Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Should "Foodstagrammers" Be Banned?

What's your first move when the waiter brings you a juicy blue cheese burger with sweet potato fries? Take a bite - or take a quickie i-Phone pic?

In what's become an "eat and tweet" culture, there's been a bit of a heated debate in the US and Britain about banning diners from taking photos of their food. The hoohaa about “foodstagramming” — taking pictures of your food and sharing them on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, G+, blogs and so on - is partly about the manners of the people taking the photos. Some people are bringing in huge cameras and tripods, some are standing on chairs to get a better shot and some places have become alight with flashes.



No, didn't like that...

Do you remember my old masthead? My friend made me a purse from  it




Restaurants like Momfuku Ko in New York City have already outlawed food photography and The Telegraph in London says some British chefs are trying to do the same. 

But as Jen of BritMums says: "What chefs, restaurateurs and a certain sliver of the restaurant-going public/media are really lamenting is the end of one kind of dining that marches in lockstep with the chef’s singular vision, and the beginning of another that’s more interactive and participatory for the diner."

When I first read the headlines, I thought the restaurant owners-chefs were getting pissed off because the photos make their food look really disgusting. My ones do anyway.

The funny thing is I hardly ever (actually almost never) post my food photos anywhere because they look so revolting. Vom as the kids would say. Flash plus food equals bright vom. Instagram with food equals blurred vom and so on. Especially stews and meats. Or is this just me?

I've so many unused food photos, I've become the obsessive chap in Exit Through The Gift Shop who takes videos of every minute of his life then stacks the tapes in cardboard boxes.

If restauranteurs and fellow diners had told me to "bugger off" they might have been justified. So when the sous chef at Plum in Oakland said to me: "Are you doing those hash tags things?" I thought he was exasperated with me. "Just taking photos" I said "Maybe stick them on my blog?"

He beamed - he got all his staff together for a photo and took time to explain how they work. The menu changes every couple of days he said depending on what they find at the local farmers' markets. He recommended the cauliflower soup with the pomegranate seeds and red quinoa. They came up with the recipe after thinking about why yogurt on granola works so well.

It was a relief to have someone talk to us.  Kevin and I were the only ones sitting at the bar which looked right at the open kitchen. It was a slow night so we found five sets of chef eyes falling on us amid the cleaning and arugula arranging. No one want to be that dull couple at the bar so we drummed up some scintillating conversation about our son's fascinating tennis schedule with the occasional uproarious (probably slightly crazed) laughter.

We watched as the waiter poured the cauliflower blop into our bowls over the red quinoa-pomegranate seeds.  It was sweet and nutty and chewy and vegetably and it tasted like it was good for you. You'll have to imagine it because my photos made it look like....

So, are you part of the food porn brigade? Or an old skool refined diner?






45 comments:

  1. Oh goodness I think it's so silly for anyone to be annoyed by this. Pictures of restaurant food serve as great PR for that restaurant. Who wouldn't want that? It's rare, rare, rare for anyone to post a picture of food they didn't like. So it's all good PR. But you're right, pictures of food look gross, usually. That's why there are professional food stylist that make everything look yummie.

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  2. Well I sort of do and then I sort of don't........hardly ever take a photo of food when out to eat, but in my recent post on Tallinn, I did post a pic of a snack we had in a cafe...because the cafe was small, empty and looked pretty average, and because we just wanted a nibble of something (with our wine...don't judge me..)we were impressed when the lovely waitress brought us out 'a little bit of cheese?'.....
    but people using tripods and lighting?? that is just weird.

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    1. I am even starting to see those wee table tripods being used more.

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  3. I've never seen a tripod and lighting in a restaurant. Actually, the first time I've seen food photography done was at a bloggers meet-up in London last weekend, when Marlene from Chocolate, Cookies & Candies took a pic of a salad .. but she's a fab photographer and it looked amazing on her blog. Me? I'm the same as you .. my pictures of food tend to look like vom:)

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    1. Marlene is a photographer on another level - her photos glisten and shine. Loved reading about your get-together, btw.

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  4. I love going out to eat and usually have eaten everything before I even think of taking a picture. But I would not patronize a place that banned taking pictures of the food that I pay for. What are they trying to hide? (Does Horse Hamburger photograph any differently than Beef Hamburger?)

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    1. Hard to know Beryl - I will head to Ikea to see!

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    2. Just in case no one has told you today, you are amazingly clever!

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    3. Oh thanks Beryl - I wish you could tell my old latin teacher that!

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  5. One of my friends on FB posted a picture of his cleared plate with his knife and fork in the neatly finished position on the side. I liked this better, it was rather subversive.
    Sx

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    1. Now the correct position of the fork when you have finished - facing down or facing up. I know a posh friend in London told me but I forget.

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  6. I take pictures but rarely post them as like you say they look vom. I know there's even a phone app now to help you make your food pictures look "better" but to be honest, I can't be bothered. If I get a goodish shot, I'll let it go on. If it looks miserable - forget it. Tripods - people do this?

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    1. OOh what's the name of that App, Sue? (Someone also told me about an App that gets ride of your neck wrinkles, that sounds more like me)

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  7. "Tasted like it was good for you"? You're not selling it to me!
    I didn't realise some places banned photography of their food, don't they understand good (& free) advertising?

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    1. I would not have normally ordered the soup but it was so delish I went out and bought cauliflower etc the next day to make it. Of course all those ingredients are still in the fridge!

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  8. I never take photos of food in restaurants. I'm too busy talking and then eating. I usually remember it might have been a good idea once the plate is scraped clean.

    Anyway, I'm like you, I'm crap at food photography. I would never dream of disturbing other diners by setting up tripods, or endlessly flashing. That's just being disrespectful to all the others who are paying to have a nice meal out.

    I can only assume that the places that are banning photography are doing so because other diners are finding it annoying. Some people just don't know when to stop.

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    1. Sarah, I'm sure the French actually eat their food as opposed to styling it

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  9. I discovered food porn with blogs ; taking photos of what you ate made me shudder at the beginning but now I sometimes do it too. Some food photos are works of art on some blogs but I agree with you, it can be ridiculous ; last time I went to Fortnum's, a guy spent his whole tea-time (with his girlfriend !) taking pictures of the cakes they'd ordered with a huge zoom. I envied his camera but left before he'd taken a bite !xx

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  10. I rarely take photos of what I eat and only rarely put it on my blog. I did have to share my beef tartare experience when I was in France last summer with my best friend in the moment and then I subsequently posted it, as I wanted folks to know what I was being such a wussy about.

    I don't mind a phone camera - tripods are best left home and the videotapers (I saw SO many people videotaping their meal a few years ago in Disney) just need a life!

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    1. Videotaping your meal? That is on another level. I'm told all this foodstagramming is much more prevalent in US than in UK

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  11. I've only once taken a photo of a meal and that was in France when we had a 'chip pizza' (fries, not potato chips). Otherwise I just feel a bit embarrassed.
    Our local newspaper has a regular recipe section using different restaurants - just a shame the photos all come out with the food looking like grey slop.

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    1. Trish - I must have taken the photos for that section. My cousin once worked for a food photographer and had to quit. She said it was the most boring job in the world and took all day to photo one cake - plus they had to use all kinds of goo to make it look moist.

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  12. It's hard enough getting good photos in restaurants, never mind food photos! Tripods too? Yikes.

    I've taken some food photos, but I agree, the photos never really turn out that great.

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    1. One of my worst pics was a noodle soup with kale, egg and pork - that looked like hell but tasted yum

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  13. It's usually good advertising for the restaurant or café and I can't resist taking a photo of a cupcake which looks like a work of art but I think (I hope!)I'm very subtle - just a few quick pics with my iphone hopefully when there isn't anyone looking. It depends where you are and the occasion too. If it's a fairly relaxed place then it's fine but a tripod!! I've not seen that!
    http://missbbobochic.blogspot.co.uk/

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    1. As quite a few writers are saying its much more snap happy here in the US than in the UK

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  14. Definitely good PR for the restaurant - even if the photo isn't good, it'll normally go along with a Facebook check-in or something that spreads the word about the place. Can't imagine why restaurants wouldn't like it. I did read the NY Times article and thought Momofuku was just being perverse. I don't tend to photograph the food, but do check in at restaurants - I want to tell my friends where's good locally, and for them to do the same.

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    1. Actually we did the trek over to Momofuku (it's the restaurant everyone recommends) when we were in NY - and somehow I didn't see the sign and took a photo. Like all noodle photos it was gross. Funny I thought that place was a bit Emperor's New Clothes, good but not great. Our friend said the Australian pie place around the corner is incredible. We didn't go in because it looked so hole in the wall, but I will next time

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  15. If you bring a tripod (table top or otherwise) to a restaurant to take pictures of your food...you have a serious problem. I have no problem with someone taking a "discreet" photo of their meal.

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  16. I do take food photos, but just for my own edification. I do draw the line at a tripod - no way am I dragging that out of the bedroom. Kidding!

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  17. I'm old school. That and I generally don't have the self-control to wait and take a photo -- I dive right in! Not sure it's any classier. : )

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  18. I agree I just dive in and eat but I love looking at other bloggers food photos. I would think that most chefs would like it because when I see a picture of something that looks delicious I want to go there and try it!

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  19. Old school, I want to enjoy the dining experience not save it for posterity. I do sometimes post pics of food we have made at home, usually with a recipe.

    Thanks for stopping by my blog. Always nice to hear from someone in the area. I haven't tried Plum but will put it on my list of places to get to.

    Darla

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  20. WHY should I post what I eat?!

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  21. Hilarious!! Love the bit about you making conversation at the bar....actually laughed out loud at it because we've been there too...ah, the joys of kids for killing your social life a little bit. I'm not a huge fan of food photography...i'm usually too busy eating to remember, that's all. :) Have a great weekend, Avril x

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  22. oh, for years I desperately saved cute remarks and little anecdotes for restaurant tables, now can't be arsed. There are scenes in "Two For The Road" where Audrey Hepburn and Albert Finney ask one another what kind of people sit in a restaurant and don't talk to each other, in each case the answer is "married people." The first time, it's a joke, the second time, they're a lot older, it's them.

    When we were kids and treated ourselves to the occasional great restaurant, we'd shamelessly ask for a menu, and often this would get us not only the menu, but a visit to the kitchen or a free cognac or the chef would come out and sit down for a chat. Those days are past, and computer-printed menus in leather holders aren't collectible, so I take snaps of memorable dishes. Often the food is so memorable that I forget to get the iPhone out until I've eaten most of it. But it does help us remember who did the great whatever that we asked for more of...

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    1. The old timey menus. Funnily enough the only time you go to a hole in the wall joint, they always have photos of the food and it doesn't do them any good turns. One menu in NY listed things under: Table of Contents.

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  23. Tripods? Really? B* hell! I'm the queen of the food-photographed-as-vom so I don't bother and anyway I'm too greedy to leave it on the plate for ages while I focus the camera and set up the shot. Sod that!

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  24. I only ever get to the chippy and if you have seen one battered cod you've seen em all!

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  25. Err...I'm one of those who snaps away albeit more discreetly and absolutely NO flash. I haven't been told off yet though they tend to snap to attention when they notice my DSLR thinking that I'm some sort of food critic or food blogger. Little do they know, I'm just a glutton.

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  26. I am all about some food porn, but tripods is taking it a bit far! People should practice the same decorum with photo taking as they do generally speaking in a restaurant...

    And yes, I would love to eat dinner at Plum- even with your photos ;)

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  27. Interesting post--I've heard a little of the grumblings about this so it's interesting to see what others think. I rarely take photos of my food becase a) it's as you say, food vom ('bright vom', love it!) and b) like Trish I'm a bit embarassed. But I will often take a little secret photo of the place, hopefully from a nice angle, just because I like the atmosphere or something. It does seem odd to not like people taking photos of your food, but then again, tripods seem a bit odd too!

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  28. I read that, and thought "Uh oh!" because my blog is more travel and leisure, and I do go to restaurants, and talk about the restaurant, but I've also learned that some situations will just result in bad photos, and I don't even try. I only take photos if I have some natural light. If not, I don't even try anymore. I did a post where I was actually working with the Siena Hotel on my stay, and I had to borrow their food photo because the lighting was too bad for me.

    Interesting topic.

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