J. Nelson Photography’s Photolife

While Jenny and I are largely wedding photographers in the summer season, we still do a fair bit of commercial work in between the weekends.  Something we really enjoy shooting is food.

I know, food photography tends to conjure images of inedible items created with industrial type supplies to get the “perfect look”.  On the contrary, all of our clients are extremely talented chefs who’s food is both delicious and beautiful.  We shoot their dishes on site, as they would come out of the kitchen for any patron.

While we were in Cozumel last week, we had the opportunity to shoot the food and a little bit of the space at Kinta Mexican Bistro.  Chef and owner Kris Wallenta has been a friend of ours for years, and his new venture in downtown Cozumel has been wildly popular since it’s opening.  Kinta is a perfect example of the blend between cuisine that pleases the palate and a space that delights the rest of the senses.  Kris’ food is thoughtfully  flavored, with elements of the traditional Mexican and Kris’ own culinary background.  From a photographers perspective, the colors on the plates are vibrant, and his presentation really pops.

Maybe the best part was getting to see how Kinta pulls all of this off.  Kris is hands on in every aspect of his baby.  Without getting too cliche,  from the art that goes on the walls, to the art that goes on the plate, you can feel the love he puts into the place.

In the morning, Kris, Jenny and I went to the mercado to grab some tacos for breakfast and to take a few shots of Kris shopping for the restaurant.  You can tell that Kinta uses the freshest local ingredients whenever possible.

I wish all our shoots went like this!  In the end, while we really enjoyed shooting Kris’ dishes, we enjoyed devouring them even more.