by The photographer and visual storyteller captures the fleeting yet vibrant moments that happen when we share a meal.
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Penny De Los Santos

on how every meal tells a story.

Hands in bread baskets, the scratching of forks and knives on plates, and a hearty cheers — with the click of her camera, visual storyteller Penny De Los Santos captures those fleeting yet vibrant moments in which every meal tells a story.  


Penny is the host of the Depth Of Field podcast, which explores the search for creativity and inspiration in the visual arts.

Beirut, Lebanon

“This candlelight setting, captured right after the electricity went out before breaking Ramadan fast, told the story of this group of men, clinging to one another after leaving their war-torn country. They spent their final meal together in this warm glow, and for one-sixtieth of a second, I memorialized that scene with a photograph. We were all held together in that space — no common language, no connections — but we shared that meal and connected for a time we were held together by it.”

A group of male Iraqi refugees who cook traditional dishes together in Beirut, Lebanon

New Delhi, India

“On location for a photoshoot for Saveur magazine, I was documenting food culture in the old city and ran across these ‘red coats,’ who work at the train station loading baggage for passengers. On their break, this group ran to the nearest tea stall for their chai.”

A group who work at the train station loading baggage for passengers drinking chai on their break in New Delhi, India

Sicily, Italy

“I spent a few days with this multigenerational Sicilian family during the olive harvest. Throughout the day, they harvested olives from their groves in the countryside outside Catania. In the afternoon, their nonna made a ‘picnic’ with wine from the grapes that the family grows, olives from a previous harvest, bread, and Sicilian sausage.”

Sicilian family during the olive harvest having a picnic in Sicily, Italy

Oaxaca, Mexico

“In Oaxaca, it was all about the late-night street finds. In the evenings, entire streets would transform into food markets, and you could stroll stall to stall tasting some of the most incredible home-cooked food the country has to offer.” 

A portrait of an evening food market in Oaxaca, Mexico

Peloponnese Region, Greece

“On feast days, one of the most cultural of ceremonies observed in the smaller remote villages in the region, locals host open-house parties to celebrate serving traditional Greek dishes. Here, people in a small village gather outside the church at the start of a name day.”

A portrait of a group of people gathering outside on a feast day in the Peloponnese Region, Greece

Bamako, Mali

“A young woman sifts rice in her kitchen in the boroughs of Bamako.”

Portrait of a young woman sifting rice in Bamako, Mali

Hyderabad, India

“This southern region of India is known worldwide for being the largest producer of chiles. In an open-air market outside Hyderabad, dried chiles are traded in a large shipping yard. The smell of chiles chokes you as you walk through the area. I had to wear a face mask to protect myself from coughing fits while shooting.”

A portrait of dried chiles being traded in a large shipping yard in Hyderabad, India

Cooking for someone and sharing a meal is one of the most intimate moments we share with others, and I have been really privileged to witness some very incredible meals.

Portrait of Penny De Los Santos. Copyright penydelossantoscorp. All rights reserved.
Copyright 2020 pennydelossantoscorp. All rights reserved.
Zehra Javed headshot

By Zehra Javed

Zehra Javed is the associate editor of brenebrown.com. With experience in social media management and new media, particularly TikTok, Zehra is passionate about using social media as a tool for connection. As a member of Generation Z, Zehra has grown up navigating between the physical and digital worlds. With one foot on grass and one foot online, she is constantly seeking a balance to integrate who we are in person and who we are onscreen so that we can be more connected than ever. Zehra holds a bachelor of science in industrial distribution, with minors in computer science and mathematics from Texas A&M University.

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