There is nothing more seductive than a well presented food dish. That’s the belief I carry with me to hone my skills as a food photographer.
With this introduction, I now have the chance to introduce myself: my name is Roger Mercuri, I am Brazilian and the keywords “food” and “photography” describe much of what I love doing.
My passion for these themes has two roots: the love for food is a result of the activity my parents and grandparents have done throughout their lives. I grew up amid sacks of wheat, buckets of tomato sauce, and a bunch of other ingredients my family used at our Italian restaurant, Cantina da Mamma. On the other side, the love for photography results from my creative profile: as a child, I loved doing activities in which I could express my point of view and let my imagination flow. It did not take long for these two things to come together to become a hobby, and then a job. Better than this; it turned to be my lifestyle.
Little by little I invest my effort in creating a studio focused exclusively on the production of photographs and communication materials for restaurants and food brands. And in doing so, I connect with different entrepreneurs; and I also get to know a lot of new restaurants and places every week (and sometimes even get some free samples).
In every new restaurant that I go to, I always notice that the main point in common as a customer is that we never know how a dish really is, unless some photography facilitates the visualization. And it is precisely at this moment that a restaurant can win or lose a client: food photography should be seductive, attract glances and leave no doubt that the dish presented is the dish the customer is going to ask for.
The opportunity to prepare a photo shoot for a dish is something that makes me feel very energic. I really love to think of every aspect that the photo might envolve: from developing the scenario and organizing elements on a scene, to adjusting the lights and follow the food assembly by the chef. This whole process is amazing, and a lot of good conversation about food andd recipes takes places at those moments.