Emily Hayes // New York City, NY

One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to food. -Unknown

The ballet world is very small, and now, more often than not, I’ll usually have photographed somebody that can give me a solid referral lead. Although I had previously photographed a ballerina from American Ballet Theater, in my mind I thought said ballerina was a participant of New York City Ballet, so I didn’t think to ask for a referral. 

When it’s the case where I don’t have a solid connection (even mistakingly), I will look up on Google “x city ballet company”, look through the company dancers page, copy a name, and look for their social media to see if they give the impression that they may be willing to participate in a photo shoot. With Emily, I saw her YouTube food channel and was instantly sold. It wasn’t the fact that she belongs to one of the most prestigious and well-known ballet companies in the world that intrigued me; it was her love for pizza that I too shared that made me reach out. 

Whenever I visit NYC, I make it a point to consume pizza on at least 50% of my meals. My personal favorite pizza place is Best Pizza in Brooklyn. Simply put, I think it’s the best pizza. And that is where I intended to photograph Emily, even if it was a nippy 48°F (9°C) in May, and even if I forgot to check their hours of operation and scheduled the shoot an hour before opening. 

Emily recommends Prince Street Pizza as her personal favorite pizza. I won’t fight her; I tried it myself, and I throughly enjoyed… all nine slices I had over three separate visits in one weekend. Check out her YouTube channel and Instagram, dedicated to her love for food. 

May 1, 2021