Tina Albrecht was in Hanoi in February when, on the last day of her visit, the hotel concierge recommended she try one of the city’s famous joints for bun cha.
She and her partner hopped on the back of a scooter, which led them to an alleyway in the Vietnamese capital, dotted with plastic tables and chairs and diners lined up against the wall eating the famous dish. There was a small grill fired up to cook the pork and the herbs in the air gave off an aroma Albrecht won’t soon forget.
“There was something about that atmosphere, to be so close to their culture and them making the food right there. The experience made that meal so special.”
As a graphic designer, photographer and co-founder of Acorn — a collaborative magazine that investigates food culture around the world — Albrecht has many opportunities to look for out-of-the-way haunts in the quest for a great meal.
And next Friday, she and fellow food shutterbug and traveller Joann Pai, a Vancouver native who now lives in Paris, will talk in Coquitlam about their visual storytelling as well as the art of food photos, including how to capture an image using a mobile device.
Albrecht, whom Pai met after following her via Instagram (@bittadesign), said the pair will speak about how the average person can up their ante using photo editing tricks such as filters, white balance and sharpening tools.
The best food picture usually involves natural light to bring out shapes and textures.
But Albrecht also suggests food photographers pay attention to the details surrounding a meal. Is the area around the plate clean? Is there something in the way that will spoil the ambience? “Those are the things we don’t think of until after we’ve taken the picture and we show it to friends and family,” she said.
Albrecht also recommends the photo have a narrative to evoke sentiment and display why the meal was worth capturing.
For a group dinner, there needs to be people in the picture to portray the party spirit; however, for a show-stopping plate, there can’t be any distractions: Just the cuisine in its finest form, she said.
Albrecht said food is important because it can stir up strong emotions. A smell can take you back to your grandmother’s kitchen or a certain dish can make your mouth water. “Food photography can certainly work up those feelings,” she said.
• Tickets for Tina Albrecht and Joann Pai’s lecture at Place des Arts (1120 Brunette Ave., Coquitlam) on May 27 are $5 via brownpapertickets.com or by calling 604-664-1636. Guests are encouraged to bring a camera or cell phone for the demonstration.
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CONTEST
The Tri-City News is giving away two tickets to the May 27 talk at Place des Arts. Email: [email protected] to enter.
