Everyone loves a pizza. I’m no exception and prefer the traditional thin crust variety that takes just a couple of minutes to cook.
pepperoni pizza
It’s so versatile – you can add whatever toppings you like. Quick, easy, inexpensive (and great with a glass of red!). So it was a real delight when Pizza Press, a local restaurant that’s a cut above your average pizza joint asked me back to shoot some new food images (the week before I’d been shooting internals).
freshly made coffee
And now, having completed the work, it’s clear that it’s way more than a simple pizza restaurant. The food is simply stunning. I spent some time in the kitchen with their very talented young chef and it soon became obvious that he has a real passion for what he does.
head chef
Everything is made from scratch using fresh ingredients – and boy does it show! Even a humble lunchtime snack (chicken panini) looked appetising and was beautifully presented (and costs not much more than a shop-bought sandwich and a packet of crisps).
chicken panini
And have you seen a bruschetta that looks like this?
bruschetta
Or rack of lamb?
rack of lamb
Or a lightly dusted cod loin?
cod loin
And the desserts are to die for – look at this tiramisu with a difference.
tiramisu
So it was a real pleasure to work at Pizza Press once again – superb food, a talented and keen chef and professional front of house staff. It just goes to show that it’s worth making the effort to try out different restaurants – you never know what delights are likely to pass through the kitchen door. Surprise yourself.
hot chocolate fudge cake
For the technically minded, this was quite a tricky shoot. The light at this time of year is very unpredictable. I initially placed a table near to a window but then the sun came out strongly and cast nasty shadows across the plate. So I moved further into the restaurant and had to make full use of reflectors and mirrors. The house lights were off until the first of the diners arrived – luckily the auto white balance function on my Nikons is excellent. Images shot with 105mm and 60mm lenses.
