The Quest For Food Porn Greatness

Aahhh . . . the beauty of food

I. Love. Food.

It’s a simple enough statement yet it holds such profound meaning. At least for me anyway. I love everything about food. The nutritional value that it provides. The alluring aromas it possesses. The varied sounds of food: crackling, bubbling, sizzling, fizzy, sputtering. The way it feels in your hands, in your mouth, in your stomach. And of course, the aesthetically pleasing sight of food. It’s enough to make your mouth water just by looking at it.

It is on this latter point that I offer my sincerest veneration and adoration for true food stylists. These are the people who can take a camera and turn a simple plate of grub into food porn. And I don’t mind saying . . . I like to watch.

So it is with this thought in mind that, as a lover of food and one who writes about cuisine, I set out to actually learn how to use my professional grade Olympus E-PL2 camera.

My first shot at photography excellence failed miserably. A five-week class at a local community college resulted in my dropping the class after the second so-called lesson. The instructor, an older gentleman woefully hard of hearing, was extremely pleased with his portfolio and didn’t waste any time in regaling the students with stories of his photography prowess, and then went on to attempt to prove his boasts by showing us slideshows of his work. In the two two-hour classes, I saw more pictures of mountains, lakes, blue skies, rocks, people that I didn’t know nor did I care to know them, and various and sundry animals in a range of pose--much more than I cared to see. It was all about him and it was overkill.

Try, try and try again -- striving for food porn status

My next foray into the world of photography instruction began last night in the form of a continuing education course. Already, in one class, I’ve learned more than I did in the two lessons with the other failed attempt—and last night’s class was more of a get-to-know-you scenario!

I don’t doubt that my food photography skills will increase tenfold over the next eight weeks. But I also have no pretentions in thinking that I’ll be the next great food stylist to come along. Of course, stranger things have happened.

So until that last class on November 8, 2011, the jury will be out on my photography skills. But with each passing class, I’ll do my level best to produce extraordinary shots. And maybe, just maybe, one day soon, you’ll view a picture of food that I’ve taken and fall head over heels in lust with it. Then, my food porn journey will be complete.