I chose to photograph a dessert to photograph because I had hoped it would be more attractive but instead it was more intimidating. (I did not even post the image of piece of pie which did not look appetizing, at all.) There is so much the baking versus attractiveness that did not quite match up. Although the pie wasn’t “pretty,” it did taste wonderful.
In terms of feelings invoked, the lack of beauty in the image does not impact the fondness for a “Florida food.” Regardless of how messy key lime pie looks, it is almost always yummy. Because central Florida is such a mix of relocated residents – there is a true appreciation for native Florida dishes. (It is more likely that neighbors and colleagues are from the Midwest than a native Floridian. This results in fewer Orlando-based food but more likely a Milwaukee-based German potato salad at a deli.)
The lack of stylizing is quite obvious – the lighting, coloring and added details (such as a slice of lime) make the pie look “off” as compared to typical media images. I have posted below an image of key lime pie from the Food Network as an example. (Of course, the cheaper and improved cameras allow for better images and the ability to easily upload mean that the mainstream media is no longer the only source for “food porn” images.)
While the lack of attractiveness does not take away from the taste or feelings about this dish, the media-based or online images of “food porn” or even stylized photos do impact what I expect to see at a restaurant or at a bakery. If desserts at those places don’t look “glamorized,” I do subconsciously think that the pie might not taste as good as I expect. This goes back to the images from cookbooks, food magazine and the Food Network that stick in the mind.
What I find interesting about this concept is that the stylized images that we now expect are really a return to the early newspaper images of food sections. (My favorite part of the readings was learning the history of the term "food porn" in the McBride reading. The history elements are going to be helpful in my work.) At many newspapers in the post-World War II years, the first color photographs were of food or fashion. Most of these early food images were supplied by advertisers, such as Campbells’ soups. The company would supply a stylized (for the time) image, such as a casserole dish using Campbell soup. It was only in later years that this became an ethical issue (advertising and editorial should be separate) and the photo departments of newspapers took their own photos. While these images were not as “slick” as the ones coming directly from advertisers, there were professional elements: good lighting and equipment. This meant that the food images were appetizing. My key lime pie photo never would have made the cut ;).
