The tabletops were landscaped with green felt, occasionally disturbed by fingers tapping against it or the back-and-forth voyage of cards. Then there was the hum of voices and the clinking of chips filling the room from one corner to the next. An old-school cigarette vending machine also hung around in the vicinity, ready to help out if anyone needed a change of pace. This was Oaks Card Club in Emeryville, CA, the location for an unconventional Plate Magazine photoshoot featuring chef and restauranteur Reem Assil. San Francisco-based photographer Angela DeCenzo was called on to assist behind the camera, exploring an early chapter in her subject’s life that charted a prosperous trajectory in the culinary world.
Angela had previously captured Reem for Plate Magazine a year ago as part of the client’s ongoing “Chef to Chef” series. During that assignment, she photographed the Palestinian-Syrian chef conversing with Pim Techamuanvivit of Thailand about their culinary beginnings and the state of the restaurant business. Happy with the results of that shoot, Plate was ready to bring Angela on board for this feature as well.
Yet this second assignment with Reem would opt for an unusual setting, a poker room. Throughout her 20s and 30s, the restauranteur was an avid poker player, treating the game with the same passion and diligence she used to improve her culinary skills and business acumen. In fact, she credits much of her success to those playing days, helping her learn to master her emotions and leverage risks.
As she grew more confident in the card clubs, she felt the same outside of those venues, too, making bolder and more strategic decisions in the food space, one of which was opening her bakery and restaurant, Reem’s California, in 2017. Plate’s feature would focus on this formative chapter in the chef’s life, and the images would be shot at a venue that played an instrumental role in shaping her character.
Angela photographed Reem at Oaks Card Club in October 2022 on a weekday afternoon, getting there with her assistant an hour before her subject to set up. The venue was half-packed when they arrived, so the initial plan was to use a less crowded space for the shots.
Originally, we scouted a couple of smaller side rooms with a simple background and a quiet vibe. But we faced a number of challenges: reflective surfaces in the background, spaces too small to position the furniture and lights, low ceilings, and the list goes on. So we eventually moved the set into the main poker room. We decided to turn up the main strobe and overpower the ambient light, so you couldn’t see any of the detail behind Reem.
The change of plans created a proverbial race against time. Angela only had 15 minutes to set up and one hour to shoot once Reem showed up. A shortage of minutes for planning was the only hiccup. Everything else fell into place as needed. For starters, concerns over disturbing the other patrons were misplaced. They couldn’t care less about strobes going off or the photographer cutting the room’s tension with instructions. They continued unperturbed. Moreover, their contribution to the ambiance with the card playing was only helpful, coaxing her subject to relax, unwind, and feel right at home in a familiar location. In that regard, the one-hour production progressed effortlessly, made even smoother thanks to very detailed notes from the client.
The art direction for the shoot was precise. The plain dark background, the body positions, and props were requested exactly how you see them in the final shots. The color of the chips, though, was a decision we made on the spot. It was significant for the club to let us borrow the poker chips. Handing over two trays of them for us to shoot with isn’t something they do every day since they’re actually worth the money they represent.
The poker chips were put to good use, accentuating the authenticity of the setting through placement and color. Green and yellow felt snug and cozy on the felt table, against a dark background and Reem’s black outfit – a decision Angela applauds the stylist for making.
I have to give a shout-out to the stylist, Mey, who picked out a great outfit that translated well on camera, and really brought out Reem’s boss energy. Mey also had a great eye for detail and jumped in often to ensure the styling was on point. That makes such a difference for the subject, knowing they’re taken care of so they can focus on their part.
The assistance on-set bolstered and reinforced Reem’s natural confidence, seen across the cover photo and additional images. One of those shots, showing the pair (seven of hearts and seven of diamonds seen above), bore specific meaning to the restauranteur, recalling an early experience during her poker days when she played a big hand for a meager return. The story and image belie the person she is today, someone who seeks the best decision with limited information.
It’s a mode of thinking we all strive to perfect, photographers included. Situations on set can change on a dime, especially when all the information isn’t readily available. For Angela, that meant changing the shoot location on this particular assignment, but it turned out to be a risk well-taken.
See more of Angela’s work on her website.
Credits
Assisting: Jaime Borschuk
Styling: Mey Saechao
HMUA: Lindsay Dabalos
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