popcorn, Bob's Red Mill, The Spice House, and Wilton.

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Outside client work, I co-founded Morning Jay's, a Chicagoland breakfast concept that grew from a pop-up into a nationally recognized brand, earning features in the New York Times, Chicago Sun-Times, and Midwest Living. I led every piece of the creative from the ground up.

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I'm a baker, a photo educator, and someone who genuinely loves the work.

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Nate Crawford