Being a kid with the name Alan Batt had its quirks. I can’t remember when it started but my friends called Battman. It was in 1984 that I started using Battman in my business.

In 1979 I produced a line of greeting cards that was so unique, Hallmark sent a photographer to Macy’s Department Store to take photos. I had the license for Betty Boop & Felix The Cat. It did well but I didn’t feel that it would be sustainable so I decided to try taking photos of New York and began putting them on cards.

During the 90’s I was the lead photographer for the Macy’s Thanksgiving day Parade for 5 years, the New Years Eve celebration for 23 years, the NYC Firefighters Calendar for 25 years, raising over $500,000 for charity, and The Chinese New Year for 3 years. Other projects were for the NYC Tourist Office, Studio Photographer for Bustello Coffee, and The Empire State Building, with Exhibition on the 80th floor for 15 years. 

It was 2001 when I started photographing food. Working with over 600 chefs to produce 31 books, 28 of them self published. In 2004 I produced the first of 9 “Great Gathering of Chefs,” working with 100- 200 chefs to raise money for various children’s charities. In 2020 I produced the first and still only Black Chefs cookbook with 101 Chefs from around the US.