On food, and photos, and why.

The other day, Jess asked: If you photograph your food, why do you do it? 

Her question got me thinking. 

I started taking photos of my food when I got my first camera, and I was unemployed and living at my parents' house, and I started cooking them dinner every night because I had the time and they paid for the groceries and washed all the dishes so why not. And it was more of a "Look what I made!" kind of moment when I took out my camera and started snapping pics of eggplant parmesan, enchiladas, chilli. 

I guess somewhere along the way, once I started getting more into photography and amazed at how a photo can turn a simple moment into so much more, that I wanted my food photos to represent that, as well. "That" being the moment. And more. Here is where I struggle today.

There are times when I take pictures of my food because I just love the way runny egg yolk explodes over a dish. It's the same feeling I get when I cut into a perfectly ripe avocado, and see that gorgeous green color. Looking at photos of foods that make me happy makes me, well, happy.

And then there is this photo hanging up in my kitchen of an omelet. I couldn't even tell you what was in that omelet but I can tell you that I took the picture in Mexico, during my sister's wedding week, and there is a glass of juice on the table because there was a fresh juice bar every day at breakfast, and Murdo is in the shot, blurry but there, and when I look at this photo I am taken back to this moment. It's one of my favorite photos (and moments).

I take pictures of food because I love food. I love what food says about who we are and the people we share our meals with. How the smell and taste and look evokes feelings, memories. Transports us back to long summer days in Mom and Dad's backyard, or an apple orchard in Michigan on a wedding day, or a house in California with a lemon tree outside the window. Right now, looking at the pictures of food hanging on the wall next to me, there are all of these things. Captured, framed, forever.