Food Photographer
Inman park has been so good to me... from photographing first looks to restaurant reviews, the creative genius in this district has left me salivating! This shoot at the new Hampton and Hudson was for a restaurant review in The Atlantan (out this month!). It was my first time working with them, couldn't be more pleased with both the teams both at the restaurant and the magazine. More good things to come.
Branching more into the magazine world, this was my first opportunity to work with the awesome team at The Local Palate, and a third opportunity working with the great minds of Botiwalla at Ponce City Market! This story covers Chef Meherwan's newest kebab recipes for grilling this season. Dishes included are Tandoori Tri-Tip Kebab Sliders, Paneer Cheese and Veggie Kababs, Botiwalla Lamb Kababs, and his Cumin and Fennel Seed Dry Rub for ribeye and strip steaks.
Cover stories for Creative Loafing are some of my all time favorites to photograph. This shoot couldn't be described as anything but fun- sampling, judging, and photographing some of the best sweets in Atlanta! The winner ended up being the Sunflower from Sarah Donut, a specialty doughnut that has sugar and cinnamon folded into the dough, and of course is shaped like a sunflower. The panel of judges included Adjoa Danso, Stephanie Dazey, Brad Kaplan, and Jennifer Zyman. Check out the story here to see some of the other doughnut contestants, behind the scenes notes, and more!
This First Look for the AJC was at Brush Sushi Izakaya in Decatur. Speaking with Chef Jason Liang, he explained that much inspiration was drawn from the documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi (You've probably seen it on Netflix!). Particularly in reference to the small plates and nigiri sushi, his focus is on creating small bites of food packed with intricate flavors, rather than creating large dinner dishes. The menu, which is quite expansive, has many entrees and beautiful cocktails to choose from as well, take a look at the full article by Bob Townsend here.
This cover story for the AJC (two covers in one day!) goes in depth on black squid ink pasta, specifically prepared by Chef Mike Patrick of Storico Fresco. Mike prepares three types of nero pasta, including Black Cavatelli with Lamb Sugo, Black Tortelli with Arrabbiata Sauce, and Black Chittara with Pancetta, Turnip Greens and Squid. In this story, Mike explains the history and differences of using squid ink in pasta in his dishes. Check out the full article here. Pastas are available for purchase at Storico Fresco, located in Buckhead, Atlanta.
This story covers another successful $20 Dinner with Creative Loafing, this time with star chef Hannah Chung. I worked with her previously on a "Chefs to watch in 2015" assignment, which turned out to be quite an accurate prediction. She has now opened the new restaurant Simply Seoul Kitchen in Ponce City Market which features her signature kimchi and Korean steamed buns. For this dinner, Hannah prepares a stunning Bibimbap with ground beef bulgogi, fresh veggies, her famous kimchi, and soybean sprout soup. Check out the full story by Stephanie Dazey for recipes and more (as well as a page with a wonderfully insane amount of photos!).
This cover story for the AJC goes into the kitchen with Chef Anthony Spina as he explains his recipe behind the quickly famous Grandma Pie. Breaking down all the ingredients, he goes step by step from how you form the dough to how you get the signature pools of melty mozzarella on top. Check out the full article and how-to video here.
*Update this story was actually published twice! See slideshow below for the paper clippings-
With all the new additions, Ponce City Market keeps calling my name for updates and happenings! This First Look for Creative Loafing was on El Super Pan, a Latino sandwiches restaurant and bar inside PCM's Central Food Hall. The price tags are a bit steep for sandwiches, but this revived concept by Chef Hector Santiago has gotten rave reviews. While not a food critic myself, I can say with full confidence that the Medio Dia was one of the best sandwiches I have ever had with an incredible blend of flavors. Check out Creative Loafing's full story by Sucheta Rawal here.
Recently I've had the pleasure of working with Eli Kirshtein and Bob Townsend to pull together this awesome cover story for the AJC. Chef Eli works at the Luminary in Krog Street Market, but rather than focusing on the restaurant, this story instead highlights the chef and his seafood expertise on creating the perfect raw bar in time for the holidays. I am over the moon with how this story came together, check out the full article (including recipes) here.
Gotta love new clients! Last week I shot an assignment for the AJC at Ticonderoga Club in Krog Street Market, the newest brainchild of some of the best foodies in the city. This restaurant was kept under wraps for a while, but I got to check out the restaurant (and sample some amazing food and beverage) while I was there for the shoot. Right now they're only selling their hot sandwiches for lunch, but the rest will be in full swing soon. Check out the full story by Bob Townsend here.
Ponce City Market, a long-awaited addition to the Atlanta food scene, just got a little bigger (and better) with the recent additions of H&F Burger and Hop's Chicken. Anything I could say about these restaurants would pale in comparison to the article written by Cliff Bostock, which you can check out here. Needless to say, Linton Hopkins is a hero among food fans, myself included.
My favorite assignments are the ones that combine food and documentary photography. These stories go beyond taking colorful pictures and share the backgrounds of the workers striving to perfect their art. Their workplace is their home, their coworkers are family. This Creative Loafing article, A Day in the Life of Proof Bakeshop, covers the goings-on around the clock at a new Atlanta bakery. Combined, me and my fellow photographer Eric Cash spent an entire day photographing and getting to know the business and employees. Starting from preparations at 6pm the night before to 6pm at closing time the next day, these employees don't miss a beat, even at 2 o'clock in the morning. While the food was delicious, I would go back just for the company.
Not only does this bakery have a feature story, but they also won Best New Bakery in the Critic's Pick section of Creative Loafing's "Best Of" issue. Below are some of my photos from the morning and afternoon shifts. Check out the full CL story here.
