Located in the heart of the newly energized East Liberty section of Pittsburgh, Chef Brian Pekarcik offers an ambitious menu filled with a medley of local farm-to-table ingredients at Spoon. I happen to know Brian from a long time ago, and discovered him here when Spoon first opened in the summer of 2010. The atmosphere is elegant, but with a rustic feel that appeals to me. The plates are simple, sophisticated, and always contain a pleasant surprise or two.
I've done quite a bit of work on photographing the food at Spoon, but it is a foray into a realm of photography that I have yet to really do very often. I learned very quickly that there is little room for error, and that somehow conveying the flavors, smells, and temperatures that are coming from the plate/bowl/glass in a photograph are very difficult indeed. It's way easier to make food look unappetizing than it is to make it look palatable (which by the way isn't really good enough - it really should make your mouth water). I spend a lot of time looking at recipe books, magazines, and food photos in general, and I know what appeals to me as a consumer. This, of course, is overlaid by what I know as a photographer, and I can't help but reverse engineer the photographs that I see and like. That being said, I've also learned that in order to achieve anything that is satisfactory to me as an artist (let alone to make the client happy), I really need to forget about what I am 'supposed' to be doing, and begin with what I know. Good light is the only key to making a good photograph, and food is a shining example of this.
So this is an introduction, a learning experience, and a humbling introduction to what I hope will become an increasingly more frequent occurrence for me. That being said, here are a few of my favorites from the most recent shoot. This was all shot with window light, after having done some work these same dishes in studio light (and really not losing any sleep over how good I felt about them). I picked up a slab marble, some mat board, a recycled pice of a slate roof, and some handmade papers for color. The location was a floor to ceiling landing where the restaurant opens to their rooftop dining area (which of course is closed curing these very cold winter months).
