In my last blog post, I introduced the origins of this project and shared my first participant’s, Ebti, food faces. Kait Miller, talented sister photog, book club buddy, and esteemed friend, was my second Food Face Challenge participant. She came over to my studio apartment in the Tenderloin to play on July 1, 2019. Kait helped me further test and refine my challenge. I used the revised rules from my first food face challenge with Ebti with Kait to see how it worked out.
The Revised Rules
1 participant
2 plates
3 edible items - one brought by the participant, one dictated by me, and the last the participant's choice from a few options that I offer
10 minutes to style both plates
The participant only knows that I'll be photographing the food but I don't tell them the exact details of the "project" aka challenge until we meet. I set up the styling area with the tools I think they will need and may want: cutting board, knives, spoon, fork, grater, hand towel, and timer.
Refining the Challenge
This round felt like more of a challenge than the first round with Ebti. I let Kait pick something from my pantry, after I explained what she’d be doing. Moving forward, I decided to explain the challenge after the participant chooses the third item so that there would be less pre-planning of their food face when choosing. Another revision I noted was to specify that the participant needed to use all three ingredients on both plates. Additionally, this round allowed me to test out how it would work out in my home when I didn’t have access to the studio. It worked out fine. I rigged up a way to do the overhead BTS timelapse with my phone in the kitchen. I also photographed Kati’s final food faces from overhead rather than at an angle as I had done with Ebti’s plates.
Refined Rules
Participant brings one edible item.
I bring a few edible items, choose the second item for the participant, and allow the participant to choose the third item from my remaining items.
Participant has 10 minutes to style the two plates while presenting the plates.
Participant cannot cover the plate’s face completely.
Participant must use all three items for each face.
Kait’s Food Faces
Kait brought a grapefruit.
I gave her cherry tomatoes.
She picked walnuts from my pantry.
Key Takeaways from This Play Date
Play is energizing and FUN.
Iteration leads to better results. Ebti and Kait helped me make major changes in the challenge itself, and with each subsequent participant, I kept refining the rules although the broad strokes remained the same. For example, I had to specify to use ALL three ingredients. I later specified all three ingredients for BOTH faces.
Implementation or progress over perfection.
Big Thanks to:
Kait for helping me refine this challenge and project and for being enthusiastic about all our photo play dates. Your energy is always a welcome boost and so contagiously inspiring.