Brazilian Churrascarias aren’t al that common in NYC. Outside of the global chain, Fogo De Chao, there are some great options including Platforma, located in Hell’s Kitchen with a very large menu of table side carved meats. Although we did a second shoot with a more tempered and dramatic set-up for these meats, these are some selections from the first shoot which I think pop well, and have a flashy modern take on carved meats.
I was asked by the Bagatelle restaurant group to photograph their garden pop-up in the rear garden space of La Duree in Soho. In addition to photos of the restaurant, the space, and the atmosphere, they asked me to produce some GIFs of the evening as well. I’ve produced cinegraphs before so this wasn’t very challenging but it was still fun to try to find moments of motion in the evening.
Orwashers is bakery, originally from the UES and located as well in the UWS, which delivers and makes a lot of wholesale deliveries all around the city. In addition to shooting their catalogue for wholesales, I went into their bakery and shot some process shots, a look behind the bread.
Rhubarb is a catering group, originally from the UK, that has a presence in the US. I was hired to photograph some of their catering spreads and make the tables look full, which was easy to do considering how much food was set up. There were two set-ups and here are some samples.
Peppi’s Cellar was a very cool, very fun speakeasy-style bar underneath the former Gran Tivoli of Nolita. The bar slung cocktails, gourmet dishes and occasionally a jazz band performance. Here is a sampling of some of their dishes I shot.
I have been very fortunate to work frequently with Peak, the highest restaurant in the city (and maybe the country), that rests on the 101st floor of the Hudson Yards complex. Not only is the restaurant high up, but the food also sits at a very high quality. Here are some samples.
Leonelli Taberna was a beautifully designed restaurant at the Evelyn Hotel from chef Jonathan Benno, who still runs the eponymous Benno in the same location. These photos were photographed for Eater, and later licensed by the restaurant themself for their usage.
Sinigual is a chain of Mexican restaurants. I was hired to produce imagery of their menu for their marketing, featuring their signature dishes, margaritas and table side salad and guacamole presentations.
Cognac 55 was a grand brasserie in Times Square that has since been replaced, but I was hired to photograph their beautiful interiors, that invokes the concourse of Grand Central.
Remedy Drinks produces sugar-free kombucha that, with a little creativity, could be used to create a variety of cocktails. With the styling help of RHC, I was hired to capture some festive drinks in time for the holidays.
I was hired by the Serafina restaurant group to photograph all of their New York locations, including White Plains and East Hamptons. Here are some of my favorite shots from the various locations.
In addition to wonderful cocktails, the restaurant also serves a diverse menu with a diverse choice of banquettes, all very colorful and great visual accompaniments to the dishes.
Shooting on location is always exciting. As a photographer, you’re forced to search for viewpoints and perspectives that make use of the space and engage elements that may have been at once overlooked. Valerie, a cocktail bar and restaurant in midtown, has a lofted ceiling, which has a great vantage point of its downstairs bar, behind which is a towering wall of lights, which, when unfocused, produce a stunning backdrop for beverages.
Evi’s Bakery comes from the team (and the same street) of Olmstead and Maison Yaki. Given that this shoot focused on breakfast items, I did a little experiment. I’m used to diffusing my life with a soft box, to soften shadows and create a kind of tempered elegance to the food. For this shoot, I used no diffuser and kept the light hard, trying to imitate some harsh morning light. I notice this is a growing trend in food photography and, as a photographer for hire, it feels empowering to demonstrate different styles of photography, with the ability to give a client options.
At the base of One Vanderbilt, one of the city’s newest monolith’s, lies the entrance to Le Pavillion, from the Boulud restaurant group. With towering windows facing Grand Central and the Chrysler building, the space itself is full of flora which creates a serene garden atmosphere for guests.
I actually photographed Saga twice - once when they first opened to cover a story about their space and their impressive wrap around balcony with stunning views. Apparently their food is quite good and I returned to shoot the food as well as some night views, which were quite spectacular.
The Independent is a midtown-gastropub owned by The Stout Hospitality group. As one might imagine, in addition to all sorts of elevated bar-fare, the restaurant is known for their mixology and beer selection. These photos were taken for The Stout Hospitality Group for the marketing of The Independent.
Tampopo Kitchen is a family-run sushi and Japanese restaurant in Washington Heights, who have seen great success with their nearby sister restaurant, Tampopo Ramen. In addition to sushi, Tampopo Kitchen also serves ramen and other noodle dishes. These photos were taken for Tampopo Kitchen’s marketing.
As a food photographer, you don’t often get to eat the food. It gets cold, it’s not fully cooked, or you’re just too busy shooting and trying to get to your next gig. As a non-motorist, I’m always trying to keep my load light, and put as few things in my hands as possible when I travel, so when I am asked by a restaurant if I want to take something to go, I always want to answer “yes” but I am often burdened with having to bring the food and all my gear with me, and if I’m going to another shoot, I feel it would be uncouth to present myself with a doggie bag. Nevertheless, the stars aligned at this shoot where I was able to try the food, and take some home, and it was delicious. This shoot was assigned by Eater and you can view more and read more about this wonderful restaurant here. Here are some shots that didn’t make it to the website, and some that did:
