interiors
As a seasoned traveler, I find joy when realizing I can access a lounge at an airport from which I am departing, and although I seldom fly out of LGA, I was able to experience what may be the best lounge I have experienced in a domestic terminal. Flashback to six months before when I photographed in this space and was only marveled by the appearance and selection the kitchen offered. Suffice to say it all tastes as good as it looks.
Hoexter’s is a very stylish Upper East Side Brasserie, with the same management group as the previously shared Il Totano. When photographing food, it’s great to have a hand model on standby but rarely is it the case that you’ll have one with beautifully tattooed hands that so perfectly interplay with the food at hand.
From chef Harold Dieterle comes Il Totano, a west village Italian restaurant with a gorgeous interior and beautifully seafood-focused dishes. This may have been discussed in another post but, usually, when I’m faced with a restaurant that, often always, I am experiencing for the first time, I tend to choose lighting that compliments the space and the vibe. When the entrees are climbing into the $40 range, I often tend to use a softer light which, to me, feels a little more elegant. However, given the bright colors of the food and the interiors, I convinced the team to allow me to use a harder light that would create some shadows but also allow me to use the glassware/drinks to create a glossier and fresh look that I think makes all the dishes more appealing and somewhat conjures the feeling of eating seafood on a sun-drenched balcony overlooking the Italian Riviera.
Take the elevator up at Saks Fifth Avenue and you’ll find yourself at French bistro L’Avenue, which boasts two floors full of French fare and event spaces. Here are some images of their menu items and the cozy private areas.
Just up the Hudson, in North Salem, lies the forest filled oasis Cena Dou, a French restaurant with both casual and fine dining concepts. The space is serene, and overlooks the tree-laden valley, with just as beautiful dishes to accompany.
I had previously shared some photos for Superfrico, which is a restaurant adjacent to The Hook, a circus-like show, curated by Speigelworld, who hosts shows around the country, headquarted in Las Vegas. To promote The Hook and Superfrico, I was asked to photograph some of the characters from the performance (primarily acrobatic performers) in the restaurant space itself. Here are some selections from that shoot.
Bar Moga, located on Houston St is a 1920’s style cocktail bar with a bevy of options to drink and eat. The Infatuation was reviewing the spot so I was asked to shoot some photos, a handful of which are below.
Sundaes Best is a Korea Town ice cream fixture from the owners of Baek Jeong KBBQ . It features diverse flavors, some of which are Korean, and a cheery, pink interior. This shoot was a little difficult since the ice cream containers were covered with a glass exterior, until I realized we could open the front windows and sneak the camera into the opening. Glass and flash are not a great photographic combination!
Anto is a Korean steakhouse in the Upper West Side that serves premium meats and dishes of Korean influence. The interiors blend a beautiful steel and dark, but placid, shadows. In addition to the food and interiors, I also shot some portraits of owner and restauranteur, Tony Park in the beautiful space.
These are some interior/exterior photos of the opening of the massive Time’s Square location of candy-chain IT’SUGAR.
Down the steps of Midtown staple, Valerie, you’ll find a new, quite large speakeasy known as Madame George. Despite the lack of natural light, the space feels verdant and open despite its subterranean position.
