Octopus, char, olive oil, and the afternoon light of a Lisbon kitchen — a production built around one ingredient and its transformation under heat.
The commission was for a restaurant group opening their second location in Lisbon's Mouraria neighbourhood. They wanted imagery that felt local and tactile — something that could carry the warmth of a Portuguese kitchen without becoming a postcard.
The production centred on polvo — octopus — prepared in three stages: raw and pale on wet stone, mid-braise in a copper pot with white wine and bay, and finally charred over open flame until the skin blistered and the colour deepened to near-black. Each stage was shot separately over two days.
The final images were used across the restaurant's launch materials, menus, and social presence. The copper pot from the shoot ended up staying in the kitchen.