Food Focus

A profile of Lafayette photographer Denny Culbert

Here’s a tip for immersing yourself in a strange new town: get to know the foodies.

That’s what photographer Denny Culbert did when he relocated from Akron, Ohio, down to Louisiana. After a short internship with The Advocate, he landed a job at The Daily Advertiser in Lafayette. While working there, he published a column entitled “Dishing It Out,” in which he’d profile local restaurants and chefs. 

As a way to acclimate himself to the community, it worked like gangbusters. “I like the people around food,” said Culbert. “I like being around chefs; I like being around farmers and fishermen.”

In Lafayette, he had found a scene on the verge. These days, the city is home to multiple farmers’ markets,  ongoing dinner series such as Runaway Dinner and Pig & Plough Suppers; and a host of innovative restaurants populated by daring chefs.

“Chefs are such a diverse group of people,” said Culbert. “They’re creative, passionate, and the most hardworking set of humans I’ve ever been around. The scene in Lafayette is constantly changing.”

Though he’s worked in photojournalism, weddings, portraits, and more, he has mostly scaled his business—he operates as a freelancer these days—down to the food.

“When you’re a photographer, you should focus on something. You can’t do everything really well,” said Culbert.

But though he’s working with a shallow depth of field, so to speak, he’s developed a mantra that all creatives should appreciate. 

“I find something that’s ordinary and that people look at all the time—then I make it different.” 

View more of Culbert's gorgeous work at dennyculbert.com.