The former food writer and editor traded ink for glass to create visual art
Making the temporary art of a plated dish permanent is, at first blush, the goal of food photography. What is carefully constructed and arranged over several hours will be rearranged and consumed within a minute, with all physical evidence washed away even more quickly. Unless, of course, a captured image preserves that post-creation and pre-erasure moment in time.
For local photographer Andrew Huang, photographing the Upstate’s tastiest bites is approached with as much focus on the final dish as what comes after—the enjoyment and energy of the consumption and the memories made. Over a cortado at the counter of A20 Cafe & Market, the former TOWN writer and editor—who had a column titled “Huangry”—provided insight into his process and how he tells food stories visually.
Staying Huangry with Andrew Huang
How did food photography become an area of specialty for you?
I grew up in a household where my mom cooked almost every night. We rarely went out to eat . . . . I’ve always loved food. And that was one of the things that I got to explore a little bit more as an editor of TOWN because I would be going to restaurant openings, and meeting chefs, and talking to people, and writing about it. And I feel like it’s a natural extension of that interest to start saying, how can I communicate about food—this thing that I really love—through different mediums? Not just words but through photography. I think food is one of those things that lends itself to visual representation. I’ve always found it difficult to convey what a dish tastes like, or what a dish feels like in your mouth, or what it smells like just via writing. So photography felt like another way to get closer to that.
How do you approach food subjects differently than people or other subjects?
First and foremost, food is a source of joy, nourishment, and feelings. It’s a medium for community. I think I start from that perspective . . . the food is not just food in and of itself. That informs how I look at food. Treating food photography as purely representation or documentary . . . that’s not what I really consider to be food photography. You know, if you’re taking snapshots of your food to send to your friends for a personal memory, that’s one thing. But when it comes to representing a dish or representing a meal, it’s not just what’s on your plate. To me, it’s a whole array of sensory triggers, whether aromas or sound. It’s this whole host of experiences that happens around you. That’s really important. So I try to capture that environment or that vibe that communicates all these things about a particular dish.
I think about that white-plate, perfectly plated, fine-dining aesthetic. And there’s certainly a place for that. I wouldn’t say that’s something that’s particularly interesting to me because that, to me, feels very representational. Again, nothing wrong with that, but I think about the foods that people think of as takeout, or cheap food, or the things that people really enjoy but don’t show because it’s not particularly attractive. So I think about ways that I can turn this thing—that I think a lot of people really enjoy—into something that feels as appealing as it is.
Where do you draw inspiration from when planning food shoots?
If I talk to a chef and I look around and see how that place is decorated, it’s not so much about taking the food out of that context. I’m not trying to make a taco truck taco look like it’s not a taco truck taco. But you want to make it look as appealing, and as aromatic, and as succulent as it is, and not just something that’s haphazardly wrapped in foil. I think that kind of food is so good—and deserves a treatment that communicates that.
Who are the food photographers you watch and learn from?
I think this is the case for any industry, but if you are sort of in that echo chamber and look at other food photographers, and that is the only source of inspiration, or those are your only reference points, everything kind of ends up looking the same. So, I do try to look elsewhere, and there are certainly food photographers that are really pushing the boundaries. But I’m also looking at, again, creating a mood, a moment in time, and I think that requires thinking about and incorporating these other elements outside of a plate. A few photogs I pay close attention to who bridge the gap between brand, food, and product photography:
Erick Steinberg and Emily Hirsch: instagram.com/heidisbridge/
Tina Sturzenegger: instagram.com/tinasturzenegger/
Ted and Chelsea Cavanaugh: instagram.com/ted.cavanaugh/
Breakfast for Dinner: instagram.com/breakfast.for.din/
Mackenzie Smith Kelley: instagram.com/mackenzie.smithkelley/
Mischelle Moy: instagram.com/studiomisch/
What trends in food photography do you either embrace or can’t wait until they pass?
I feel like photography in general is kind of post-trends—a place where the demand for content is so high that there’s a place for everything. I do think having a perspective on what you’re shooting is hugely important. I think there seems to be more interest in the things that people eat day-to-day—the not-so-glossy-magazine-ready types of food. And I think that’s awesome. I love to see that. Because, again, maybe you get a seating at Alinea [a famed Chicago restaurant] once. People are not eating fine dining for every meal. And to me, it’s like, why wouldn’t you find a way to represent the things that you enjoy 95 percent of the time? So I’m really encouraged by seeing more people take ownership of that and showcase that. I think some things I could always see more of are more cultural sensitivity around the foods that we’re showing and how we’re representing them. There is a greater awareness around needing to credit inspiration or recipe sources appropriately. I think there’s a greater appreciation and a greater awareness around trying not to culturally appropriate, and that’s really important.
Final thoughts?
If you took a home-cooked meal to school for lunch, kids probably trashed it, right? ‘It smells weird and looks different.’ [Because of that] I grew up wanting to have Lunchables all the time. I think that is certainly a part of my motivation. I think there are folks who are missing out because of some kind of misconception about a dish or a culture. I think it’s really important to recontextualize that food and give it respect in a way that is perhaps not given to it. From a mainstream cultural perspective, that is incredibly important.
