Taking pictures of food is normal – get over it

If you go into any restaurant or café nowadays, you are guaranteed to see a good number of people taking a customary picture of their plate of food before eating it. This can irritate some people – they believe it is unnecessary and downright rude. And it’s not just food: Starbucks cups, ‘cheeky’ glasses of wine and cocktails are commonly photographed before being consumed. But those who take pictures of these are frowned upon and labelled as ‘basic’.

Personally, I don’t see anything wrong with taking a snap before delving into a delicious looking meal. Far from being a laborious ritual, I think it shows that you appreciate your food, and want to share your joy with others. Or even keep the photo as a memory. I get very sentimental about great meals and I know I’m not alone.

Others would say that food photos are an unwanted part of the dining out routine, and that these pesky food photos then go on to clog up Insta and Facebook feeds as well as Snapchat stories.

#foodporn

I will admit that uploading endless #foodporn photos on Instagram is a little tedious. But every once in a while, it’s fun, and pretty harmless to upload a really good picture of a great meal.

I mean, if you are served an amazing looking plate of food, which is evidently the result of a lot of time and effort, what are you supposed to do?! Let that top-notch presentation go to waste, and devour it without a second thought? It’s only natural to want to stop and appreciate the food’s beauty.
Those fries tho

Maybe it is a bit harsh if you keep others from eating their food until you have photographed it from seven different angles, but I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t done this before. It’s all worth it in the end when you have a stunning pic to keep forever.

No shame

But not everyone feels the same way, as third year English student Emily has found out: “I’m a food blogger, so I often have to take pictures of my food. I do enjoy it, but sometimes I wish I didn’t have to when I can feel the judgement of the other diners.”

There are worse things to do at the table than taking a picture of food before eating. In this day and age, it’s become part of our eating ritual, almost second nature. Some meals are just too pretty not to share. At the end of the day, we can treat our own food how we want, and if I am willing to eat a lukewarm meal to get a quality Instagram photo, just let me get on with it.