PLAT DU JOUR
A food photography blog by David Griffen.
PLAT DU JOUR
(ˈplɑː də ˈʒʊə ,
French pla dy ʒur)
NOUN
the specially prepared or recommended dish of the day on a restaurant’s menu
I take photos of great food. I also make animations. I have been a professional food photographer for 16+ years and am currently based in Newcastle, Australia. I studied Commercial Photography in Adelaide South Australia, and then spent 15 years shooting with some of the best chefs in the UK and Europe. I now run a small food photography studio where I cook food, and create photography and animations. I also head out on location to shoot restaurants and cocktails. In 2015 I was lucky to win the coveted Pink Lady Food Photographer of the Year. This blog has been going since 2014, and in 2016 it won Best Photography Blog at the prestigious UK Blog Awards.
Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to flick through a few posts, I hope you enjoy the articles.
Cheers, David.
CHEFS AND RESTAURANTS
I am a professional food and restaurant photographer, based in Newcastle Australia. After starting a career in hospitality I moved from working in a commercial kitchen to completing a Diploma in Commercial Photography. Before moving back to Australia in 2019 I spent 15 years in the UK working along side some world class chefs, shooting content and cookbooks. My kitchen experience, and understanding and passion for good food has helped me to forge a career as a sought after and awarded restaurant and hospitality photographer.
Hungerford Epic Lunch at Muse
Muse Restaurant - Hungerford Epic Lunch Commission: Muse Restaurant food photography at Hungerford Epic Lunch. I have many years experience shooting great restaurant food, and have developed a lightweight lighting kit and a work flow that is efficient but also produces [...]
FINO Seppeltsfield Estate
FINO by David Swain at Seppeltsfield Estate Barossa Valley FINO Seppeltsfield Estate: Locally sourced food is [...]
Ten Minutes by Tractor
Ten Minutes by Tractor. Just south of Melbourne, covering over 700 square kilometres and surrounded by water, is the [...]
Rick Stein Banniters Mollymook
Rick Stein Banniters Mollymook Some time ago I drove Rick Stein to a location just outside of [...]
Dinner by Heston
Dinner by Heston Last year I returned to Australia a couple of times to lay the ground [...]
Bennelong Rob Cockerill
Bennelong Rob Cockerill I have been photographing Jørn Utzon’s masterpiece - the Sydney Opera House - for [...]
Phil Wood
Chef Phil Wood Phil Wood is an alchemist, a master of balancing flavours and texture. Phil’s sensitivity [...]
PHOTOGRAPHY
I have been a guest speaker at many food photography events, and presented on the subject of mobile phone food photography and food photography for social media, at venues including The Ontorio Galley Toronto, Taste London, Google London and Terrior Symposium Berlin. Being considered as an expert in my field has meant that I have had the chance to try out some great equipment and experiment with photographic technique; the following articles are about my journey as a photographer.
The Newcastle Cookbook
The Newcastle Cookbook The Newcastle Cookbook will be a high quality hardcover independent publication, showcasing of some of the city’s favourite places to eat and drink. Featuring not only the top names in the business, it will also unearth some of Newcastle’s [...]
Bang and Olufsen Beoplay A1
Bang and Olufsen Beoplay A1 A day is incomplete without a little music and this beautiful speaker [...]
The Ultimate Traveling Kit for a Food and Lifestyle Photographer
Later this year we are heading off grid on the adventure of a lifetime – a twelve [...]
UPDATED: The Xperia XZ Premium from Sony
The Xperia XZ Premium from Sony We have been using the Sony Xperia XZ Premium for about [...]
RECIPES AND STYLING
I love food almost as much as I love photography. I have been fortunate enough to work on more than a dozen cookbooks, and have experience with both creating and curating recipes. I am currently working on a new cookbook about the food scene in Newcastle Australia.
Baking in the Weber Q
Baking in the Weber Q Baking in the Weber Q - I read somewhere that each item you take on the road needs a use beyond a single purpose – think Swiss Army Knife - and if an item in your kit does [...]
Jack Stein’s Tea Pickled Mackerel with Soda Bread
Jack Stein's Tea Pickled Mackerel with Soda Bread “This is a take on a traditional Cornish dish [...]
Stella West-Harling
Stella West-Harling is an amazing woman. Stella West-Harling was one of the pioneers of organic cooking, running one of Britain’s [...]
Pete Biggs’ Smoked Mackerel, Bacon & Duck Egg on Doom Bar Bread
Pete Biggs' Smoked Mackerel, Bacon & Duck Egg on Doom Bar Bread “Doom Bar beer (Sharp’s brewery) [...]
Nathan Outlaw’s Red Mullet with Coriander, Mint & Anchovies
Nathan Outlaw's Red Mullet with Coriander, Mint & Anchovies SERVES 4 PREP: 15-20 mins COOKING: 3 mins [...]
DESTINATIONS
A career in Food Photography has given me the opportunity to travel extensively through the UK and Europe shooting restaurant and food photography. Before settling with the family in Newcastle we completed a 12 month road trip around Australia.
Bundeena and Booderee
We decided to go to Bundeena National Park for our first stop as it was a short distance from our base in Leichhardt Sydney, just in case we needed to head back to base for a re-think. After saying our goodbyes [...]
Cornwall Kitchen Studio
Cornwall Kitchen Studio Cornwall is a foodie paradise: cheese and dairy, exceptional seafood, grass fed cattle and [...]
At Home With Celebrity Cruises
Creole Dining with Celebrity Cruises Last week the lovely people at Celebrity Cruises invited me to savor the joyful [...]
New York City
New York City I am alive with travel, new experiences, new people. Hooked on photographing new places [...]
Terroir Symposium Toronto
Terroir Symposium Toronto I am just making my way back to the UK after a few days [...]
Tyrrell’s Winery Tour
Tyrrell's Winery Tour This time last year we were visiting family back in Australia and took the [...]
Jalan Alor
Jalan Alor, Kuala Lumpur I recently spent some time visiting my family back in Australia, and on [...]