Having dinner is not just about the meal, it can also illustrate many aspects of our lives.
Peter Menzel and Faith D’Alusio, a photographer and writer, traveled the world collecting photos and stories about what people eat in a day. See the photographs at the following link:
Artist examples: Look at the photographs from Brooklyn Artist Miho Aikawa in link below. Here is a quote from her artist statement about the project:
"I would like to propose thinking what a dinner should be by objectively seeing diverse dinner situations. When you enjoy mealtimes, you’re more likely to eat better. Let’s think what we can do to enhance the pleasure of the table." http://www.mihophoto.com/portfolio/dinnerinny/
Examples from Anna Atkins Anna Atkins was an English botanist and photographer. She is often considered the first person to publish a book illustrated with photographic images. Some sources claim that she was the first woman to create a photograph. See slideshow examples below Cyanotype slide show
Reference: Master example by Man Ray. Camera-less photography before the invention of the scanner 1923-1928
In and around home
Catherine Opie
Photograph your day-to-day surroundings and the various components of your everyday life. This can be unexpected moments in your day, or the routine experiences of your life. Images can include current events that make their way into your everyday life through your phone, computer or TV. It can also include things in your community or neighborhood.
Create a still life that tells the story of you. Bring in meaningful objects that represent something about yourself. Incorporate the objects in a well- designed composition. Include a mirror with a reflection of yourself in at least one of your photographs.
The idea of painting or photographing food has been around for a very long time. The links below explore food photography and provides an overview of photographers' responses to this rich subject in a variety of different ways.
Look at this website from the Getty Museum that features an overview from the mid-19th century till today
American Photographer April 24, 1943 – January 1, 2012
Jan Groover was widely recognized as one of the most important fine arts photographers of our time. Below is a short clip from a film made by photographer Tina Barney, who examined her work and its progression from triptychs and still-lifes to her work in France. The Film is titled Jan Groover:Tilting at Space.
"Working primarily with insignificant objects arrayed on a table top in her studio, Groover is able to fashion breathtaking images from little more than thin air... Like Cezanne, Groover makes pictures that are interesting not so much for the things they show us as for how they show us those things." Andy Grundberg - Dean, Corcoran College of Art+Design.
Edward Weston
Edward Weston is considered one of the masters of American photography. He wanted, he said, "to make the commonplace unusual"
In his journals, he wrote that his aim was to render "the very substance and quintessence of the thing itself, whether it be polished steel or palpitating flesh"
Assignment: Photography in the style of a famous photographer
Research a photographer and create a presentation with examples of their work. Shoot your own photographs that are inspired by their work.