Missy Lyle, A life-long New Englander, a beginner photographer, and (of course) and an avid at-home baker.

While photography has been a relatively new pastime, baking has been near and dear to my heart for as long as I can remember. My precocious first venture into the kitchen was at age 7, to bake a batch of chocolate chip cookies for my grandfather. While not aware of it at the time, the chocolate chip cookie is an old New England delight of which you’re probably familiar! Ruth Graves Wakefield invented it in 1930, where she operated the Toll House Inn near Whitman, Massachusetts, not too far from where I was born.

A treasured memory is of my sister and I returning home from school and cracking open the Betty Crocker Cookbook. We followed her recipe to make Chocolate Drop cookies before our parents would get home. It didn’t require the mysterious powers of a clairvoyant to know that baking was in my blood. Anyhow, mom always knew. I even made my own birthday cake for my 12th birthday! Most of my inspiration comes from old cookbooks, family recipes, and just the desire for a sweet delight. Curiosity, and a love of baking, always fueled my ambition to try new methods, as they often lead to better results.

Photography came later in life, and grainy images were taken with my phone did not reveal how delicious my baked goods truly were. With the aid of a new camera, photography classes, and a great deal of practice, I am now baking to take pictures.