Another spinoff from my recent postings on still lifes, leading to photographs of food, in particular an earlier posting today, “Breakfast with Francesco Tonelli” (the food photographer). And that led me to a genre of food photography I hadn’t known about: the exploded view, deconstructed, flying, or food-layer hamburger. (Any sort of sandwich or layered food could be treated this way, but hamburgers tend to have more parts than most, and they’ve spread as everyday food through much of the world, so they’re especially well suited to this photographic treatment.)
An introductory example: a photo by David Fedulov (Дэвид Федулов) in Moscow:
(#1) Managing to get the dressing separated like that is the real trick here
Here I guess I should remind you that the stuff in lots of wonderful food photography isn’t food at all, but some simulacrum that will stand up under hot lights and long exposure times. Tricks of the trade. Making actual food gorgeous in still shots (as Tonelli does) is quite an accomplishment.
Five more examples, from all over the world.(We’ve already got Russia.)
The Vietnamese veggie burger. Photo by by Bếp Thực Dưỡng:
(#2) Even simpler, but with a much stronger sense that the components are alive and dancing; possibly my favorite
From Spain. A cover of Metropoli magazine.
(#3) Strictly horizontal alignment. Note the Spanish for ‘hamburger’: hamburguesa
From Martigny, canton Valais, Switzerland. Professional photographer Thomas Masotti on the Fstoppers site: “One of the many burgers that i love in a small restaurant near my city the “Downtown Burger” in Switzerland.”
(#4) An egg and bacon, plus veggie and cheese layers
By Francesco Tonelli, an Italian working a lot in the US. (See above.)
(#5) Delightfully kinetic, with mustard and ketchup in motion
By professional photographer Carla McMahon in South Africa.
(#6) With mushrooms, pickle slices, red peppers — lots of jazz
One of many burgers that look challenging to get in the mouth. Along with #3-5 and many commercial burgers covered previously on this blog. But we’re in fantasy burger territory here.
(Six might seem like excess, but there are plenty more available on the net. It’s a thing.)
When in doubt, explode it out!
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