I was raised James Arthur Wallman in small rural town in Northwest Florida during the early 70's through the early 80's. Born to a Mexican mother and German-Hungarian father there was always lots of rich flavors in the house. Being on a small farm with pigs, horses, dogs, chickens, ducks, goats, wild game and large gardens really shaped my pallet about how fresh food should be.
Through many fund raisers for the church my Mother organized many catered events with her "exotic" cuisine. This is where I learned to produce large amounts of food and still made it taste good. From the first burrito to the 5 thousandth. This also fostered my desire to see what else the world offered. I found myself many nights out in the yard with a shortwave radio trying to understand the music and languages that I heard. When I had the first chance to step out and visit other countries, it was easy, I found myself walking through that door many times. This set in motion the desire to travel to many countries, visit many families and study food. This continues to this day, although the locales aren't as exotic the dynamic is the same.
Food is where we stop and nourish ourselves , it is a language that identifies our connection with our environment and each other. Food can bring great comfort, grand pleasure and simple reassurance.
Now after many years of the restaurant industry, countless caterings and endless customers I translate many of the same skills to photography. I can credit my lovely wife, a fine art photographer, for teaching me how to turn my snapshots into true photography. It is a joy for me to play in kitchens and a joy to capture images as well. I guess I wanted to have some evidence that I actually worked.
All my food is gone but my images  are here to enjoy.
peace
Oso