Skip to main content

Turns out, chefs hate your food porn habit

instagram taking pictures of foodWhen you pay to eat at a fancy restaurant, you’re probably going to want to tell someone about your culinary adventure. And in 2013, what better way to do that than share your luxurious lunch or indulgent dinner on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook?

People take pictures of their meals all the time — just check the #foodie tag on Instagram, there are over a million photos. Haters can go right ahead and hate, but there are a lot of social media lovers out there making sure no brunch gets left un-shared.

However, a rebellion is brewing. Sick of seeing their patrons more focused on getting the perfect angle instead of having the perfect taste in their mouth, chefs are trying to fight against this trend. According to the New York Times, several high-profile NYC chefs are outlawing food photography. Though you can still sneak a snapshot at most places, Michelin-rated eateries like Momofuko Ko are establishing no-photography rules.

Chefs are trying to stop customers from taking pictures of their food for a few reasons. First, it can distract the other customers, especially if a flash is used. But beyond worrying about other patrons, some food connoisseurs believe interrupting a meal to whip out a camera is detrimental to the shooter’s own eating experience. Yes, they’re recording the event for posterity, but the obsessive documentation makes it harder to enjoy the present moment.

Most restaurants still allow iPhone food photography, even posh establishments like La Societe Bistro in Toronto. At the stylish eatery, which has an ornate stained glass ceiling also begging for a photo, general manager  Zia Sheikh said they have no problem with or policy against people Instagramming their food. Some venues even encourage the practice

But even if you can take photos of your food – should you? If you do, be prepared for the potential scorn. You may even end up on the Tumblr “Pictures of Hipsters Taking Pictures of Food.”

Now, please enjoy this video poking fun at the Foodies of Instagram.

Editors' Recommendations

Kate Knibbs
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Kate Knibbs is a writer from Chicago. She is very happy that her borderline-unhealthy Internet habits are rewarded with a…
Deleting your Instagram food porn could help feed the hungry
instagram food

Odds are, somewhere in your Instagram timeline, there is a photo of a meal you ate in the past month or so. Normally, these images are worth little more than a few likes or comments. But a charity campaign from Land O’Lakes is about to turn these long-forgotten meals into a powerful force for feeding the hungry. The only stipulation is, you have to delete your foodie photo.

The process is quite simple. Head on over to deletetofeed.com and log in to your Instagram account. Once logged in, go through your timeline and delete photos of a meal you shared in the past. For each photo you delete, Land O’Lakes will donate 11 meals to one of the more than 200 food banks partnered with Feeding America.

Read more
Head over to Tumblr if you want to share Live Photos from your iPhone on the web
Apple iPhone 7 Plus

Tumblr has become the first social website where you can share those fun Live Photos taken with your iPhone, following the introduction of Live Photo sharing through its app last year. The timing is fortuitous, as with the iPhone 7 and iOS 10, Apple has added new editing features to Live Photos, so you can ensure the pictures you do post look great.

Identifying Live Pictures on Tumblr is similar to doing so in the Camera Roll on the iPhone. Just look out for the circular icon in the top corner. However, while 3D Touch is used to animate Live Photos on the iPhone, that’s obviously not going to work elsewhere. To see the picture in all its glory on Tumblr, just click and hold.

Read more
Ikea pokes fun at Instagram food porn obsession in new ad
instagram meal 1700 18th century family ikea let s relax

Instagram wasn’t around in the 18th century, but if it had been, this is likely what it would look like if one were to “Instagram” a family dinner and share it with the world.

Created as part of Ikea's latest ad campaign, Let’s Relax pokes fun at the ongoing trend of people photographing every piece of food that’s ever placed down in front of them (#foodporn).

Read more