Fabio Danese

Grilled pluma, served on a pecorino fondue with smoked potato and drops of tomato. This image was created at Bracerie Venete, a long standing client of mine and widely regarded as one of the finest steak restaurants in my region. The goal was to shape a warm yet slightly mysterious atmosphere, with the light carefully directed to emphasize the hand and the key elements of the dish, enhancing both texture and depth.

This image is part of a personal project, created with the desire to experiment and reconnect with a more instinctive way of shooting. In this case, I focused on fruit, capturing a macro of a blackberry using a dedicated macro lens. The lighting reflects my signature dark and minimal style, enhancing depth and texture. I shaped the light to emphasize the intricate details of the fruit, making them almost resemble the eyes of an insect. To add a final touch, I sprayed a light layer of water to enhance freshness and visual impact.

This photograph is part of my project "Fotogrammi di Gusto", developed for a seaside seafood restaurant in my home town Trieste. It embodies my photographic style that i love to call "dark minimal", deeply inspired by Caravaggio, with bold shadows and sharp, dramatic light. I didn’t want to create a simple food image, but something more expressive so we introduced a gesture: a hand sprinkling red powder over the dish. The scene was carefully crafted to enhance both light and movement. The result is a composition rich in contrast, where colors and textures, the blue plate, the fish, the wood, and the vivid red powder, come together to tell the story.