Today we’d like to introduce you to Janaya Felder.
Hi Janaya, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
When I was little my family was moved to Greece by the Air Force to be with my dad while he worked for NATO.
My earliest memories are in the kitchen learning how to make spanakopita, gnocchi, and the occasional trip to my favorite candy shop. I like to blame the shop lady for my sweet tooth because every visit she would slip me extra strawberry candies which I was seriously addicted to.
When we moved back to the states, I began to learn basic recipes from my mom such as tortillas and whole wheat bread. My 8 siblings and I were expected to know how to bake to help with meal times throughout the day.
Since all of us were homeschooled, we were able to have the luxury of a full kitchen to learn how to mill fresh wheat berries, bake cakes, and whip up a batch of cookies. Many of the recipes we used were basic enough to commit to memory and forgiving enough for creative freedom. We came up with recipes on the spot most days with one of my favorites being oatmeal butterscotch pancakes which taste like an oatmeal scotchcie in pancake form!
My biggest inspiration is my older brother. He was the pioneer in my family when it came to creating the sweets of our dreams and a master at sculpting cakes into anything we could imagine. We would all wait in anticipation for our birthdays to come around to put in our cake order.
One of my younger siblings requested a Lightning McQueen cake which was made with such incredible detail all the parents at Chuck E. Cheese crowed around it like it was a celebrity to take pictures and request cakes for their child’s party the next year. For my birthday, I asked for a princess castle cake – all pink. That cake easily took up half the dinner table and to this day I wonder how we ate every last crumb.
One afternoon, I was sitting at the table watching him make bread and just KNEW baking was what I wanted to do. I officially started baking on my own when I was 11, exclusively making bundt cakes. Pouring the batter into a shaped pan, flipping it out, and drizzling it with glaze was the easiest and fanciest thing I thought existed! Over the next 4 years, I baked frequently working my way into cookie recipes, homemade donuts, layer cakes, and pies.
My main focus was to make my food look AND taste as good as my older brothers did. At the same time, I was exploring the world of photography. I was a complete bookworm and obsessed with coming home with huge stacks of books from the library or blowing my allowance on books and sweets from Barnes and Noble. I would take every single book from my little closet bookshelf and stage them to create the perfect currently reading setting.
I experimented with different lighting, props, angles, and backgrounds to show off my favorite books on my Instagram I called Bookishly Ever After. After making donuts one morning, I decided to have a book photo session but couldn’t come up with anything new to style with. I took my book around the house grabbing random props until I laid it next to the donuts.
A lightbulb went off in my head and I took one photo of my book and donuts, pushed the book out of the way, and got lost snapping photos of the donuts. I was shocked I had never thought to merge the worlds of food and photography and officially began my journey into food photography. All of what I baked and shot was done through trial and error. I never went to decorating class or learned how to properly shoot and edit.
All I had under my belt were lots of bad photos and the determination to get better. At 17, I realized I needed somewhere to show off my progress and created The Little Brown Baker. I slowly began grasping the concept of food styling, editing, and angles and applying them to my own work. In January 2020, I began exploring the world of filming my food.
Out of sheer boredom, I created a TikTok account under the username Tasty Thyme. Going viral on the app was something I didn’t see coming because I was simply doing something that genuinely made me happy. From there, I started receiving my first partnership offers and got sent products to try from a variety of brands.
A highlight of my journey was being able to work with Wilton Cakes from watching my brother use their products for years to create his best work. It’s amazing to even have a baker I’ve idolized for years follow me and see my work. To me, what I do isn’t a big deal because at the end of the day it’s just a passion. I would still live and breathe everything flour, sugar, and butter even if I didn’t have a platform to share my creations.
Every moment I spend in the kitchen is so soothing to my soul even if I’m making something as simple as banana bread. I am constantly enhancing my work and am so proud of not only my photos improving but now I’m discovering ways I can best express my creativity through food. Baking sparks something in me that feels like home and I love being able to share a slice of that with those around me.
I’m often carrying cookies or cupcakes around campus to share with my friends as we study or asking if my siblings want to pick up the extra custard buns I made. Honestly, I don’t think it’s baking that I love. It is service to others that brings me the most joy.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Balancing baking and being a full-time student is a true difficulty. Most of my free time is absorbed with studying for the next exam or sleeping as much as possible to have enough energy for the day.
Somehow I’ve found gaps of time to toss something together and snap a few photos to have a handful of extra content to post! Currently, I’m focusing on baking for myself and not feeling pressure to film and shoot everything I make.
This has really helped me want to get behind the camera again because I’ve removed the negative feelings I’ve had about shooting in a limited time.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My specialties change with the seasons and my emotional state which is why I love baking as an art. If I’m in a cozy mood I’ll make hand pies or if I’m feeling like I want to feel like I’m in a fancy little bakery I’ll make extra fancy earl gray tea cupcakes filled with light honey creme and topped with sweet lavender frosting. I don’t let food trends or schedules dictate what I should bake and when I should make it because my work is uniquely mine.
I don’t believe in following rules when it comes to creative work! My current favorite bakes are cakes with memes on top that make me laugh and lots and lots of bread (if it had custard inside that’s even better!).
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
Work with what you have!! I’m not as fancy as other food photographers and simply use styrofoam boards, natural light, and a couple of plates to create my own magic.
The most important thing is creativity even if you’re working with a baking pan and a spatula. Think of ways you can use whatever items you have on hand to their fullest potential to create your vision!
Pricing:
- Cakes (starting price before customization) – $50
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thelittlebrownbaker/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thelittlebrownbaker
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@tastythyme?lang=en
