A popular rule of thumb among proponents of healthy food is that the fewer ingredients there are in something, better it is for you. With a remarkable 37 or so ingredients, many of which are polysyllabic chemical compounds, Twinkies would seem to embody the antithesis of that rule.
The photographer Dwight Eschliman was never a health nut himself, but he was raised by one; his mom kept her kids away from meat, dairy, or any kind of processed food. When Eschilman went away to college, he loosened up a bit, allowing himself to indulge in all sorts of previously forbidden treats, but by the time he had kids of his own, he found a renewed appreciation for simple, healthy food—and a renewed skepticism of chemical-filled, preservative-laden snacks. He'd also developed a love of disassembling ojects and photographing their component parts.
"Thus, this project," he writes in his photography book 37 or so Ingredients. "It's the product of a kid that was raised to be suspicious of foods that weren't assembled in mom's kitchen, and bordering on obsessive compulsive."
What follows is a selection from Dwight Eschliman's 37 or so Ingredients. For more information or to order a copy of the book, email twinkiebook[at]eschlimanphoto[dot]com.
Jeff Bridges at Comic Con.Photo by Gage Skidmore via 
Whitney Carpenter with a patient in one of her custom port shirtsAtrium Health 
People at a public library.Image via 
Father and child making origami together.Image via 
Woman takes a bath.Image via 
Older man solving newspaper crossword on a street table.Image via asdf - Photo by Mathias Reding
Happy seniors ride bikes.Image via sdf - Photo by Syda Productions
Men practice mindfulness overlooking the cliffs and ocean.Image via 
Man smiles at dusk.Image via sss - Photo by ridofranz