I stumbled onto Kelly Brisson's work from my friend Molly Yeh couple weeks ago and instantly fell in love with her images. I love the way she captures details like the steam coming from the clams while being cooked on a pan. Also instant bonus plus points for making anchovy butter. Not a lot of people like anchovies but if you do, I can see us being friends right away.
Q. Can you tell me what you’re trying to capture when you take your food photos? A. I like to create a moment in time with my photos. One that might take you back to sharing a meal with friends/family, or one that might stir a nostalgia in your tummy to experience that moment. I like them to be imperfect and cozy, natural and dark.
Q. What inspires you? A. I love the natural shapes of food. The dimpled curves of an orange, the way a perfectly-round, salt-flecked egg yolk gives way when you poke it, the way light tangles in the crinkled leaves of curly kale. Even if I’m not cooking something spectacular, I’m always moved and inspired to take a few photos in the company of good ingredients.
Q. What is photography to you and how has it evolved from 2009 (when you first started your Tumblr) till now? A. I wasn’t at all interested in photography at all until I became involved with food. I started shooting with an old point and shoot camera and had no experience with it at all. From then to now, I’ve discovered a passion for it that I never knew existed. Despite my lack of camera and photography knowledge, I’ve managed to learn how to shoot and produce photos that speak to me, if no one else, and with these photos, I feel like I get to show people what food looks like through my eyes, how I see meals and ingredients. That’s extremely important to me and I wouldn’t be able to share that without photography. Q. Any food photography heroes? If not any photography heroes? A. Right now, I’m really smitten with Naomi Robinson, Chantelle Grady, Beth Kirby, Keiko Oikawa and Clare Barboza. All have a unique style and provide endless inspiration when I’m feeling a bit lost in my head.
All photos courtesy of Kelly Brisson of The Gouda Life