A magazine page featuring a scenic mountain landscape with rocky cliffs, green vegetation, and distant blue hills. The headline reads "Hiking on Madeira" with an article about hiking trails on the Portuguese island of Madeira.

New feature on the opening of the PR1 Vereda trail on Madeira island (Portugal) for National Geographic traveler

The PR1 Vereda do Areeiro is Madeira’s most iconic and spectacular mountain ridge trail, connecting the island's two highest peaks: Pico do Areeiro (1,818m) and Pico Ruivo (1,862m). Following extensive restoration after the 2024 wildfires, the full trail officially reopened in late April 2026

New piece on my work for Windstar Cruises from Wonderful Machine

Spotlight: Michael Marquand Navigates the Culinary High Seas for Windstar Cruises

BY  Maryse Navaratne, Michaela Peiris

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The rhythmic hum of a ship’s engine and the unpredictable tilt of the horizon aren’t typical conditions for a high end commercial food shoot. However, for photographer Michael Marquand, an eight day voyage aboard a Windstar Cruises vessel provided the perfect backdrop to merge two of his professional pillars: travel and gastronomy.

Webpage homepage for Windstar Cruises featuring a large image of a colorful, plant-based dish with vegetables and edible flowers, and navigation menu options.

Michael, whose portfolio boasts editorial work for prestigious outlets like Condé Nast Traveler, was brought onto the project specifically for his ability to weave a sense of place into his subjects. Windstar, known for its intimate, luxury sailing experiences, found Michael through the Wonderful Machine network, recognizing that his dual expertise was essential for their first ever dedicated food production.

Setting the Scene at Sea

While most hospitality shoots occur in the stable environments of land based resorts, this assignment required constant adaptation to the ship’s architecture. The goal was not just to photograph the food, but to celebrate the unique dining environments that define the Windstar brand.

A restaurant dining table set for a meal with plates of food, glasses of red wine, and place settings with red napkins, surrounded by beige and gray chairs and a U-shaped booth in the background, with a mirror and wooden wall decor.

“Everything was shot on location on the ship and the ship has multiple restaurants which are well designed and iconic to the brand so we tried to incorporate the location into the food and beverage shots as much as possible.”

This approach required a strategic logistical dance. Working alongside Director of Marketing Jessica Chiang and Director of Operations Peter Tobler, Michael and his team planned the shot list by location. By spending half a day or more in a single part of the ship, they could capture both wide interior restaurant shots and intimate, macro focused food imagery without losing time to the complexities of moving equipment through narrow corridors.

Dining table with a variety of dishes including sliced steak, grilled vegetables, bread, sauces, and wine, set in a restaurant with large windows and ocean view.

Collaboration in the Galley

The production was a highly collaborative effort between the creative team and the ship’s staff. Michael worked closely with longtime collaborator and food stylist Marilinda Hodgdon, as well as Windstar’s head chef, Graeme Cockburn. The dynamic in the galley was one of mutual respect and precision, balancing the reality of a working kitchen with the aesthetic demands of commercial photography.

A plate with a gyro sandwich with lemon wedges, three bowls of different side dishes, a glass of rosé wine, and a glass of water on a table overlooking the ocean.
Plate of three donuts with different toppings, a small jar of red jam, and a spoon on a black table near the water.

“I’ve worked with Marilinda for years and she can do anything. She would work with them directly, sometimes she’d have them change certain things to make it more photogenic and sometimes it was just a combination of the chef doing the main dish and Marilinda putting on the final touches.”

While showcasing the signature dishes, the brief also stressed the importance of visual diversity. The team curated a selection of appetizers, mains, and desserts based on visual interest and popularity, with a specific focus on Windstar’s burgeoning line of plant-based offerings.

A chef with glasses and white hair garnishing a lobster dish in a professional kitchen.
Lobster tail served with asparagus, topped with microgreens and sauce, on a white plate.

Weathering the Storm

Shooting on a moving vessel introduced technical hurdles that few land based photographers ever encounter. Space was often at a premium, requiring Michael to artfully hide lighting equipment in tight corners or small sections of the restaurants to maintain the “clean” look the client desired. Then, there was the weather.

Grilled whole fish on a wooden platter garnished with lemon slices, parsley, and chili flakes, with a small bowl of sauce nearby.

“We had one day where we were going through a storm and the boat was really rocky. We spent all day shooting on the bottom floor of the ship as it was the least turbulent and then I just double sand bagged everything and we managed to make it work.”

Even with occasional turbulence, the cabin atmosphere remained peaceful. Because Windstar specializes in smaller, less crowded cruises, the team was able to navigate public spaces with ease. Passengers often became part of the “energy” of the shoot, watching with curiosity as the team transformed corners of the deck into makeshift studios.

Seared scallops on a bed of mixed greens, garnished with yellow sauce and microgreens, on a white plate.
Salad with greens, pomegranate seeds, orange slices, sliced almonds, and microgreens in a white bowl

Anchoring the Brand

Chef slicing roasted chicken surrounded by grilled vegetables including tomatoes, corn, and asparagus.

The resulting imagery marks a significant milestone for Windstar. Despite the importance of the culinary program to their brand identity, this project provided the essential visual assets needed to market their gourmet offerings effectively to future travelers. Marquand’s ability to marry the plate with the destination has given the cruise line a new visual language to describe the flavors of the sea.

Credits:
Food Stylist: Marilinda Hodgdon
Head Chef: Graeme Cockburn

Director of Marketing: Jessica Chiang
Director of operations: Peter Tobler

New piece on my work for KFC from Wonderful Machine

Spotlight: Michael Marquand for KFC

By Sara Maričević

Michael Marquand is a New York-based commercial photographer whose recent project took him to KFC’s global offices in north Texas. There, he photographed the brand’s work environment for a campaign aimed at attracting new employees to the second-largest restaurant chain in the world, with locations in 150 countries. This was Michael’s first time working with the food giant, and all thanks to the UK-based agency called ThirtyThree, who recognized his talent and pitched him to the client.

KFC recruitment advertisement at a bus stop showing a man in a red jacket and sunglasses smiling outdoors, with two people inside a cafe laughing, and the text 'Original Careers. Original People. Bring it. Apply now at kfc.com/careers'.

Recipe for Sucess

The preplanning for the project took place through a series of pre-production calls with the agency. The goal of the images was clear: to attract new employees to KFC by portraying it as a diverse, fun workplace where individuals could express themselves.

“The agency already had a strong idea of what they wanted before they approached me. It was important to show a lot of personality in the portraits. We also did some work-from-home shots to show the idea that KFC was offering a flexible work environment.”

A woman with braids and glasses smiling while sitting at a table with a puppy, a laptop, a mug, and books in a bright room.

“The project involved shooting a lot of environmental portraiture and a strong use of color, which is very much my style. We also needed a lot of images of people working and interacting with technology — which, if you’re not careful, can be very boring. I’d done similar work for ThirtyThree where we had to photograph people working and using tech but managed to bring a lot of color and life to the images.”

Four diverse people conversationally interacting in a casual setting, with the KFC logo and slogan 'Limits? Won't find 'em here. Bring it.' shown in the foreground.

Spicing up the Scene

The shoot took place over two days, across several locations in Dallas, including the KFC corporate office and the city’s downtown areas.

We looked for any corner of the building that had an interesting environment, color, or architectural element we could use. Fortunately, the offices had a lot of fun areas to work with. We tried to incorporate the famous KFC red color in as many photos as possible to keep it on brand. Day two of the shoot was split between taking portraits in downtown Dallas and our work-from-home shots in a house we rented.”

On set, the energy was high as Michael worked alongside a team from ThirtyThree, including art director Alex Forrest, producer Kaitlyn Bader, and photo assistants Josh Phillips and Parker Connell, as well as the KFC employees being photographed.

A young woman with long dark hair sitting at a desk outdoors, smiling and wearing red earphones, with a laptop, smartphone, red notebook and pen on the desk, surrounded by autumn-colored trees and a body of water in the background.
A group of four people sitting at a wooden table in a casual restaurant, smiling and talking. There are fried chicken meals in red baskets on the table.

Playing Chicken

Like on so many commercial shoots, Michael came head-to-head with time.

“We only had two days to shoot the whole project. Plus, we couldn’t even run long on the second day because we were flying out that same evening. 

I had to find the best way to portray the space, the person, and the overall scene. So it was like shooting a Portraiture and Architectual Interiors project at the same time. A lot of details to think about at once. However, I found it to be a fun challenge!”

A woman with long red hair sitting at a white table in a modern, well-lit room with large windows, red hanging lamps, and a laptop, smiling and looking happy.

On day two of the shoot, with only ten minutes left before wrapping up to catch the flight, the art director proposed a last-minute shot idea. Quickly, Michael set up in a different spot of the house, arranging lighting and equipment in a rush.  Despite the time crunch, he managed to capture the shot — which ultimately made it to the final selection!

KFC job recruitment banner featuring three people smiling, with the slogans 'Your Style.', 'Your Spice.', 'Bring it.', and a call to action to apply at kfc.com/careers.

Credits:
Agency: ThirtyThree
Art Director: Alex Forrest
Producer: Kaitlyn Bader
Photo assistants: Josh Phillips, Parker Connell

New piece on my work for MyBhutan from Workbook and Adweek

Michael Marquand’s Latest Adventure with MyBhutan

A group of four dancers in traditional, colorful costumes performing outdoors on a grassy field under a blue sky with clouds.

Michael Marquand recently returned from another trip capturing content for luxury travel agency, MyBhutan, who designs custom trips in Bhutan.

Having the good fortune to travel to Bhutan three times over the past ten years to create content for the agency, Michael has captured stunning portraits, regional cultural experiences and images of their high-end hotels and restaurants.

Most recently, Michael went to photograph the MyBhutan’s private Luxury camps (the camp’s accommodations, catered meals and features for the grounds) in Haa valley, as well as images of their brands and select cultural experiences offered to the guests like traditional Bhutanese dance performances.

New piece on my work for Grace Farms from Workbook and Adweek

Michael Marquand Revamps the Visual Presence of Grace Farms

A table setting with a floral arrangement, strawberries on a white plate, iced tea, a flowering plant on a blue plate with a napkin and utensils, and a tray with drinks, lemon garnish, and strawberries on a patterned blue and yellow tray.

Grace Farms, a non-profit organization addressing humanitarian issues, sells a variety of organic, ethically sourced teas, iced teas, and coffees to support their causes. They enlisted photographer Michael Marquand to capture product imagery for their website, e-commerce platform, social channels, and digital advertising, aiming to enhance their visual presence. Michael’s graphic compositions and strong use of color instantly bring a refreshing and exciting new look to Grace Farms. You can practically taste their delicious teas!