This is me.

I was born in Mexico City and raised in Puebla, Mexico. I earned a bachelor’s degree in Communication in Puebla and specialized in visual storytelling through photography and video in Santiago de Chile, Chicago, and New York.

For seven years, I co-owned two restaurants in Mexico: Casa Nueve. The first (2012-2019), located in Cholula, Puebla, was a cultural center that combined a small 20-seat cinema, an art gallery, and a restaurant space. The second (2016-2018), in downtown Puebla, celebrated the region’s rich culinary heritage through a creative, experimental menu.

Both restaurants focused on working with local producers, featuring mezcal directly from Oaxaca and fostering young culinary talent by giving them a platform to create and develop their own menus. Running these restaurants taught me how much passion, resilience, and dedication it takes to thrive in this industry and prepared me for my next chapter: food photography in NY.

Since moving to NYC in September 2019, I’ve had the pleasure of working with over 30 restaurants, more than 10 food and beverage brands, and covering various food events across the city.

In 2023, I photographed my first cookbook, Black Rican Vegan by Lyana Blount, which celebrates Puerto Rican plant-based cuisine. This experience was unforgettable, and I look forward to capturing more cookbooks in the future!

E-mail: marianapelaez@gmail.com 

Phone: 917-396-6322