Alex Atala for Jits Magazine
Brazilian chef de cuisine Alex Atala photographed for jiu-jitsu magazine Jits
Recently came to our hands the issue #25 of the canadian-based-worldwide-famous jiu-jitsu magazine Jits, featuring a story I shot with brazilian chef de cuisine Alex Atala.
Dave Menceles, head of Jits came along with Isa Drummond straight out of Toronto to São Paulo to interview Atala, who also trains jiu-jitsu. A fact that surprised me when I was contacted by Dave.
Chef Atala is, first of all, a super human being. Despite being so busy with two restaurants in São Paulo, a couple projects across the country and hundreds of employees, he was very accessible, colaborative, sympathetic and smiling all the time.
Our day started at Demian Maia’s academy in São Paulo, where I shot Alex training with Dave, Demian and some other gym fellows. A short break for some açaí at the gym’s lunchonette where the informal conversation could add to the interview. I also used the gym space to make some posed shots of Atala.
Later on, we headed to Mercado Municipal de Pinheiros, a covered street market that Atala helped renovate and have five shops inside. One representing each biome of Brazil: Amazon, Atlantic Forest, Pampas, Cerrado and Caatinga. The shops bring typical food, beverages and handcrafted articles of each region, part of his project Instituto ATÁ. I also shot some photos of him in the place.
In a certain moment at the Mercado, an old lady approached him to ask for a photo, which he not just accepted with a big smile in his face, but ended up giving her a comfy hug. Dave commented with me about the magnetism Atala seems to have, attracting everyone around him.
Our last stop was at Dalva e Dito, one of his restaurants. We had lunch together — delicious food to say the least — while he handled both talking to us and dissolving some tasks of the day on the mobile phone. Curious noting that, while he made us comfortable to order whatever seemed more appetizing, he asked his employee to prepare “whatever is easier to do”.
Finally, we wrapped up our day making some shots of him in the kitchen both alone and with his crew. We also photographed him in front of a huge blue-and-white tiled wall. Atala hugged me and Bárbara a goodbye and sat with Dave to record the interview per se.
The 20-page reportage is out and can be seen on jitsmagazine.com and the magazine is available in the shop.
Thanks to Jits crew Dave Menceles and Isa Drummond, Alex Atala, Demian Maia and his crew, Augusto Yamamoto and my beloved wife and co-worker Bárbara Bombachini, who was a great hands-on at the photoshoot.
