People love to photograph their food. I teach cooking and want my students to always present their food in the most beautiful ways possible. In the first days of my class I teach my students about the art of food photography. Flickr is a great resource that I can use as part of this lesson. Since Flickr is used by people of all skill levels when it comes to photography, there are excellent comparisons examples that I could easily use to show students what to do as well as what not to do. Visual comparisons make my job much easier. I can tell my students how a white plate will make colors pop or how lighting can make or break a picture….but when they can actually see comparisons side by side of these things being done (or not done), then it becomes more obvious. I love Flickr because you can search for something as simple a cookie, and find tons of amateur random messy pictures, and you can also find beautifully crafted and thought out images (like the one featured above). This is what I want my students to learn about during our Food Photography unit and Flickr is a perfect resource to help them to see how they can make their own food look incredibly delectable and professional.
My Two Cents by Kim Barndt 
Kim,
What a great way to integrate Flickr into your cooking class. People definitely do like to take pictures of their food. Using comparisons could really help students understand what their finished products should look like and what they should not look like! Flickr would also be a great way for students to share their pictures of everything they have cooked, a digital portfolio showcasing all of their work!
Brandon Hershey
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Kim, I would never have thought about the fact that in a cooking class you must teach students how to take pictures of food. Wow! You are right. Pictures can make all the difference. I am sure, as you said, Flickr can provide great examples of pictures.
Becky
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Kim,
I think you have a great idea here. I love food as well, but more so the eating side of things. I cant tell you how often I scroll through Facebook, and see pictures of great looking food that makes me want to try and make it. Food photography is a very powerful tool, and that is a great idea for your foods class. Definitely something different you do not always think about in a class like that, so it is something the kids will have a lot of fun with and learn important tools as well if they decide to work with food in the future.
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Hi, Kim!
First of all, this picture made me feel like it was winter holiday time. I could almost taste the gingerbread cookies! Photo research and comparisons would be a great way to use Flickr. I like the idea of students learning from the images they find. It’s important for students to understand what professional work looks like. This is true not only for photography of food, but also for all of their work. This will get students thinking about and hopefully taking pride in the work they create. Wonderful idea!
Jenna
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Kim,
I believe Flickr will be a huge asset in your classroom when teaching about food photography, or really, any art. I also love the picture you chose! Just like you said, Flickr provides a variety of sources, all the way from the novice photographer to professional photographers. Giving students this type of variety can be inspirational because they can see the beginning stages of photography. They will see that they don’t have to be a professional to create a work of art. They just need inspiration!
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