Bored Newborn Photographer Takes ‘Food Baby’ Pictures While Self-Isolating

We’re all in the throws of lockdown – something that has made us a little stir crazy. Even the most homebody of homebodies are finding themselves searching for creative ways of staying entertained. But it is all part of the greater good as we all come together collectively to try to beat this pandemic.

And one photographer, Ute-Christin Cowan of Ute-Christin Photography, was needing something to do in lockdown after she had to close down her business amid the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak. What she came up with wasn’t just a creative way of passing the time, but it also helped to support local businesses.

Cowan would normally spend her days taking photos of newborns, kids, and other family photos. However, because of the pandemic, her latest project became taking pictures of her takeout food as though they were newborns. Not only is it creative, but it’s also entertaining.

Cowan’s Ute-Christin Photography business, based out of Milford, Connecticut, is on a hiatus through the 20th of May due to the state’s lockdown order. Since she’s got no clients to currently work with, Cowan needed to find something to do. Keeping her photography skills flexed while in quarantine, she came up with the idea to order food from local businesses, stage them like newborns, and then take pictures of them. Not only was it a genius way of supporting local businesses, but it gives a whole new meaning to the term “food baby.”

As Cowan shared with Scary Mommy, “I wanted to still support our local food businesses because I want them to still be there when this is all over. I was thinking of a way to support them and also do what I like best, taking pictures!”

Getting her idea rolling, Cowan called up 13 local restaurant businesses and ordered one of their signature items from their different menus.

Cowan said, “Some delivered and some had curbside pickup.”

She also added that the items that weren’t deliverable, she and a friend went to pick up – while practicing social distancing.

Afterward, Cowan took all the different food items out to her home’s studio where she individually wrapped them up, accessorized them, and made them into the precious food babies that she shared with the world.

Cowan said, “I knew I wanted the hotdog swaddled up to give pigs in a blanket a new meaning, as well as a bun in the oven.”

After she shared the pictures to her Facebook page, Cowan shared that they became instant hits.

While all the pictures came out looking entirely effortless in their presentation, Cowan shared that the behind the scenes did have a few hurdles she had to overcome in terms of presentation – particularly the fan-favorite: the grilled cheese sandwich.

“The grilled cheese gave me the hardest time, but then I was like, ‘The grilled cheese is already awesome on its own, so why mess with that?’ So, I just added a crown,” Cowan confessed to Scary Mommy.

While her wonderful pictures have been a great hit, we definitely have to commend Cowan for her willingness to spend money helping out her fellow local businesses that have been affected by the pandemic.

Of course, her good deeds did come with some perks, namely that she “was being able to eat all those things after I took their picture.”

Hopefully, Cowan’s photography business will see a jumpstart once this pandemic is over and lockdown is lifted. But this can be a reminder for all of us to do our best to support our local businesses whenever we can during these trying times.