Dan Perez: Foodography

Mom always told you it’s not polite to play with your food, but did she ever say anything about photographing it? No matter how much self-control you have, we’re all guilty of taking and/or posting a phone picture of our meal every now and then. In fact, taking and posting pictures of food has become so popular, it’s even coined a new term: foodography. Dan Perez, a food photographer based in Tel Aviv, was recently commissioned by BBR Saatchi & Saatchi to share his skills and help their client, Carmel Winery, reconnect with a generation that thrives on the culinary trend of posting food shots to social media with their “Foodography Workshop.”

Participants in the workshop enjoy a four-hour tasting menu at Catit, a fine dining restaurant in Tel Aviv. The menu is built around wine, and the courses are presented on specially designed ceramic plates that make it easy to get a great phone shot. The plates come in a couple of different styles. The “Limbo” plate has a sloped backdrop design that makes it easy to cut out distraction in the background of the photo. It also has a built-in phone slot that can stabilize the camera and get the best shot of the food being presented. The “360” plate also features a stand for the phone, but has a revolving platform that can be spun for cool video footage. During the workshop, Dan is on-hand to guide the participants, who make their own photos and are encouraged to post them to Instagram using the workshop’s hashtag, #fdgr:

I give tips about composition, lighting and how to make the best of a smartphone camera. Then, they get a book with all tips inside after the workshop is finished.

Dan was involved with the project from the conceptual planning phase, to the designing of the plates and even the food being presented. The book they give out at the end of the workshop is also created by Dan. Foodography has gone viral, appearing on sites like Buzzfeed, Mashable and Cosmopolitan. Because of the workshop, Carmel Winery has been able to connect with foodies and the Instagram community, and their sales have increased by 30 percent. Dan has also seen thousands of new visitors to his website, along with new followers on his Facebook and Instagram accounts. Check out a couple of Dan’s Instagram photos below, and click here to see the #fdgr hashtag in action.

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