Ana Kelly talks in paragraphs, not statements. She speaks quickly, with authority, and has a hint of an accent that is the perfect amount of exotic. She does not censor herself, and has an exuberance that is not bound by the confines of the telephone.
Kelly just returned from one of her many trips on location as a food stylist, and quickly runs down her itinerary for the coming weeks. Given her busy schedule, I’m glad I got even a few minutes within what seems like a very full life. Despite her hectic pace being born in France, Kelly is a Pittsburgher at heart and calls this city her hub.
While most people don’t give food photography much thought, there are people who cook, style, light, and photograph the food in magazines, websites, and advertisements. These are the images that are designed to make you salivate, and ideally purchase or prepare the item in the picture. Ana Kelly is one of those people.
Kelly began taking cooking classes at Manchester Craftstmen’s Guild in Pittsburgh because traditional cooking schools are quite expensive and she did not want to go into debt. Their small classes were a perfect fit for this perfectionist. And after she finished her courses she knew she loved cooking, but did not want to work on a line at a restaurant. After some gentle nudging from her partner of twenty years, the late, Amy Lamb, she knew food styling was the path she should take. Kelly apprenticed for 2.5 years and learned the careful art of food styling.
For the photo shoots, Kelly cooks everything and then positions every detail of the food in order to create the freshest, most delicious-looking product. The key, she says, is collaborating with a photographer who can work quickly because the food looks the most appetizing when it is hot off the grill, so to speak.
Kelly is passionate about her work and gets excited talking about food, “I know what pork is supposed to look like. I know what the food should look like, so I want to make sure every detail speaks to how the food is supposed to look.” She says cheese is her favorite food to work with because it is the most difficult. “It dies on you,” she states matter-of-factly. Cheese is a test of how good she is at her job, and Kelly says she loves a challenge.
While Kelly seems to be enthusiastic about her work and food, what she seemed most passionate about is what good work comes out of Pittsburgh. “I am proud when people ask me where I am from because they are always surprised to hear I come from Pittsburgh, but they shouldn’t be. There are so many amazing things and people coming out of Pittsburgh.”
Kelly rattled off a number of local restaurants that she loves, but some of her favorites are Cure, Meat and Potatoes, and Eleven. “There are so many innovative restaurants that have popped up in the last few years, and it’s exciting to be a part of this growing industry in Pittsburgh,” she says.
This is clearly a woman who represents the “quality coming out of Pittsburgh” that Kelly speaks about. She loves what she does and she is ever excited about her job, the next city she’ll visit, and food she’ll cook. While we were always taught never to play with our food, Kelly certainly knows how to do it right. Just talking to her made me hungry— for food and for life.
Learn more about Ana Kelly and see more of the beautiful food she has created and styled at www.anakellyfoodstyling.com
