Rebecca Bateman
I am a third year Cinema and Photography student at the University of Leeds. I have always been interested in photography ,even from an early age. I love delving into all genres of photography, I feel I have quite an artsy style and I am not afraid to use dramatic editing to achieve this. I have a particular love for black and white photography especially in portraiture. I am the co-photo editor for Leeds Student, the university newspaper, so my camera is a permanent fixture on my arm. I love the whole process of photography, from the experience of capturing to showcasing the final product. I recently have been passed down my fathers analogue Pentax which I am raring to get out to further develop my skills into analogue photography, one day I shall own a dark room in my house!
Photographs featured are taken from a project conducted as part of my degree looking at food as a photographic tradition in terms of advertising.
Food is an important aspect of our lives and although not a typical tradition of choice, documenting food through photography is becoming a growing occurrence. Food itself is an art form, when we consider how much precision and time goes into its presentation. We want to see images of food, we enjoy looking at images of food, and therefore the market has broadened. This is only enhanced by the hundreds of cooking channels, programs and cooking competitions aired on our televisions. Food appeals to all of us; therefore it is a common interest. We all have our own preferred tastes, yet we all prioritise our judgment through the visual appeal; we fall into the trap of believing it can taste as good as it looks.
With this in mind, that is why I chose food as my tradition of choice. By focusing on Christmas food it highlights this point, as it is a time of year when food plays an important role. All five images show ‘treats’ that we associate with Christmas, chocolate; nuts; biscuits; cheese with grapes and of course mince pies, available to us all year round, but particularly desired during the festive season. I have tried to present them in the typical advertising style in order to push the idea that visual sells taste.
All photos and text copyright of Rebecca Bateman.