Background
This photo project was inspired by the plates. I love thrifting. It's my form of guilt-free & budget-friendly retail therapy. More often than not, I gravitate to the kitchen section to look for unique items for my home. I justify the purchases by telling myself they will also be props in a food shoot…. I found these plates on such a therapy session probably two years ago. I had to buy them. I knew I wanted to ask others to create faces on the plates with food but I sat on the idea for more than a year because I thought it was silly.
Last year I finally decided I needed to just shoot the damn project. It would be a great excuse to play with my friends and food, and to be productive with my own photography. Guess what? It was SO MUCH FUN to photograph something completely silly and involve my friends in a little challenge.
The Initial Idea
1 participant
2 plates
# edible items
I wanted to keep the details of the challenge a surprise for my participants. Whenever I invited someone to play, I asked if they'd like to help me with a fun, interactive personal photo project. It involved food and they would have to come to me (studio or home) and bring one edible item to photograph. It could be raw or cooked. About a cup's worth in terms of quantity. It could be something that we ate afterwards or not at all. I said it wouldn't take too long if they didn't have much time, but that hanging out before or after was an option. I also made them swear to secrecy. I didn't want to ruin the surprise for anyone we may mutually know and whom I invited to play.
The Rules: Rough Draft
Ebti Shedid, a dear friend and sister photog/artist, was my very lovely and very enthusiastic first guinea pig. The parameters for her to play were:
Bring one edible item
I gave her 4 items: cherry tomatoes, cabbage and carrot slaw, and microgreens
I also gave her the option of choosing an additional item from what I did not give her: dried seaweed
15 minutes per plate or 30 minutes total
Behind the scenes: Ebti playing the Food Face challenge with me (35 second time-lapse )
Refining the Challenge
From Ebti's super speedy (it's not just time-lapse folks!) work, we agreed that I gave her too much time and too many items. She suggested I push people a lot more. So I decided on 3 items moving forward and 10 minutes for both plates. We also agreed that I needed to decide whether people could cover the plate's face or not. The revised rules:
Participant brings one edible item
I provide two items
10 minutes total to style the faces
Cannot completely cover the plate's face
Goals
My main goals were to play and suspend judgement over what was "worthy" of shooting. The final photos are not super retouched. I didn't intend for them to be perfect or great works of art. Again, I wanted to shoot and practice getting out of my own way. High fun, not high art. I wanted 10 sets of photos for the series. I ended up with 12 since my first two participants really helped me test the project idea and codify my rules to “play”. You'll see over the course of my series, how my project idea evolved as I progressed with more participants. I’ll be sharing one set of plates/play date per post.
Ebti's Food Faces
In all their glory and some details.
Key Takeaways from This Play Date
Ask your best artist cheerleader friend to help test a personal project concept. Her experience with doing self-directed projects will provide wisdom and her enthusiasm will help vanquish any self-doubt you may have.
Bring food items that are more challenging to work with. Microgreens were waaaay too easy as hair.
Add in overhead time lapse as a fun BTS (behind the scenes) component for social media posts.
Big Thanks to:
Ebti for helping me test out my concept and make it way better. Also for allowing me to record some hilarious BTS and share it here! Plus your friendship, always. Obvi.
Sue Tallon, my mentor, main squeeze photog lady boss, & friend, for trusting me with the keys to her fabulous Dogpatch photo studio and allowing me to play in there!