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[/fullscreen]Born and currently living in Brooklyn, New York, photographer Shaquay Peacock has always had a love for traveling dating back to her first international trip to Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, where she lived for three months as a Culinary Intern (she has an Associates Degree in Culinary Arts and a Bachelors Degree in Culinary Nutrition from Johnson & Wales University).
During her travels, she focuses heavily on food photography as a gateway into the local culture she’s exploring.
I became more interested in photography- specifically of food about four years ago so I enrolled in different food photography and food media classes…Shaquay Peacock
In 2014 ,she entered Photo District News’ (PDN) food photography competition where she placed in the Top 20 and her photos were showcased in their winners’ gallery.
How would you describe your style of photography?
My style of photographing food, especially in different countries, is to let the background speak for itself. I like to capture food in its natural element- not to prop items or set up shots to my style but to let the culture of the cuisines shine through presentation.
Can you share backstory behind these two photos?
The first photo is from my most recent trip to Thailand. I took a cooking class in Bangkok which started with a market tour through the alleys in the heart of the city. This photo was a curry stall- where a woman makes a variety of curries – yellow, green, massaman – in bulk to sell to restaurants. I liked the earthy colors of the curries as well as the presentation. If this were – say- in the USA, it would break all kinds of food safety regulations (some of which are unnecessary) but yet it’s the way of life there and no food sickness issues.
The second photo is from a Lebanese Restaurant I dined in while I was in Abu Dhabi, UAE. I just loved the tablescape with the different textures and colors of the food. It was delicious!
What are your dreams as a photographer?
My dreams as a photographer comes into play with my overall dream to be in the food media field. As a travelling chef, venturing into food photography has been a natural progression to achieve my overall goal of being a creator and culinary producer for a travel cooking show. Presentation is paramount in the food industry and to have that come across in photos is something that I try to convey to the viewer.
Follow her here – Portfolio | Facebook – Shaquay Peacock| Instagram – @chefshaquay
The “Snapshot” series are mini interviews with fellow black travel photographers to inspire others and myself. As I’ve navigated the world of travel photography over the last few years, I’ve found very few fellow photographers of color who are also doing this professionally with a heavy focus on travel documentary. So this inspirational resource of professional travel photographers of color is a way for people to always find us. Please get in touch if you’d like to be featured or know of others to feature.