After Dinner series

After Dinner is a series of photographs I’ve been shooting since a 2008 Town & Country photography assignment in Japan. The Japanese take artisan to a whole new level there. At a sushi restaurant we were offered ceramic sake cups thrown by the chef I became attracted to what the table looked like after the meal. At dinner at Negiya Heikichi in Kyoto I started photographing and haven’t stopped. I’ve captured After Dinner pictures from Japan, Spain, France, Germany, Mexico, Guatemala, and the United States. Chefs John Besh, Seamus Mullen, David Tanis, Christopher Hirsheimer and Melissa Hamilton of Canal House), occasionally my own dishes, and of course, Dorothy Kalins, have provided me rich subjects.

 

After Dinner blueberry pie for tines
Blueberry Pie, NYC

Breakfast table , Sevilla, Spain

Breakfast, Sevilla, Spain 

tomato and basil on a tall masted ship plate

Tomato and Basil at Sea, East Moriches, NY

 

crumbs are all that's left of a loaf of bread at Swann's Oyster Depot, San Francisco

After the Loaf, Swann’s Oyster Depot, San Francisco

 

once a cobbler

Cobbler, New York

 

Seamus Mullen's corn & clam

Seamus Mullen’s Corn & Clam (book shoot), East Moriches, NY

 

Happy Birthday cake

Happy 75th Birthday Jack, New York

 

Oyster Pan Roast, Grand Central Oyster Bar

Oyster Pan Roast, Grand Central Oyster Bar, New York

Le Creuset pot after after making strawberry jam

1950's Grilled Cheeser (my mom's)

Mom’s 1950’s Grilled Cheese Press

 

Oil, Fennel, Flowers plate

Oil, Fennel Flowers, East Moriches, NY

 

hard boiled eggs in the sink

Deviled Eggs To Be, The Canal House Book Party, New York

 

traslucent salmon, Swann's Oyster Depot, San Francisco

Swann’s Oyster Depot, San Francisco

 

David Tanis dessert

David Tanis dessert, New York

 

end of tomato salad

Tomato Salad, New York

 

extreme close up of blackberry

The Last Blackberry, New York

 

Chef John Besh's table of seafood shells, La Provence, France

Chef John Besh’s shells (book shoot), La Provence, France

 

after winter wooden spoon

After Winter Wooden Spoon, East Moriches, NY

 

Seamus Mullen's lamb meatballs. My mother's spoon

Seamus Mullen’s Lamb Meatballs and My Mother’s Spoon, East Moriches, NY

 

silverware in sink

Silver Where? New York

 

summer salad

Summer Salad, New York

 

two shrivled pears

Pears Aged Together, East Moriches, NY

 

psychedelic salad

Psychedelic Salad, East Moriches, NY

 

a knife and grap and crumbs

Chef John Besh breakfast (book shoot), La Provence, France

 

beets

Beets

 

Negiya Heikichi restaurant, Kyoto, Japan

Negiya Heikichi restaurantKyoto, Japan

This is the first photograph I took in the After Dinner series, taken at Negiya Heikichi in Kyoto. I was captivated by what was left on the table and haven’t stopped shooting. The serving dishes are so beautiful in Japan, nothing needs to be placed in them. They’re works of art, and many are handmade.

 

Prints from the After Dinner series are available in 11 x 14, 13 x 19. Larger sizes are possible. Email for prices.