When I was in grad school out in Denver I stumbled upon this little burrito place called Chipotle a couple of blocks away. On the grad school budget and time frame it worked out nicely. Plus, their kitchen was completely exposed so I could see everything that was going on and what was going into my food. Plus, when my parents came to visit and I brought them to eat there the manager said "Thank you for bringing in new people" and gave us our entire meal for free. Plus they sponsored my best friend's wedding. Plus once when I was in there and an elderly woman asked if they had a 10% senior citizen discount, the manager said no and gave her her meal for free. So needless to say I think Chipotle is awesome. You can imagine how psyched I was when they became my client.

This time out I spent time with the folks at the Alameda, CA store documenting and producing images for their brochures, annual reports, and website. They are in the middle of a pretty exciting branding makeover and being a part of that is really fun. Now I have shot in a handful of kitchens before so I was prepared going in... still... I have to tell you shooting a machine that runs as efficiently and quickly as the Chipotle line is harder than shooting sports. Way way way harder. So I thought I might pass along a few tips that I have taken from the field. Take 'em or leave 'em. :]

1] KITCHEN  - you are in a kitchen. remember that. do not touch ANYTHING. don't lean on surfaces, don't touch the food or the workers, don't get your gear near the food. Kitchens have very strict rules that they have to follow in terms of health codes and that includes maintaining  a photographergerm-free environment. If you have long hair, wear a hat or [gasp] a net. I always wipe down my gear with antibacterial wipes and wash my hands thoroughly before shooting around food. Also, if you start to sweat step out of the kitchen and dry yourself off and then step back in.

2] FOOTWEAR - this is not the time to be making a fashion statement. Seriously. These kitchens move 100mph and often they are tight quarters. Wear really solid running shoes with a wide base or hiking boots. You are not allowed to wear anything open toed anyways and keep in mind that at some point in the day, the floor will become slippery. It just will. That is the way of things. You don't want to loose your footing and end up on the grill with your camera in the pot of pinto beans.

3] MADNESS - Like I mentioned, these places move and move and move. The quarters are tight. Chances are that the lighting sucks. Have your wide angle array ready and shoot full frame. NEVER FLASH A COOK. When someone is working quickly with big knives or over an open flame do not burst them with light. Don't be that guy that says 'I'll do what I have to do to get the shot.' If it's too dark just deal with it. Think about your output and decide whether to shoot wide open at, like, f/1.2 or boost up your ISO. If you want a shot that badly ask for a little time to set it up later and then you can bring in your 13 strobes and light it up. Do not get in people's way. Sounds basic but it's harder than you think.

4] EYES - keep both eyes open. I usually frame up my shot and then take my eyes away from the back of the camera and watch what is going on around me so I don't get clocked by some big pot or some dude running to the sink to wash the knives or whatever. Honestly.... aside from framing up your shot, what do you need to look through the back of the camera for? Your subject is going to do whatever your subject is going to do. You can see him/her as well as everything else that is going on with your eyes out of your viewfinder. Also, don't chimp. It's a good way to get yourself run over as well as distract the workers from their job and when people get distracted safety goes out the window.

5] ANGLES - you are shooting things from a perspective that customers don't get to see. Explore the world back there! There are always all sorts of cool reflective surfaces, steam rising, people buzzing around, inside cook jokes, teachable moments, exhaustion, joy... what makes the kitchen that you are shooting in different from all the other kitchens? Highlight that. It may be the relationship of the workers, the high tech cookery, the natural ingredients... we set ourselves apart by being different in subtle [and sometimes not-so-subtle] ways. That is where the brightness lies. 

also, leave a huge tip in the tips jar. sneak it in there so they don't know :]

seek the joy

eric