KELLY PULEIO
Kelly is a photographer from New Jersey and based in San Francisco. She is a fine arts graduate of the Art Institue of Philadephia and the California College of the Arts, and she works with many fine-dining restaurants in the Bay Area including Palette to showcase their menus, process, and space. Kelly told me that Palette has a special place in her heart, as Peter (chef and proprietor) has a fine arts background and a deep appreciation for the arts. Here is a summary of our hour-long conversation.
PHONE CONVERSATION WITH KELLY PULEIO
[04-11-2022 12:30:00]
The focus of her food photography depends on what the most important part of the dish is: the action element (smoke, fire, ice), the diner’s perspective, the layers of the dish, or its process and labor. Many Michelin chefs, like Peter at Palette, draw inspiration from ingredients, so Kelly feels the responsibility to highlight that through her photography.
While she has complete creative control over the process, the approach to photographing food is often collaborative. Some chefs have a clear vision, so they would always get on a call before the shoot to talk through the tasting menu or the seasonal menu.
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During the shoot, Kelly would use what’s in the space, never bringing outside surfaces to avoid jarring differences between the food seen on the website and the food seen in person. Sometimes the dishes are beautiful but it doesn’t photograph well. So the chef would manipulate the dish to represent it in the best way possible. And this photography process could influence how chefs plate their dishes moving forward.​
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This is true for Palette, as various artist come together to pull off the presentation. A ceramicist builds the place, a florist works on the arrangement, and the photographer comes in to capture that. Inspiration flows both ways at Palette. ​It just happens to be that Peter's aesthetic aligns with Kelly's. And Kelly's aesthetic can be traced back to shooting sex workers in motels. That dark and dingy vibe translated over to food photography, also moody and sexy.
And on the topic of fine dining, Kelly believes that the experience is intimate and sensual. Restaurants move like water through space, and the food is insanely thoughtful. The Bay Area is also unique in that we are blessed by nature to showcase both good food and good art.