Taking photos in restaurants: what do you think?

[Deleted]

Thoughts?

Restaurants Turn Camera Shy

By HELENE STAPINSKI

When it comes to people taking photographs of their meals, the chef David Bouley has seen it all. There are the foreign tourists who, despite their big cameras, tend to be very discreet. There are those who use a flash and annoy everyone around them. There are those who come equipped with gorillapods — those small, flexible tripods to use on their tables.

There are even those who stand on their chairs to shoot their plates from above.

“We get on top of those folks right away or else it’s like a circus,” Mr. Bouley said.

But rather than tell people they can’t shoot their food — the food they are so proud to eat that they need to share it immediately with everyone they know — he simply takes them back into his kitchen to shoot as the plates come out. “We’ll say, ‘That shot will look so much better on the marble table in our kitchen,’ ” Mr. Bouley said. “It’s like, here’s the sauce, here’s the plate. Snap it. We make it like an adventure for them instead of telling them no.”

Not every chef or restaurant owner is as accommodating, especially these days, as cameras have become as common as utensils. People are posting a shot of their quinoa salad online, or their ramen noodles on their blog. A growing backlash has prompted not only dirty looks from nearby diners, but also creative measures like Mr. Bouley’s and even some outright photo bans.

On a visit to Momofuku Ko, one diner thought nothing of subtly raising her iPhone and snapping a picture of her shaved foie. Like tens of thousands of others, she takes photos of her plates constantly, sometimes to the annoyance of her spouse, a chef.

“It just seemed very casual at Ko,” she recalled. The host was wearing jeans, hip-hop was on the playlist and a 12-year-old was sitting next to them. And this — this dish was the famous, fabulous shaved foie from the star chef David Chang. It only seemed natural to record it for posterity.

Then came the slapdown. A man in the open kitchen asked her to please put her phone away. No photos allowed.

“I was definitely embarrassed,” said the woman, who was so mortified that she spoke on condition of anonymity. Because the Michelin-starred restaurant is small — it seats only 12 — everyone at Ko witnessed the exchange. “I don’t want to be that person,” she added, stressing that she never, ever takes flash photography, never stands up for a shot and is always respectful of those around her. Since she is a part-owner of several restaurants, she knew why she was being chastised. “But I was caught off guard,” she acknowledged.

Mr. Chang is one of several chefs who either prohibit food photography (at Ko in New York) or have a policy against flashes (at Seiobo in Sydney, Australia, and Shoto in Toronto). High-end places like Per Se, Le Bernardin and Fat Duck discourage flash photography as well, though on a recent trip to the Thomas Keller restaurant Per Se, flashes were going off left and right, bouncing off the expansive windows overlooking Columbus Circle.

“It’s reached epic proportions,” says Steven Hall, the spokesman for Bouley and many other restaurants, who has worked in the business for 16 years. “Everybody wants to get their shot. They don’t care how it affects people around them.”

Moe Issa, the owner of Chef’s Table at Brooklyn Fare, said he banned photography several months after opening when it became too much of a distraction to the other diners at his 18-seat restaurant.

“Some people are arrogant about it,” he said. “They don’t understand why. But we explain that it’s one big table and we want the people around you to enjoy their meal. They pay a lot of money for this meal. It became even a distraction for the chef.”

Mr. Bouley said table photography “totally disrupts the ambience.”

“It’s a disaster in terms of momentum, settling into the meal, the great conversation that develops,” he said. “It’s hard to build a memorable evening when flashes are flying every six minutes.”

Mr. Issa is happy to supply diners with professional photos the next day, though Mr. Hall said “people want to e-mail their photos to their friends right then and there; instant gratification.” Mr. Bouley is setting up a computer system so that diners can get digital images of what they’ve eaten before they even get the check.

It’s hard to know who is most irritated by amateur photography — the owners and chefs, the nearby diners or even the photographer’s dining companions. Emma Kate Tsai, a Houston-based editor, said her 64-year-old father drives her family crazy with the food photos he shoots with his large, cumbersome camera strapped across his chest. “It’s really irritating,” she said, “because we can’t take a bite unless he takes his photo.”

When the family goes out for Chinese, things get ugly. “The food just keeps coming, and we just have to wait for him,” she said. “Of course, he’s not taking pictures of us or his grandkids, which compounds the issue for me.”

Her father, a NASA engineer, used to put his photos into PowerPoint presentations and send the huge files to them through e-mail. “They were, like, 11 megabytes,” she said with a laugh. “Now he’s got Facebook, thank God.” Still, she worries about what will happen when her father stops working. “I think when he retires it’s just going to get worse,” she said.

Even Valery Rizzo, who teaches a class in iPhone food photography, thinks the trend has crossed a line. Tired of seeing uncentered, flash-marred photos of indistinguishable glop, Ms. Rizzo taught a course last fall at 3rd Ward in Bushwick, Brooklyn, to try to raise the bar. Ms. Rizzo briefs her students not only on the apps available, like Instagram, Foodie SnapPak and Camera+, but also tries to teach them lessons on composition and lighting. “No. 1 rule is no flash,” she said. “A lot of food photos are hideous because of the flash.”

But for every annoyed patron and disgruntled chef, there will continue to be legions of amateur iPhone-wielding food lovers, who say what they do is a tribute — not to mention free advertising for the restaurants.

Jordy Trachtenberg, because of what he described as his obsessive-compulsive disorder and his love of food, has documented every bowl of ramen he’s eaten in the past two years and posted it on his blog, Ramentology. He was flabbergasted to learn there are restaurants that prohibit photography.

“It’s shocking,” he said. “Is that even legal?”

He said he had never encountered any pushback. “But then again, I’m a big guy with tattoos,” he said, laughing.

www.nytimes.com/2013/01/23/dining/restaurants-turn-camera-shy.html?pagewanted=2&_r=0&smid=tw-nytimes&src=twr&pagewanted=print

[LoveTrains]

I take pictures of my food sometimes, but always with my iPhone.

I don't think its a problem if you are just snapping a quick picture on your phone. TBH I don't really get how it affects anyone else if I don't use a flash. I do think it should be done discreetly which is the option I chose.

[Deleted]

I posted this because a few friends were up in arms about it on twitter.

I could go either way on it. I can't imagine flashing away at Per Se; but on the other hand, if you're paying that much for a meal I think there's some entitlement to document the meal as you like as long as you aren't disturbing others. I've taken photos with my phone at VERY casual places, but it usually makes me feel self-conscious because I feel kind of rude having my phone out at restaurants. I've certainly been disturbed by other people taking tons of photos, but it is actually pretty rare.

I do enjoy nice photos of people's food though. Though food can look gross in bad lighting/with a bad phone/if you take the picture after a few bites. But that's maybe neither here nor there...

[emilyinchile]

I swear I read this same article last year. I remember the one restaurant having a studio and another totally banning it.

I take pictures for my blog. I voted for "it's ok discretely," but I do use a DSLR camera. No flash or tripod though, and I stay sitting in my seat. I don't really see how me photographing my own food at my own table (ok, and my husband's food) in that way affects others any more than if I were showing something on my phone screen to other people at my table. I would think it was silly if a restaurant asked me not to take pictures, but I'd do it because whatever, their prerogative.

[emilyinchile]

This is what I read before: eater.com/archives/2012/05/23/chefs-and-bloggers-on-photography-in-restaurants.php

[Deleted]

I love seeing food pictures, but I hate crappy food pictures.

I can see how a flash would annoy people, but whatever. Show me the pictures!

[dexteroni]

Jan 23, 2013 8:37:13 GMT -5 LoveTrains said:

I take pictures of my food sometimes, but always with my iPhone.

I don't think its a problem if you are just snapping a quick picture on your phone. TBH I don't really get how it affects anyone else if I don't use a flash. I do think it should be done discreetly which is the option I chose.

Agree. I'm surprised some restaurants don't even want discreet non-flash photography - I would not guess that that bothers most diners - but it's certainly the restaurant's call to make. Bouley has the right idea by inviting diners into the kitchen - the photographers get well-lit photos and a cool visit to the kitchen, the other diners aren't annoyed, and the restaurant ensures that its food looks its best in blogs and on Twitter and FB.  Everyone wins.

[emilyinchile]

I am curious as to "never ok" person's reasoning. I mean, I am probably not going to change my life because one person on the internet disagrees with me, but I also don't want to be a dick and am happy to modify however possible to bug fellow diners less.

[ddi741]

This is interesting because Weight Watchers just added a camera feature to their app so you can take  a picture of your plate and track later, rathter than trying to do it while your out eating.

[Deleted]

I think it's a weird thing to do. I'm not a foodie though so maybe that's why I don't get it. If you absolutely must take a picture at least do it discreetly. Don't use a flash obviously.

[Deleted]

I don't have a strong opinion on this issue, but I am LOL at the Powerpoint presentations.

[Deleted]

This article makes the issue sound SO over the top and dramatic. I take pictures with my iphone when it's something I want to share or Yelp about. I love food pictures. I'm sure there are some people who are obnoxious about it but there are far more obnoxious things that other patrons do while dining. And I don't really believe the restaurants want to ban the practice due to preserving ambiance as much as they say they do.

[ddi741]

I don't take pictures of every steak I eat but a couple weeks ago we were at a sushi place and my husband got this awesome looking sampler plate, I definitely took a picture.

The only time I've ever taken pictures of food on anything other than my cell phone was when we were on vacation out of the country and everything they served was so fancy and picture worthy so I used my camera.
Can't imagine using a tri-pod at a restaurant.

[jlt19]

I cannot believe there's a class in iPhone food photography.

I don't "get" taking pictures of food, but what about taking a picture of the people enjoying the meal? Is that frowned upon as well? I went out for girls night Saturday and we had our server take our picture. Flash and all. We were outside, so maybe that was better?

[Susie]

Jan 23, 2013 9:41:53 GMT -5 @notquiteblushing said:

And I don't really believe the restaurants want to ban the practice due to preserving ambiance as much as they say they do.

I don't think so either.  I think it's partly a vanity thing - amateur food pics will probably not make the food look as appetizing as professional photos, and from some of the articles I've read I think some chefs don't want non-pro photos of their food floating out there.

[winnied]

I don't take pictures at places other than very casual environments. I guess I don't mind if others do, as long as it doesn't interfere with my dining experience. It irks me, but that's my problem.

[princessx]

Meh...food photographers. Everybody! Look what I ate today! Newsflash: People are not as interested in what you are eating as you seem to think they are.

As for the restaurant - if the photo is being posted and the restaurant is named, I can understand how they should have some control over presentation. The customer could have messed around with the plate before they took a photo, it could be a bad pic. Do you like bad pics of YOU circulating around? With your name on them?

Px

[njohnson1972]

FWP

[Deleted]

Jan 23, 2013 10:31:08 GMT -5 princessx said:

Meh...food photographers. Everybody! Look what I ate today! Newsflash: People are not as interested in what you are eating as you seem to think they are.

As for the restaurant - if the photo is being posted and the restaurant is named, I can understand how they should have some control over presentation. The customer could have messed around with the plate before they took a photo, it could be a bad pic. Do you like bad pics of YOU circulating around? With your name on them?

Px

Yes! For some reason my FB feed is filled with food pictures. FYI: No one cares what you had for dinner!!

[Deleted]

Jan 23, 2013 10:33:47 GMT -5 njohnson1972 said:

FWP

Isn't pretty much every problem people in America have a first world problem? 

[winnied]

Jan 23, 2013 10:31:08 GMT -5 princessx said:

Meh...food photographers. Everybody! Look what I ate today! Newsflash: People are not as interested in what you are eating as you seem to think they are.

As for the restaurant - if the photo is being posted and the restaurant is named, I can understand how they should have some control over presentation. The customer could have messed around with the plate before they took a photo, it could be a bad pic. Do you like bad pics of YOU circulating around? With your name on them?

Px

I don't know, I definitely like seeing/reading about food. When I post pics of food (not at restaurants usually, at home) a significant number of people respond and seem to like it, too. 

[DarcyLongfellow]

I can't imagine getting so worked up about this.

I honestly don't care what other diners around me are doing. I can't imagine being even slightly annoyed with someone taking a picture of their own plate, even if they use flash. Now, if they stood on the chair or used up a bunch of floor space to set up a tripod, that's a different story. But it sounds like some people are annoyed with people snapping a picture with their phone. Why are you even paying that much attention to what other people are doing???

[Deleted]

Jan 23, 2013 10:43:22 GMT -5 @lcap said:

Jan 23, 2013 10:31:08 GMT -5 princessx said:

Meh...food photographers. Everybody! Look what I ate today! Newsflash: People are not as interested in what you are eating as you seem to think they are.

As for the restaurant - if the photo is being posted and the restaurant is named, I can understand how they should have some control over presentation. The customer could have messed around with the plate before they took a photo, it could be a bad pic. Do you like bad pics of YOU circulating around? With your name on them?

Px

Yes! For some reason my FB feed is filled with food pictures. FYI: No one cares what you had for dinner!!

Well said both of you!

[insominac]

1. Pictures of food using conventional flash suck. That's reason enough to avoid using flash. 2. I took pictures in the Bouley dining room. Life went on.

[heliocentric]

Most food photography sucks. It's pretty tricky to do well, even for professionals.

I like hearing reviews of meals, but I don't really need to see your mediocre picture. It could look great and taste like ass or look terrible and be fantastic, so appearances don't matter that much to me.

I might be more interested in a photo of a nice meal you made, but I don't need to see a photo from a good restaurant. I can imagine that it looked good. To me it's like posting a pic your took of the Mona Lisa. I mean, I guess I'm happy for you that you got to see something great, but it doesn't really help me at all.

I might be an old crank, but I don't get this obsession to blog or tweet or FB or otherwise announce what is happening in your life. Other than possibly a handful of people close to you, no one cares. You are not that interesting.

Having said that, as long as your are very discreet, I don't think it's a big deal.