About

My name is Paola and I’m a British food and travel photographer based in Seattle in the entrancing Pacific Northwest of the US, though my heart still lives in London. I’m married to the Husband, and am mother to the Minx, who first appeared in these pages as a baby but is now eight going on eighteen.

I’m currently writing and photographing a regular seasonal cakes column for Edible Seattle, and my product photography has appeared in Elle, the Times, the Independent, the Daily Mail, the FT’s ‘How to Spend It’  and Exeter Living.

You can view my food and travel photography portfolio here  and follow me on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Flickr or LinkedIn. I also have access to this gorgeous and fully-equipped food photography studio in downtown Seattle.

I started blogging back in 2006 to promote my online shop ‘mirrormirror’ while I was still living in Notting Hill. I moved to Seattle, eventually closed the shop but the blog still remains. Read some of the earlier posts in my archives, they are hilariously bad.

Now as a recovering mother and refugee from the corporate cubicle in my previous lives as an investment banker and management consultant, I’ve spent the last few years becoming more and more immersed in photography so that I can document my perennial love affairs with food and travel.

My mother was Italian (from Cuneo, in Piemonte) so I grew up in a food-obsessed household and have been surrounded by incredible food all my life. When I was eleven I won a prize at school and asked for a cookbook – the start of a very expensive and dangerous obsession. And I’m the only person I know who’s a certified gastronome – back in 2002 I won the prestigious Evening Standard Gourmet of the Year competition. Yes, I’ve actually won prizes for eating.

I have travelled extensively throughout the world, though I do keep returning to Europe, my first love. There’s something about the history, culture, pace of life and quality of light that touches my soul. I studied French and Italian at Oxford University and speak both languages fluently and aside from London and Seattle have lived at various points of my life in the South of France, New York, Rome and Milan.

This year I’m refocusing my blog a bit to reflect my new photography career. We’ll be talking about food and travel, food photography, travel photography, photography in general, styling, props (ie. SHOPPING), design, interiors and inspiration. Old friends and new, I’d love to have you along for the ride.

All images copyright Paola Thomas. All rights reserved.