About

Lenticchia is a photography studio primarily dedicated to food and the stories behind it.

At its heart is an approach inspired by Italy’s Slow Food culture: understanding the ingredients, knowing the people who produce them, and taking the time to truly engage with food. Lenticchia brings this same philosophy to the way it approaches photography.

Each dish is carefully observed, capturing how light reveals its colours, textures and form. Beyond the beauty of the food itself, Lenticchia aims to create honest, memorable images that convey the craftsmanship behind each dish and a sense of the place it comes from.

Lenticchia is run by Maki Tanabe, who worked in Italy in various fields related to food and culture, including wine and food sales and tourism. She later studied design and worked as a graphic designer, while also photographing food for restaurants.

A self-taught photographer, she became fascinated by the way light can transform a subject — particularly by the way it can bring food vividly to life. This fascination led her to explore food photography more deeply.

Combining the perspective on food she developed in Italy with her designer’s sense of composition and colour, she seeks to express the unique character of each dish through photography.

Lenticchia specialises in food photography with a strong focus on lighting, and also offers food styling using tableware, backgrounds and props. The studio creates photography for restaurants, chefs, and food and beverage brands, as well as visual content for websites, social media and menus.

Drawing on Maki’s background in design, Lenticchia can also combine photography and design when needed, creating visual communication that reflects the distinctive identity of each restaurant or brand.