Garrett King
Dallas-Based Visual Storyteller Timothy Hoang Nails The Throwback Aesthetic With This Look At His Favorite Neighborhood Taqueria.
Welcome to a new pandemic-era series on Central Track called Photographers On Food,a 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.
In addition to “creative director” and “visual storyteller”, the Dallas-based Timothy Hoang also counts “time traveler” among the titles he claims for himself on his professional website.
Is he joking? Is he serious? Maybe both: Hoang’s time-traveling ways are presented with an asterisk at that URL; as he goes on to note, his time-space continuum-bending ways are applied “only aesthetically”, he admits. But it’s quite an aesthetic indeed — and one that the luxury brand specialist applies even in his approach to food photography.
For his entry into this ongoing series, Hoang decided to apply a vintage feel to an order placed at the revered East Dallas taqueria El Come Tacos. The result is an eye-popping visual, for sure.
Check out his shot below, then keep scrolling for more insight into why Hoang decided to highlight this particular dish, and how he came to shooting it this way.
The Photo:
The Interview:
Which restaurant did you choose?
El Come Taco, right off of Fitzhugh Avenue in Dallas.
Why this spot?
I chose this restaurant because street tacos have been something I’ve been missing from my life during quarantine. El Come is also a family-run business that’s been hit by the current state of the world. I also — for better or for worse — have gotten back into drinking soda during all this, and nothing’s better than Mexican Coca Cola!
How about the meal you ordered? Specifically, what made you pick this one?
Sirloin tacos are my favorite, and I absolutely love them with hot sauce and lime!
What’s the best memory you’ve got of El Come?
My favorite memory is when I first tried their marinated pork ribs on Cinco De Mayo!
Why did you decide to shoot your tacos this way?
I shot this photo in this style because I am a fan of the retro/vintage aesthetic. Bright colors that call back to happier times are my vibe currently.
How do you feel about how the photo came out?
The photo came out better than I expected because I had a hand model with the same colored nails as the plate — and a fantastic food photographer named Kathy Tran who helped give me some insightful ideas!
Where can people see more of what you’re working on?
People can find me on my Instagram at @timothyhoang and also on my LinkedIn as well. I love doing creative shoots to balance the more strategic/analytical work I do in marketing consulting.
Anything else you’d like to add?
Initiatives like this through Central Track impact people and business in positive ways. It’s amazing to not only be innovative, but to offer engaging ways to support local businesses who are affected during this time. I am grateful to be a part of this campaign.
Like so many small businesses, we at Central Track face an uncertain future due to the effects of COVID-19. In our entire eight years as a publication, we’ve never locked our content from you through subscriptions or paywalls, but in order to make it out on the other side of all this, we need your help. If you can, please consider supporting our coverage of all things Dallas culture by joining us on Patreon for exclusive perks or by donating directly through PayPal or Zelle at [email protected].