Late last year, two photographers from Milan wrote while travelling through the Northern Rivers. They had heard about the studio and wondered if they might visit.
The timing was imperfect. I had just moved and the studio was in complete disarray — to be honest, it’s still not fully set up. But it was a sunny Friday, and there was just enough time for lunch, so instead I invited them to join me at the table.
Lunch has always been my favourite meal to share. When I was running a production studio, we stopped work every day to eat together. If the weather allowed, we carried everything outside to eat al fresco. Those pauses — simple and unceremonious — were often the best part of the day.
This lunch followed the same spirit, somewhat scraped together: tomatoes dressed with olive oil and garden herbs, some bread, olives, and a can of anchovies. Nothing elaborate. Still, something changes when people sit down together at a table, even in the middle of a working day. Conversation slows, and the afternoon stretches a little.
Stefania and Matteo mentioned that they spend much of their time photographing hospitality — the beauty of restaurants, the choreography of kitchens, the intensity of service. Yet, they said, rarely do they find themselves simply sitting down to eat and stopping to have a real conversation.
Perhaps that is the power of a midweek lunch. It strips things back — just food on the table and a little time to share it.
A few good plates help.
