Put the Camera Away

[Polydweller]

If they don't want ugly pictures of food out there maybe they should plate the food like the pictures they are using to advertise it. Sounds like BS to me.

The food pictures in advertisements, for most companies not just Disney, are not what you see in the restaurant. Advertising pictures are plates created by food stylists. This a specialist job by people who often have been to culinary school and art school. They will take considerable periods of time arranging individual item right down to individual kernels of corn to achieve the right look. They sometimes take hours to do it, substituting one food for another (a popular trick is mashed potatoes for ice cream, yep it's true). They also use very carefully sculptured fake food where needed to stand up to the heat of photography lamps, and use lacquers etc, whatever is needed. Then it's all the setup to get the lighting just right and several pictures taken at different camera settings.

After all, the food stylist isn't creating something for you to eat simply something that's eye appealing on the ad page or tv so you'll buy it. No chef will ever produce exactly what you see in an ad because 1. that takes way too long (no one would wait an hour or more for their meal) and 2. the ad is not real food.

 

[Ariel484]

@Ariel484 I remember that Cali Grill story...and how much it bugged me. Really - the nerve of some people. I mean, I could understand if your flash was firing non-stop and they were bothered by it, but to say what they said about taking a pic of food...just nasty. And to hear that @rsoxguy had a similar issue...just really bugs me. That Cali Grill story stuck with me ... I remember even feeling a bit on edge on our last visit- wondering if someone would have the audacity to do the same. Someone started to say something, but I guess when I cut them off and told them about the trip report and online reviews I do...well, I think they thought I was a food critic. Still, if the photos aren't disruptive and are limited to my table, what business is it of theirs?

That is nice to hear about V&A.

Yeah. I went back to look at my pictures, and you can tell by how poorly lit they are that I didn't use flash. So unless she has really sensitive hearing and the clicking of my camera bugged her, she was just being a jerk. I remember someone suggesting that she was a local, so maybe she didn't get the picture taking...maybe that's it. But it's my vacation and I'm paying to eat there, and in the grand scheme of things, how much does it really affect her dinner? Take out the camera, focus, snap the picture (no flash), done. I'm sorry my story made you nervous during your dinner In all my trips to Disney that's the only time that someone has commented like that (that I know of, anyway). I fully intend to keep photographing the food, because dinners at Disney are a real highlight of our trips, so we'll see what happens!

 

[wdwfan4ver]

I never take pictures of my food at WDW. When I get my food, I want to eat it.

I saw a couple that I don't know a table next to me a few years ago taking pictures of their food after talking to us at Shutters. I thought at the time, they were taking pictures for a message board or a website and didn't have a problem with it.

 

[englanddg]

If they don't want ugly pictures of food out there maybe they should plate the food like the pictures they are using to advertise it. Sounds like BS to me.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

Yeah. I went back to look at my pictures, and you can tell by how poorly lit they are that I didn't use flash. So unless she has really sensitive hearing and the clicking of my camera bugged her, she was just being a jerk. I remember someone suggesting that she was a local, so maybe she didn't get the picture taking...maybe that's it. But it's my vacation and I'm paying to eat there, and in the grand scheme of things, how much does it really affect her dinner? Take out the camera, focus, snap the picture (no flash), done. I'm sorry my story made you nervous during your dinner In all my trips to Disney that's the only time that someone has commented like that (that I know of, anyway). I fully intend to keep photographing the food, because dinners at Disney are a real highlight of our trips, so we'll see what happens!

No worries...I think it actually was beneficial. By being semi-prepared, I was ready to justify the picture taking (not that I should have to) with a more civilized reply. i.e. the angry confrontational side of me was less likely to make an appearance.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

The food pictures in advertisements, for most companies not just Disney, are not what you see in the restaurant. Advertising pictures are plates created by food stylists. This a specialist job by people who often have been to culinary school and art school. They will take considerable periods of time arranging individual item right down to individual kernels of corn to achieve the right look. They sometimes take hours to do it, substituting one food for another (a popular trick is mashed potatoes for ice cream, yep it's true). They also use very carefully sculptured fake food where needed to stand up to the heat of photography lamps, and use lacquers etc, whatever is needed. Then it's all the setup to get the lighting just right and several pictures taken at different camera settings.

After all, the food stylist isn't creating something for you to eat simply something that's eye appealing on the ad page or tv so you'll buy it. No chef will ever produce exactly what you see in an ad because 1. that takes way too long (no one would wait an hour or more for their meal) and 2. the ad is not real food.

It really is amazing some of the tricks they use to make food look like it does in advertising. It's been ages, but I remember one of my classmates in middle school had her mom come in and illustrate. I guess she was a food artist for some firm in NY and it was a real eye opener.

 

[DaGoof00]

Last few times I ate at V&A's they were nothing but happy to take our photo at the end of dinner... I can't really imagine that changing. We do it near the entrance, as to not spoil the mood for those dining adjacent to us

 

[mrscricket]

I don't know what I'd do with myself if I wasn't allowed to take pictures of food. Every time I go out for a meal, I'll take a picture, having something special at home, I'll take a picture. Last time i went to WDW, I got a picture of every single meal that everyone had, to the annoyance of everyone in my group because I would make them pass the camera around before anyone could start eating.

 

[tissandtully]

I thought one of the main goals behind fine dining was presentation. Don't they want it to look good enough to take a photo?

 

[ExtinctJenn]

My gut tells me that because Disney is well aware that their property is a vacation destination, this wouldn't happen at any restaurant on property. Let's be honest too... it is ultimately free advertising for them. The more photos of food and the experience of being at one of their restaurants, the more folks who decide to dine on property vs. leaving property for an alternative. Now that said, I'm sure there are many restaurants across the world that ban photography because of it's potential for disruption but I'd imagine they'd be places that are not found on the property of a vacation mogul.

 

[mousehockey37]

I see nothing wrong with taking pictures of the food at WDW. All the planning and money you put into your trip, it's nice to see what the food looks like. You get a chance to see the portion size, side dishes, etc. It's better than getting blind-sided. Just think of the people that have allergies. The allergy food picture threads are absolutely essential for those people. They can see what kind of food is available to them and once again, portion size etc.

If WDW ever wants to take the cameras away at this point, it's going to get a reputation that they have something to hide. The fact that we are able to take pictures of our food shows that Disney takes pride in their presentation of food.

If people want to make fun of me for taking pictures of my food, well, that's on them. I'll just take a picture of them with their food and post it in my trip report that they were rude dinner guests. Like others have said, I'm paying for it, it's mine, I'll do what I want with it.

 

[disneyfan1995]

I think rules like that are kind of dumb to be honest. I mean maybe limit the use of flash since it can be distracting to many people but who cares if someone's snapping a picture of their food! I can't believe restaurants actually have rules like that.

 

[Sweet Melissa]

I read an article a few weeks ago about restaurants that are looking for ways around having bad photos taken and disrupting other diners without completely banning cameras. Some restaurants are offering food photography seminars, and others will invite patrons to come take food photos back in the kitchen "where the lighting is better." It may require extra time and customer service, but it also imparts a way better vibe than telling customers "no."

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/23/dining/restaurants-turn-camera-shy.html?_r=0

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.”

 

[DJMoore2011]

I take pictures of food both at home and at WDW, but I do not at every single meal. I usually do it on something I want to remember or try to re-create back home. Like the Moose Dessert and Maple Crème Brûlée at Le Celliar were desserts we got because we were on our honeymoon and I thought it was so cute. The same at Tony's when I got my dessert and saw Lady and Tramp on it. I try to be respectful of others though and when we had to use the flash we did so quickly no to bother other. I am also in culinary school working on my way to be a Pastry Chef so many times I will take pictures at bakeries and such because I want to remember what I saw and try to make it myself. Taking food pictures, to me, is a compliment to the restaurant I am at, hey I liked the looks of this enough to REALLY want to remember it. Not just inhale and move on. And yes I've had some food locally that it's looked awesome and tasted crappy and so I delete pictures.

 

[wdwstateofmind]

Taking picture of your signature meal = tacky and insulting to the chef!

 

[Sweet Melissa]

Taking picture of your signature meal = tacky and insulting to the chef!

Why on Earth would photographing your food insult the chef?

 

[wdwstateofmind]

Why on Earth would photographing your food insult the chef?

You can't be serious right? Not only is it bad etiquette, but if your a trained chef...wait, you can't be serious right? This cannot be the first time you've heard that unless fine dining to you is Friday's, Applebees, Red Lobsters, and any other commercial chain restaurant or your mom & pop diner on Rt. 46...

I've honestly never heard a positive comment about anyone taking pictures of their food from any other patrons anywhere. And don't think something is right just because social media told you so...most people tend not to follow it and if everything on twitter, fb, and tumblr was acceptable, this country would would have way worse morals than we've already instilled in ourselves over the past 40 years.

 

[Sweet Melissa]

You can't be serious right? Not only is it bad etiquette, but if your a trained chef...wait, you can't be serious right? This cannot be the first time you've heard that unless fine dining to you is Friday's, Applebees, Red Lobsters, and any other commercial chain restaurant or your mom & pop diner on Rt. 46...

I've honestly never heard a positive comment about anyone taking pictures of their food from any other patrons anywhere. And don't think something is right just because social media told you so...most people tend not to follow it and if everything on twitter, fb, and tumblr was acceptable, this country would would have way worse morals than we've already instilled in ourselves over the past 40 years.

Yes, I'm completely serious. Why would it insult the chef if a diner wanted to take a photo of the meal a chef created? I'm not talking about dining room etiquette, I'm asking why a chef would not want his creations photographed.

 

[wdwstateofmind]

Yes, I'm completely serious. Why would it insult the chef if a diner wanted to take a photo of the meal a chef created? I'm not talking about dining room etiquette, I'm asking why a chef would not want his creations photographed.

Are you gonna look over your mechanics shoulder? Or maybe you want to take pictures and video tape everything your doctor does during a visit and see how it flies with him...In general, most patrons and people at that restaurant don't want you taking the picture either...

 

[Sweet Melissa]

Are you gonna look over your mechanics shoulder? Or maybe you want to take pictures and video tape everything your doctor does during a visit and see how it flies with him...In general, most patrons and people at that restaurant don't want you taking the picture either...

I don't see either thing as a valid comparison. It's not like patrons are walking back in to the kitchen and getting in the chef's way while he's working. If a mechanic rebuilt my engine, drove it out of the bay for me to see, and I took a photograph, it wouldn't affect the mechanic at all. A chef creates art, art that disappears moments after he completes it. I don't see why it would insult him to record that for posterity. If anything, it's reverent. Again, this is just about the chef and the photo, not that it might be disruptive to the dining room.