 | getting the perfect shot |
The old saying goes “You are what you eat”, and the saying is true, then how do we keep track of the food that defines us? The simple answer is documentation.
The increased interest in food culture has birthed the odd phenomenon of amateur food photography. What initially was reserved for ersatz restaurant critics is now becoming, not only a viable part of food culture, but a part of the national discussion on identity and how we find value in the banal.
Over the past year, I’ve found that my friends and I were photographing our meals, specifically while traveling outside of our respective cities. When I asked what was the point of such an image, one friend answered: “I gotta keep track of this stuff”, while another stated, “This is my version of a diary”. What food documentation tells us about ourselves is how we’ve grown, succeeded or failed through the lens of something comforting, relatable and sensory. One glimpse at a pulled-pork sandwich from a roadside rib shack in Virginia, Tripe soup from a street cart in Cuba or that blissful order of Ratatouille from the south of France instantly brings back smells and tastes associated with happiness.
The question is: are we photographing for preservation or are we just simply boasting? The need to preserve is a sword that swings both ways. On one hand you have
Links to consider:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/07/dining/07camera.html http://nymag.com/news/intelligencer/65755/ " target="_blank">http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/07/dining/07camera.html