Tagliatelle in marinara with a basil sprig in a white bowl, bright high-key light

Thirty-five yearsof making people hungry.

Fifteen years at The New York Times, twenty in a Fifth Avenue studio, and every season since 2020 in Edible Reno-Tahoe. Food, drink and product photography from Reno, for brands, restaurants and editors.

Tagliatelle marinara · “Endless Pastabilities,” Edible Reno-Tahoe, Cooks 2023

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Lou spent fifteen years photographing food for The New York Times, ran a studio on Fifth Avenue for twenty, and wrote the book on digital food photography. Today the studio is in Reno, and the work hasn’t slowed down.

Published in: The New York Times, Edible Reno-Tahoe, Wine Enthusiast, Food Arts
Campaigns for: Barilla, Tabasco
On set with: Bobby Flay, Jacques Torres, Lidia Bastianich
Recognised as: Olympus Visionary photographer

Cover of Digital Food Photography by Lou Manna — *Digital Food Photography*Lou Manna. Thomson Course Technology, 2005.

Selected work

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Pumpkin doughnuts frying in bubbling oil, top-down, dark — Doughnuts in the fryerMade With Love, Edible Reno-Tahoe

Three green Anaheim peppers and one red pepper on weathered wood, top-down, natural light — Anaheim peppersFire, Fruit, and Farmer’s Lore, Edible Reno-Tahoe

Pepper-crusted Dungeness crab legs on a blue plate with garlic butter dipping bowls — Dungeness crab, garlic butterGet Crackin’, Edible Reno-Tahoe

Smoking dry-ice poison apple martini on a wood bar, copper and herb backdrop, warm light — Poison apple martiniLifting Spirits, Edible Reno-Tahoe

Duck tamales with pomegranate, crema and microgreens over green sauce on a white plate, granite counter — Duck tamales, salsa verdeSlow-Cooked Luxury, Edible Reno-Tahoe

Fine-dining plate: seared scallops with crisp bacon/prosciutto shards and microgreens on a swoosh of cauliflower purée, on a textured off-white rectangular plate; soft window backlight, cream/warm-grey background, shallow focus. — Seared scallopsClient work

Cotton candy martini with liquid being poured over pink floss, dark bokeh bar — Cotton candy martiniThe Happiest Hour, Edible Reno-Tahoe

Grilled pork chop with chutney and crispy cake on a gray plate, dark moody — Grilled pork chop, chutneyThe Chosen Ones, Edible Reno-Tahoe

Hands cracking an egg into a well of flour, bright yolk, wooden board, close-up — Egg into flourEndless Pastabilities, Edible Reno-Tahoe

Mulled cider topped with whipped cream and caramel, oranges, cinnamon and spices on a white plate, wood counter — Mulled ciderMull It Over, Edible Reno-Tahoe

Close crop of sticky, deeply glazed fried chicken pieces (wings/nuggets) with roasted carrot batons, scallion segments and parsley on a white plate; warm yellow-orange background blur, glossy specular highlights, shallow depth of field. — Glazed wings, scallionGlazed wings

Edible Reno-Tahoe

45 stories since Fall 2020. Chefs, farmers, bartenders and home cooks across northern Nevada, photographed for the magazine every season.

Pint-Sized, Big FlavorFall 20263 photographs Fire, Fruit, and Farmer’s LoreFall 20263 photographs Breakfast of ChampionsCooks 20263 photographs The Truth About GoatsSpring 20262 photographs A Relic ReinventedSpring 20262 photographs Slow-Cooked LuxuryWinter 20256 photographs Right on TargetWinter 20252 photographs Fighting Food InsecurityFall 20253 photographs Full Circle: Beer Grain to BeefFall 20253 photographs A Perilous Palette for the PalateSummer 20251 photograph

All 45 stories →

About Lou

From the food pages of The New York Times to a studio in Reno, Lou has spent his career on one subject: making a plate look as good as it tastes.

Lou spent fifteen years shooting food for The New York Times, working on stories with Craig Claiborne, then ran his own studio on Fifth Avenue for twenty, photographing campaigns for Barilla and Tabasco and on location with Bobby Flay, Jacques Torres and Lidia Bastianich.

Today he works from Reno, shooting for Edible Reno-Tahoe every season since 2020, and for restaurants and brands across northern Nevada, in the studio or on location.

“Exquisite and mouthwatering.”

Chef Eric Ripert, on Lou’s photographs

More about Lou →