PROJECT
Growing weekly add-on revenue for Home Chef through bundle photography built to catch the eye mid-scroll and drive impulse adds.
ROLE
Senior Photographer, in-house
COMPANY
Home Chef
STAKEHOLDER(s)
Culinary Executive Leadership,
Menu Strategy Team
SCOPE
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Visual art direction
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Pre-production planning
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On-set photography direction
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Post-production editing
The Problem
Home Chef is one of the leading meal kit delivery services in the US. Beyond the core weekly recipes, customers can add individual proteins, pantry items, snacks, and ready-to-cook bundles to their order each week. That extras and bundles category is a real revenue driver, but it lives or dies on how good the product looks at the moment of decision.
When I came onto this project, the existing imagery across the category had aged out. The photography was inconsistent, the lighting felt flat, and the overall look didn't hold up against what customers were seeing from competitors.
The numbers reflected it.
The ask was simple to state and harder to execute:
reshoot the full extras and bundles catalog from scratch.
Over 100 individual items. Studio photography that felt polished and appetizing, but also cohesive enough to function as a visual system across a rotating weekly menu.
The Brief
The goal wasn't just better photos.
It was imagery that could actually
move a product.
Creative Direction
With a brand this tactile, the photography had to do real work. Baked goods, warm drinks, handheld breakfast sandwiches: these are products that live and die on appetite appeal. I built and directed all of the brand shoots from the ground up, developing the shot list, setting the visual direction, and handling post.
From Start to Finish
The project ran for over a month of daily shooting and editing. I led the full creative process from pre-production planning through final delivery, working alongside my associate photographer Ana Puga.
Pre-production was where we made the schedule work. I built out the full shot list, developed styling references for each item category, and put together a visual guide that kept us consistent from day one to the final session.
Pre Production
Pre Production
Production
On set, I directed every frame. The goal was to maintain the same level of quality on item 100 as on item one, regardless of what the day's production pace required.
Production
Post Production
Post-production followed the same system. Editing was efficient because the shooting was disciplined.
Post Production
The Results
The refreshed imagery had a measurable effect on the menu. Across the category, items saw rating improvements of 0.10 to 0.50 points following the reshoots, a meaningful lift for a menu where customer ratings directly influence ordering behavior.
Culinary Leadership responded positively to both the quality of the work and the efficiency of the production process across such a large catalog.
Role: Senior Photographer, in-house
Scope:
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Visual creative direction
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Pre-production planning
-
On-set photography direction
-
Post-production editing
Collaborator:
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Ana Puga - Staff Photographer
Brand: Home Chef, Chicago
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Let’s Work Together
Available for creative direction, brand work, and content projects.
Chicago and beyond
© 2026 Nate Crawford Creative. All Rights Reserved.
Role: Creative Director & Co-founder
Scope:
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Brand strategy and identity
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Logo and icon design
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Packaging design
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Website UI/UX and design
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Photography and video creative direction and production
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Social media management across Instagram, TikTok, and Substack
Brand: Morning Jay's, Chicagoland
