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Maybe it’s no accident that her first photograph she ever shot was of a jar of Nutella. But she’s come a long way since then, both in terms of skill and palate: on her site, in the featured category “things”, there are shots of dishes from renowned chefs like Ferran Adrià, Maurilio Garola and Alfredo Russo.
But for Alessandra Tinozzi, the pairing of food and photography doesn’t stop here. Her new project On the pillow has literally “floored” the supporting and leading characters who rotate around and within the world of cuisine: chefs, bakers, farmers, small producers of wine are the subjects of these unusual portraits that feature each them lying down on a cushion.
The results? You can see for yourself in the gallery at the top of the page. At the World’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards, Alessandra asked the world’s most famous chefs to “get comfortable” on the set. This is a rare chance to see culinary stars like René Redzepi, Massimo Bottura, Carlo Cracco orInaki Aizpitarte – just to name a few – flat on their backs. So take a look at the images.
If, instead, you’d like to get to know this gourmet photographer a bit better, here’s a generous serving of ten questions and answers.
Alessandra, if you were a dish?
Egglplant parmesean.
What’s the first taste you remember, and why?
Condensed milk stolen from the pantry, sucked down straight from the tube while hiding from my mother. I remember the sticky, metallic and forbidden sweetness. An unforgettable mix.
The most incredible taste experience you’ve had in your life?
“Flor en nectar” by Ferran Adrià. An indescribable taste, halfway between human and divine. It’s how I imagine the taste of ambrosia that grants immortality to the Gods...
What is never missing from your fridge?
Capers.
What’s the “ultimate” or perfect taste?
Brown rice.
Your first photograph?
A jar of Nutella.
Your first "real" camera?
I began with a Hasselblad 6x6: I'm lucky, I know...
Black and white or colour?
Colour, like life!
In your opinion, when is a photograph or a dish successful?
When it makes you feel hungry, when it evokes a flavour from your memory, when it stimulates a project for the future.
A desire: what or who would you like to photograph?
Barak Obama on a pillow.
