Martin Merianos' career in freelance photography began in high school where he studied underwater, portrait, and commercial photography. He was also a scuba diving enthusiast. After graduating from high school, the author enjoyed doing wildlife photography in his spare time. Eventually this turned into several appointments as a professional freelance photographer. The author's inspiration for this book was the television show Good Eats hosted by Alton Brown on the Food Network. He enjoyed the show because the host brought food and humor together.