Some of the most sumptuous photography ever to grace the covers of Gourmet, Bon Appètit, and Epicurious came from the discerning eye of Romulo Yanes. When he recently lost his life to peritoneal cancer, colleagues remembered his outstanding work, including a notable cover shot taken in Bucks County. Bon Appètit collected the memories.

Kemp Minifie, former executive food editor of Gourmet, recalls the local shoot.

“In the late ’90s, we shot a wedding menu in Bucks County, Pennsylvania,” she said.

“My two young daughters were enlisted to model as flower girls. They looked at the wedding cake from afar, afraid to get too close.

“In order to get a good shot, Romulo urged them closer. ‘Doesn’t that frosting look good? Don’t you want to taste it? Go on, try a taste. It’s OK, really. It’s OK.’

“And with that permission, my younger daughter swiped her finger through the frosting and into her mouth.

“Click! Romulo nailed the shot that went on the cover.”

Romulo also got excellent results by “playing” with the food after finishing collecting more formal imagery.

Minifie cited a chocolate truffle tart picture for which he smeared some of the filling on the plate and placed a used fork nearby. The effect highlighted the luxurious texture of the dessert in an innovative way.

Further recollections about this talented photographer are at Bon Appètit.