Viva Brighton Issue #56 October 2017

PHOTOGRAPHY
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Xavi D Buendia
Dance of the kitchen photographer
I worked in the food industry
for such a long time, here
in the UK as sommelier, and
as a waiter and barman. But it
was time to move on and do
something for myself, so when
I turned 30 I took a break. I
was taking pictures for fun and
did a favour for a friend - I
shot all his new menu - and the
photos looked incredible. I’d
never produced photos like that
before. One job led to another,
to another and food photography is what I’m
doing full-time now.
It feels natural for me. I know how to move
in kitchens, so I don’t get in the way of anyone.
I hear the checks coming in and see the waiting
staff moving around; it’s like a dance. I make it
easy for everyone because I know how stressful
it can be, especially for chefs to have someone
foreign around them when they’re working.
Chefs can be hot-headed, but I quite like it. I
loved the old-school kitchens; the swearing and
the shouting. You can see the tension building in
them, and the passion and the emotion; there was
a lot of fire. I don’t know how they do it nowadays
in open kitchens; it feels very unnatural.
I’m very lucky, the clients that I work with
are incredibly good at what they do, so what
you see in my photos is what you get at the table.
I don’t work in a studio and I don’t style any of
the food. I’m not too keen on food styling that
you see in magazines and Instagram feeds. Nobody
eats like that. Nobody gets up in the morning
and tidies up the table and puts a pretty cloth
and flowers with a pretty looking dish… I’m
grateful to be able to work with very talented
chefs who know their craft. Their
plating is insane. It’s tidy, creative
and fun. And that’s what I’m after.
Most of my clients are in
Brighton, and I tend to shoot
for them regularly; not only the
food but the staff, the interiors,
and the action. Typically, if I get
an enquiry, I’ll go eat there to see
what the food and the service is
like. If there’s something not quite
right, I’ll tell them it’s not the job
for me. I’m not just photographing
a product, I’m helping them sell an experience,
and to be able to capture that, I need to feel it
and believe in it.
Of the hundreds of restaurants in Brighton,
I always go back to my favourite five or six
when I get to eat out. Some of my favourites
are Silo, Riddle and Finns, Señor Buddha, the
Little Fish Market, Petit Pois, Cin Cin... Out of
those I’d say the Little Fish Market is the closest
to fine dining. I’ve worked in Michelin-starred
restaurants and super-luxurious establishments
and - in terms of food and service - they’re there.
I like to eat food that excites me and that I can’t
cook at home.
The food industry is so big and diverse. Most
people think only of restaurants, but then you
have the small farmers growing for them, the
foragers getting seaweed, micro-brewers and
distilleries, the guy who smokes salmon in his
garage, the banker who started making jams... I
realised that there is a niche for anyone with a
passion for food; anyone can create a successful
business out of it. There’s plenty for everyone.
As told to Lizzie Lower
xdbphotography.com
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