Photo by Art Streiber for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.
.
For a new campaign for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, R&R Partners commissioned Art Streiber to photograph nine top chefs and restaurateurs: Buddy Valastro, Paul Bartolotta, Daniel Boulud, Mary Sue Milliken, Susan Feniger, Guy Savoy, Giada De Laurentiis, Hubert Keller, and Mario Batali.
The concept was to show them all together at a dinner party, a feat that Art pulled off by photographing each of them separately, over a nine-hour stretch, on a set built at an empty restaurant at the Palazzo Resort Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.
“And while Las Vegas has everything you can and can’t imagine,” Art explains, “we brought our entire crew from Los Angeles. Namely, set designer Nick Tortorici, wardrobe stylist Sharon Williams, producer Brooke Ludi, digital tech Eric Vlasic, production coordinator Rachel Goldman, first assistant and executive producer Elaine Browne, and lighting director Johnny Tergo.
“Our plan was to build and light the set as if we were in a beautifully lit club-style dining room at night, and then we would light each of the chefs individually depending on their placement in the scene,” says Art.
“The entire shoot went off without a hitch, due in large part to the incredible work that my crew—especially Brooke, Nick, Sharon, and Elaine—did in preproduction.”
Among the many highlights of the shoot: “hugging Giada De Laurentiis, being threatened at saber-point by Daniel Boulud, and watching Nick Tortorici execute Boulud’s champagne-bottle-opening technique using that very same saber in one swift motion.
“Not to mention going through two entire coolers of fresh Mediterranean seafood with Paul Bartolotta in order to decide which to skewer on a trident and have him hold during the shoot.”
Adds Art, “I send an industrial-sized shout-out to my retoucher, Angie Hayes, who lovingly and meticulously pieced the whole thing together.”
credits
R&R Partners
Mark Naparstek, creative director
Jessica Hazen, associate creative director
Gina Scalice, art producer
.
.
