restaurant
I love going to a spa. At home, when I travel, anytime. Which is why I was very excited to photograph SoJo Spa Club for The Infatuation's Winter 25 list. Although I usually don’t eat there when I visit they have a pretty full menu that pairs nicely with a cold plunge.
Meju is a fine dining, set-menu restaurant in the back of a lovely Korean market in Long Island City. The Infatuation was in need of some photos to accompany their review, and so they called upon yours truly to do so. When I light food, I try to match the mood of the space and the vibe. As Meju is an upscale one-seating-per-evening speakeasy playing Sinatra, it gave off the vibe of a single softbox sort of aesthetic, which you can view below.
Speigelworld has produced some modern adult-driven cabaret/circus-style performances in Las Vegas and, somewhat, recently opened a location in Atlantic City, with their adjacent restaurant, Superfrico. Although there is also a Superfrico in Las Vegas, the menus varies slightly and the team was in need of photography of the dishes and the spaces below.
Gilligan’s is an outdoor oasis of a bar/restaurant at the Soho Grand Hotel. The client wanted their images to have a softness to them so, against my normal routine (and preferences), we shot only using natural light which did create a certain aesthetic that I’m happy to produce, but not the biggest fan of. It worked for the client, so it worked for me.
The tequila brand, Mijenta, has been teaming up with bars and restaurants to spread awareness of their product and inspire tequila-forward cocktails. Partnering with chic-Hudson Yards adjacent ZouZou’s, the two entities hosted a party that included an ice luge and narcotic-like dealings of caviar. View the video below.
I’ve rarely worked with stylists because most often I work with restaurants where the chefs or the marketing contacts are the ones styling the foods. I was lucky enough to work with the super talented Judy Kim who elevated the red-sauce food of Tony’s DiNapoli and truly elevated my photography. I almost feel like I didn’t even take these photos because Judy was the true artist who crafted such beautiful scenes below.
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.
What begin as a pop-up sprouted into its own brick-and-mortar location of KJUN - a fantastic mix of creole meets Korean cuisine, two cuisines I love separately and together. See some photos below from a review by The Infatuation.
Eater ran a piece on the re-opening of Eli’s Table, from Eli Zabar of the famed uptown markets, and I shot the space, the food and the man himself, which are below.
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:
Greta had popped up in my neighborhood and, after striking up a conversation with the owner at their opening, we discussed photography and a few weeks later I was helping Greta get set up. This micro coffee shop serves delicious Israeli/Mediterranean dishes with their own coffee in a delightfully designed nook. In addition to the dishes, I was tasked to also shoot their interiors and beverages.
Similarly to Lexus’s Intersect, the car manufacturer, Genesis, created a space to showcase their product, as well as bring in Seoul-exclusive restaurant brand Onijum to the space. This was photographed for Eater NY and you can read more about it here. Here are some outtakes from the shoot:
What once was a pizza pop-up is now a permanent fixture in the back space of The Bedford, Macchina serves delicious pizzas and wonderful cocktails in a charmingly rustic space. I photographed the interiors and drinks for the space and there’s a warm charm in the space that I attempted to capture.
