Tuesday 18 February 2014

Food porn: more like telling it like it is

An article in yesterday's Telegraph raised my hackles
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/10641913/French-chefs-hit-back-at-food-porn-photos-in-their-restaurants.html
Basically some restaurants don't like comments about their products on social media, and say that diners are disruptive taking photographs of food.
I have two points of view here.
Firstly, the point of this blog is highlighting the issue of food from restaurants being served appropriately hot (plus a few other ideas). There needs to a joined up operation so that cooked food is delivered promptly and appropriately.
Secondly, even though you may not have paid the bill, once the meal has been served and accepted, it is yours on the understanding that it will be paid for. Just as one might take a picture of a car one was going to buy or something to wear, it is reasonable to discuss it in an honest and objective manner on social media. It is no different to a newpaper restaurant critic, and the pictures do add a different dimension.
I try not to be disruptive when I photograph food, and mostly try to have an appropriate camera that will function without flash. Sometimes restaurant lighting is so bad that pictures are less than perfect, but my ideal is to show what is good (and occasionally what is bad). If I have a bad experience, as long as I can justify it, it seem reasonable to blog about it with a picture.
I know that a few of my entries have been looked at many times, and I hope they help other diners make up their mind or be reassured.
If food was always hot when it is supposed to be hot, then I would to write about something else.

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