But First, A Photo
"How difficult can it be to take a photo of a cup of coffee?"
I can hear the incredulous comments from a couple close to us. I agree, it's ridiculous. It's been more than five minutes since our drinks arrived and I've yet to touch one. In fact, it's quite impossible since we moved all of the necessary cutlery and accompaniments to a neighbouring table. A macabre roulette of orders has seemingly shifted each cup two seats down, then across. All in the name of taking the perfect picture. In this case, you could say I'm working; but how many people have had similar experiences when dining with friends?
Food Styling 101
The pre-meal photo shoot has become a global, cross-cultural, cross-generational phenomenon. A cult-like ritual that begs the philosophical question: if there is no photo, did it really happen? Food itself is art, but it has also been the subject of art for millennia. From discoveries of caveman paintings and Egyptian hieroglyphs depicting food, to its central presence in Renaissance paintings, to modern representations; it’s in fact one of the first subjects of novice illustrators and painters. Social media is simply a new medium, accessible to the masses.