Photo&Food: Giorgio Cravero (part II)

2017-06-12 In the second part of our chat with renowned photographer Giorgio Cravero, we’ll be talking more about food photography.
In this branch of still-life photography, the artist certainly fits all fourteen categories coined by advertising expert Annamaria Testa for her 333 maxims on creativity: he breaks the rules, welcomes change, influences the emotions, acts on intuition, has a sense of humour, encourages talent, nurtures a vision, has no prejudices, learns from his mistakes, is skilled, dissatisfied, straightforward, curious and determined. Giorgio, do you like food photography?
“I do, because it’s really complex: food has an incredibly short lifetime on set, so the window for taking the shot is really narrow… And it requires painstaking patience: I’ve twisted spaghetti around a fork with tweezers before… But food photography is also a great pleasure, because it involves more than one sense: there’s the visual aspect, but also the experience and memory of fragrances and flavours for both the photographer and the audience.”
Is cooking like photography?
“Yes, because it’s meticulous, with very clearly defined roles and a real hierarchy in practical terms. When I read Anthony Bourdain’s book “Kitchen Confidential”, I really understood what a kitchen brigade was. Also, both cooking and photography take you on a journey. Being an incredibly curious person, I find that fascinating! Behind every dish – and every photo – there’s a lot more work than many people realise.”
Do you enjoy cooking?
“Yes, I find it relaxing, but there’s so much to think about on set that I’ll gladly let someone else do it… I like traditional cooking, but I prefer experimental food, albeit simple. I’m fascinated by Massimo Bottura: he respects local traditions, but he’s revolutionary. I love cooking at home, but I don’t often do it. My partner is always telling me off, because I get all the kitchen implements out and never tidy them away: for me it’s just like being on set!”
What should food photography put across to people?
“Usually, the aim of a food shot is to make the food look so inviting you really want to eat it. In the past mock-ups were used very widely, and everything had to be polished and perfect; now there’s an acceptance of imperfection as it gives a better sense of realism and naturalness. As a general rule, there’s less post-production and a bit less chemistry in preparing the food for a shoot, and it looks more like what you’d serve up for dinner. Personally I try to work with the camera as much as I can, rather than in post-production.”
(to be continued)

Mariagrazia Villa

Photography: Giorgio Cravero [EB1]Valeria, ho cambiato l’ordini degli aforismi per mettere insieme tutti gli aggettivi