What people see when they first see Melanie Dunea is an established photographer, beloved in the food world, who has rubbed shoulders with and created intimate portraits for the likes of Jose Andres, Anthony Bourdain, and Melissa Clark. What they don't see is a history of nose-to-the-grindstone work dating back to childhood summers with her grandfather, early days of apprenticeship, or the ongoing effort of fighting for herself and her convictions. (Compassion factors in as well, as I discover quickly.)