Is taking food pics becoming demodé?

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This was the very first photo I ever uploaded on Flickr. It was December 22, 2004 and the camera used was a Sony Cybershot. Ben was three and Markus was a baby.

Frog suit

Here’s my very first food shot on Flickr—the famous Chatterbox chicken rice set at the Mandarin Hotel, Singapore, taken September 30, 2004.

Chatterbox chicken rice

Followed by the Mezza9 dessert platter at Grand Hyatt Singapore (October 1, 2004)

dessert sampler

Many more food photos followed, as my Flickr album grew to 50,000 photos and counting.
I remember one dinner we had at the defunct Parallel 45. It was September 2005. My brother groaned as I took out my Olympus camera and took a picture of my espresso-marinated US flank steak and everything else we ordered.

espresso-marinated US flank steak

At that time I don’t think my family was even aware I had a blog. I just took pictures of everything.
And so, when we opened Pepper Lunch Rockwell in May 2008, we had a free-for-all policy for picture taking. We knew that social media paved the way for Pepper Lunch’s success in the Philippines.
Here’s the very first meal I ever had at Pepper Lunch, Ngee Ann City, Singapore. This salmon pepper rice really hit the spot. It was February 13, 2006.

Salmon fried rice

Last year I heard about a very popular Singapore restaurant that forbids guests to take pictures.
Jiro Ono, who makes the best sushi in the world absolutely forbids it in his restaurant.
My cousin Keri had the presence of mind not to pull out her camera while dining at Per Se last year.
And good for her. Apparently the idea of taking food pics is becoming demodé in fancy New York establishments.

Read HERE.

What’s your view on restaurants banning food photos? Or people taking food pics?
How would you react if someone stopped you from Instgramming your roasted bone marrow with caper berries and toast?

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  • http://twitter.com/sunfish7 sunfish7

    Hi!  Jiro was kind enough to sort of foodstyle for us when we took photos of our food last year.  I guess it amused him.  We asked permission, and he allowed us to take photos of the food, but not of him and his son preparing the food.  

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  • http://twitter.com/sunfish7 sunfish7

    Hi!  Jiro was kind enough to foodstyle for us when we took photos of our food last year.  I guess it amused him.  We asked permission, and he allowed us to take photos of the food, but not of him and his son preparing the food.  

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    CVS Reply:
    February 4th, 2013 at 1:57 PM

    really? wow!

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  • http://profile.yahoo.com/KSYAS36W26W5LCBFUJAIYESBAQ Irene Lim

    not food photo-taking related though, but while at muji-moa, i was taking photos of the colorful pens using my mobile phone because i was going to send the photos via facebook to my niece(who lives in the province) and ask her which kind she’s asking me to buy. i’m a segurista, i want to make sure that i bought the right one. but i was shocked that the saleslady stopped me from taking photos of the pens and told me that it’s not allowed. i really felt bad. :(

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    CVS Reply:
    January 31st, 2013 at 12:17 AM

    in Japan nobody ever stopped me from taking photos. i swear. what’s so bad about taking photos of pens?

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    Irene Lim
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    January 31st, 2013 at 2:25 AM

    that’s why i just don’t get it…   :(  new policy maybe??? hay! :(  

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  • Aileesa Lim

    I want to also point out that taking food photos can be helpful when you wish to lodge a
    complaint with restaurant/hotel management about unsatisfactory portions,
    unsanitary handling, or unappealing presentation. I actually think this whole Instagram culture we’re living in now helps keep restaurants on their toes. Yes it can be annoying dining with a shutterbug who won’t let you touch your food until she’s gotten the perfect shot of ALL the plates on the table, but it’s no biggie. I get more peeved with parents who let their unruly kids run around screaming their heads off, especially in fine dining establishments.

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  • Benigno Fincale

    I used to take lots of photos of the food that I eat. But then tinamad na akong mag post ng mga minute details of my life on social media so I stopped taking photos. I’d rather eat the food na lang agad pagka-hain sa amin hahaha! LAMON!

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  • http://twitter.com/teadrinker05 teadrinker

    I like to share any good food experience with friends. I respect a resto’s no-pictures-please policy, though.

    Warning:
    Instagram is not a substitute for the Prayer Before Meal. lol

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    Walter Robles
    Twitter:
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    January 29th, 2013 at 4:05 AM

     I never understood the point of a prayer before meal.  I always thank my hosts for feeding me, or the people I’m with for joining me if I was cooking.  But thanking someone hypothetical just doesn’t make sense. 

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    CVS Reply:
    January 29th, 2013 at 10:36 PM

    God isn’t hypothetical :)

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  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=600596199 Zee Castro

    5 seconds to shoot/Instagram your plate: keri.
    5 minutes shooting every plate from every angle: oa na. lalamig ang pagkain!

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  • http://twitter.com/joelcruise Joel Cruz

    It took a long time for me to catch on to the trend of taking food photos for the simple fact that I was strictly raised to respect food on the table, as I’m sure many other people of a certain age group were (gulp)… I do feel sometimes that too much effort to take a photo of the food you are about to eat is disrespectful, along the lines of playing with it or not finishing it.

    A point well taken in the article too is that we should be focusing on conversations with the people on the table, and not obsess over food photos… I only take food photos usually when I eat alone or when we’re bored waiting for service.

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  • hiddendragon

    Taking pics of the dishes you paid for is fine, IMHO, as long as it doesn’t bother other diners (and that’s already a grey area there).

    Having said that, what bothers me more is a sudden group pic and having it posted on social media. Even requesting “No facebook, please.” labels one a killjoy. It’s intrusive and invasive of one’s privacy, that’s why, while I post travel pics on Facebook, I never post ones with my travel mates in them.

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    Jude Lopez Mancuyas
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    January 27th, 2013 at 3:37 PM

    …tapos may maririnig ka pa na “O, wacky naman! Wacky! Wacky!”

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  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002972135775 Anna Karen

    when you google a restaurant you want to try out,  it will lead you to Tripadvisor, Urbanspoon, Yelp., Foursquare and syempre BLOGS. There you will see the food photos of anyone who tried out that particular restaurant. Aside from their critiques about the place, you will have an idea how that place serves their food through the photos. I find this very helpful most importantly if you are visiting other cities and countries.

    for me, point and shoot cameras are ok. wag kaseng OA masyado sa DSLR.. oo na may camera ka, di  pa ba obvious at kailangan mo pang tumungtong sa upuan?! :)  

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  • http://dontaskmetosmile.wordpress.com/ dontaskmetosmile

    Can’t we all just get along? We (the restaurant patrons) still get to take pictures of the food we’ve bought and paid for and in return we won’t use flash, obnoxious HUGE camera lenses and won’t stand on our chairs (who does that?!?!?!), or actually stand at all to take pictures.

    I don’t think it’s as bad in Manila as it is in NYC. But, really, with people standing on chairs, I can understand why restaurants would ban photographs. That’s just plain rude, camera or not. You just do not do that.

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  • http://docgelo.com/ docgelo

    We’re supposed to go inside Cold Rock in Greenbelt years ago to sample their ice cream for the first time but our appetites were spoiled by a “no photography” sign. We opted for another ice cream store instead that’s friendlier to its clients. It’s different when I got to taste Cold Rock in Oasia in Singapore; there’s no restriction on taking photos.

    These food establishments must know that it’s a free promotion for them when their patrons post pictures on their social networking sites, more so publish a blog review about their service, menu and their dining experiences. I think word of mouth is still one of the most powerful forms of advertising.

    I appreciate your husband’s efforts in leaving comments to my blog posts about PL considering they’re not sponsored. I like owners of restaurants who allow customers to shoot photos of food that they paid for; even better when they express gratitude that’s rare nowadays.

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  • neutralistic

    I would rather see food pics than vanity shots, especially ones with the “duck” face in them. I. just. can’t. 
    Meanwhile, restaurants should put up a ‘No Picture Taking of Food signs’ – next to those signs that say ‘We Accept Visa’.

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    CVS Reply:
    January 26th, 2013 at 10:54 AM

    i hate duck face talaga

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    Walter Robles
    Twitter:
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    January 27th, 2013 at 4:58 AM

    But they’re so fierce!

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    teadrinker
    Twitter:
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    January 28th, 2013 at 11:49 AM

    Fierce has these synonyms (as Googled): ferocious – violent – savage – furious – wild – truculent
    The pic says all that, lol

  • http://www.facebook.com/wltrrbls Walter Robles

    I don’t know about  food photography being demodé, but if I’m paying for it, I can do anything with it within the bounds of social decency.  When one dines out with the intention to savour and pay, one’s food becomes one’s own property. 

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  • http://fabnaima.blogspot.com Jenny

    Restaurants should have a sign by the door or on the menu that photography is prohibited. Then diners can take that into consideration in deciding if they still want to patronize that restaurant. If there is prior notice, then prohibition is fine.  But it is a different thing when there was no such announcement – because this makes it subjective – restaurant may allow some and prohibit some diners from taking photos. 

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  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_22ENOCGSPQCB5UYQTABJENVWZE sky

    the food is mine. i paid for it. if i can eat it why can’t i have no right to do whatever i want to do with it? if the resto will prohibit me to take pic of the menu or the place’s interior, it’s okay. however, they should realize that because of social media the local food business has since surged. personally, i take photos of the food because i want a bigger story when i look at my photo album. a simple donut can be a center of a hilarious chit-chats with family & friends. you know, that donut might have been the cause of a lover’s fight, a reconciliation with a loved one, an argument with a friend. before, when you look at your albums, you only see familiar faces and the background, you can’t/don’t even recall what other things transpired on that day. isn’t it more fun that you’re not only looking at faces, but also being entertained by those little things that didn’t matter to you before? let’s just celebrate life. food is one of the reasons why this world is happy, right?

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    hew me
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    January 26th, 2013 at 5:25 AM

    bow

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  • http://www.mymomfriday.com/ Mom-Friday

    I enjoy taking food shots and sharing them on social media, but I will also respect the establishment or chef if they won’t allow it. Won’t make a big deal out of it.

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  • http://twitter.com/speyshal la pintasera

    as long as no flash and ugly filter used, i’m fine with food pics. and if a restaurant has a “no camera rule” — okay lang.

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