Arkansas Chefs – Environmental Portrait Photographer

I photographed several Northwest Arkansas chefs last month for AY Magazine and other publications. It’s always fun to take them out of their element and make them the center of attention instead of their food.

I love the challenge of creating a photo in an unfamiliar space. I love the pressure of coming up with a vision and then working to try to make it come out in my camera. I think the part I love most is playing with the light. In both images I used two white lightnings (one in a soft box and one bounced). I took myself out of my comfort zone by switching up the style of the soft box and also using a barn door instead of my “go to” grid spots. I think changing things up every once in a while allows my style to continue to evolve and hopefully improve.

Rob Nelson is a chef/owner of Tusk & Trotter in Bentonville, Ark.

Tammy Varney owner, pastry chef/cake designer at Meridienne in Bentonville, Arkansas.

They will be traveling to New York on Nov. 7 to cook for the Beard House along with with Case Dighero, with Eleven, and Matthew McClure, with The Hive.