Alanna Hale’s big break in food photography came from an assignment that no one ever gave her. In between writing restaurant reviews and contemplating how to combine her career with her love of food, Hale took up a job as an occasional hostess at Mission Street Food, Anthony’s Myint’s pop-up restaurant in San Francisco, and toted her camera throughout her tenure there. Then, wouldn’t you know it—the pop-up folded, McSweeney’s came knocking to chat about a cookbook, and Hale had all the goods on film, leading to her debut with Mission Street Food: Recipes and Ideas from an Improbable Restaurant. Not a shabby way to start, we’d say.
Since then, Hale’s knack for capturing a fleeting moment in all its raw and magical glory has led to features in Food & Wine, Lucky Peach, and San Francisco magazine. From a wisp of smoke shrouding a cook at the original Mission Chinese Food, to hearty plates of pasta at the Rich Table showered with a quick shave of cheese, Hale brings a certain gravitas to seemingly small details. For Hale, that emphasis on the moment can be traced back to the influence of photographer Robert Frank. After taking a black-and-white photo class in high school, Hale spent hours at her school’s darkroom trying to recreate Frank’s signature grainy, cinematic effect.
Look closely enough and you’ll see flashes of Frank in her top ten images. A mysterious father and son with a basketful of buttery hand pies appear almost frozen in time, while a candid of a man eating ice cream captures a sort of simple joy we can all relate to. Tipping her hat to Frank’s famed style and sharing the characters of her San Francisco home, it’s clear that Hale’s got a style all her own—and it works.
You can follow Alanna Hale on Instagram @alannahale.
