A heart floating delicately on the surface of a cappuccino; a swan seemingly gliding across the foam; a flower, a leaf or some other tiny piece of artistry that makes one pause before taking that first sip: coffee art has a way of awakening the amateur photographer in almost anyone.
For many of us, photographing food has become a second nature. But what exactly makes us want to photograph our food?
For Adhara Madhuri Poroma, the answer can be as simple as appreciating something beautiful. She cooks herself; however, the impulse to photograph is more intimate.
Poroma often photographs her meals to share little updates with the people closest to her. She may send a photograph to her sister-in-law, her husband while he is at work, or her mother through WhatsApp or Messenger.
Even an ordinary meal can become a small photography project.
A simple “korola bhaji” or “dherosh bhaji” might be placed beside some plants, candles lit and the plate arranged just so before she takes the photograph. If the picture turns out particularly aesthetic, she may post it online as well.
For her, photographing food serves two purposes: staying connected with loved ones and practising photography. Sometimes it is simply a way of saying, “This is what I cooked today,” or “Look at this wonderful coffee I had.”
Wafiur Rahman shares a different experience.
Rahman began photographing food at cafes and restaurants in 2012 and started sharing the images on social media the following year. He now has an album of more than 350 photos featuring a wide range of dishes and cuisines.
“It’s not for validation or appreciation, but rather a walk down memory lane. Food photos are not just about aesthetics; they should also be informative and self-explanatory about the food,” Rahman says.
He adds, “When a restaurant with good food shuts down, the memories remain through photographs. The images can also offer clues about ambience and hygiene. So, it’s not simply food photography, but a mini review in itself.”
And sometimes, the explanation is considerably less profound. For Raisa Hasan, a 23-year-old MBBS student, the reason is simple.
“I take pictures of everything that makes me happy in the moment. The skies, a new street, my friends and food I really enjoyed having. I think pictures are like flashcards. Capturing a little snippet in time later takes you back to the same moment, the people you were around and the setting you were in,” she says.
Today, food has become one of the most irresistible visual subjects on social media. And behind the cheese pulls and glossy desserts are a surprisingly wide range of motivations.
A 2019 study published in the British Food Journal found that people share food photographs for both personal and social reasons.
For some, it is about pleasure — discovering a new dish, visiting a new restaurant, or documenting an indulgent experience. For others, food becomes a way of presenting themselves: what they eat, where they eat, and how they present it can signal taste, lifestyle, and even social status!
Then there is the simple pleasure of being seen.
Likes, comments and followers can become part of the motivation, particularly for influencers and content creators. A plate of pasta may begin as dinner and end as content, audience engagement and, occasionally, a restaurant collaboration.
A 2023 research article, “Craving for Enjoyment: A Concise Review of Social Media Food Photo Sharing Behaviour and A Conceptual Model”, offers another way of looking at this.
Food-photo sharing can be driven by intrinsic rewards, such as enjoyment, or extrinsic ones, such as recognition and social status. It can also be about connecting with others, helping people through recommendations or recipes, or expressing something about oneself.
Psychologist Umme Kawsar, an assistant professor at the Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, University of Dhaka, says there are genuine benefits to the habit.
Taking a photograph can make people pay more attention to their food and make the eating experience more enjoyable; however, there is a catch!
“If we constantly see tempting food photos on social media, it can unnecessarily increase our desire to eat or make us feel hungry,” says Kawsar.
There is also the temptation to compare. Attractive food posts can quietly become lifestyle comparisons: someone else’s elaborate dinner, perfect café afternoon, or weekend brunch against our own rather less photogenic lunch.
Perhaps we photograph food because we want to remember. However, there is an irony in trying to preserve a moment: sometimes, in the effort to document it, we forget to actually live it.
We frame the food, adjust the angle, wait for the right light and take the shot. The food gets cold. Everyone else starts eating. And somewhere between finding the perfect frame and posting the perfect story, we may have spent more time creating the memory than experiencing it.
Still, perhaps that is the strange charm of food photography. The picture is not always about the food. Sometimes it is about saying, “I was here. I enjoyed this. I wanted you to see it too.”
And if that also happens to earn a few likes, well, that’s just dessert.
