Garrett King
The Fort Worth Wedding And Commercial Photographer Tosses A Little Love To Black Cat Pizza’s Wide-Ranging Bake-At-Home Takeout Options.
Welcome to a new pandemic-era series on Central Track called Photographers On Food, in which provide various Dallas-area photographers a small budget with which to buy themselves takeout or delivery from a local restaurant they love, and then ask that they shoot that order in a creative way before chowing down. In publishing these photos, we hope to to help keep food on the table of local photographers and to highlight some great area dining establishments that are working through these times the best we can.
Fort Worth wedding and commercial photographer Meredith Parnell has been living in Fort Worth her entire adult life, dating back to her time as a college student at Texas Christian University.
So it’s no surprise that the TCU alum decided to keep her focus on her hometown when selecting which local restaurant to order from for her submission into this ongoing series.
What is a surprise, however, is that she actually cooked her meal herself. For her assignment, Parnell ordered a pair of bake-at-home pies currently being offered up by Fort Worth pizzeria Black Cat Pizza during these uncharted times. In turn, she was able to not just shoot the food she ordered, but also to shoot some candid shots of the cooking process — not unlike what she might grab in a behind-the-scenes wedding shoot, actually.
Scroll on to see the photos that resulted from Parnell’s experience with this photographic experience, and to read her explanation as to why ordering from Black Cat Pizza was such a no-brainer for her.
The Photos:
The Interview:
What restaurant did you choose?
Black Cat Pizza in Fort Worth.
Why Black Cat Pizza?
It’s a new local restaurant that has always been so unique, tasty and full wonderful people.
What meal did you choose to order, and why?
I chose the “House Divided” pizza kit. I love to cook, and this gave me an opportunity to eat their amazing pizza while making it fresh at home. The “House Divided” is actually two pizzas: One is their TMNT pizza, and the other is their Red Fang. The TMNT is a pesto-based pizza with kale, Marcona almonds, cucumbers, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and an olive oil drizzle. The Red Fang has a tomato sauce base with chorizo, roasted cherry tomatoes and a spicy Thai chili infused honey.
What’s the best memory you’ve got of this place?
The first time I visited Black Cat Pizza was the first time I ever had broccoli on pizza. To be honest, I probably wouldn’t have tried it if a friend hadn’t just told me it was amazing — and it was! Also, my husband is the senior editor for video production company Red Productions, and their office is just a few steps away. So, this year, the Red Production Christmas party actually was held at Black Cat Pizza. They closed down the restaurant for the evening for us, and the chefs made the most amazing dinner with multiple courses for us. It was a night that we’ll never forget, and I believe it’s important to help local businesses that impact your lives.
Why did you decide to shoot your order this way?
I’m not a food photographer, so just grabbed what I had on hand. I used my Profoto D1 Air with a softbox and a reflector. I used my office to set up, and placed the food on my cutting board on a little side table. It was a pretty simple set up, but I liked shooting it with the light coming from the side and the back.
How do you feel about how the photo came out?
I feel pretty good how it turned out! It makes me want to try more food photography. I really feel like I did a good job for a non-food photographer!
Where can people see more of what you’re working on?
You can see my work on my Instagram at @meredithparnellphotography and @meredithparnell.
Any last points you want to share?
Just thanks for supporting local restaurants and local photographers!