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