I don't know what else to say about these photos by Marina Aurora except for AWESOME!! When I first saw these photos I quickly remembered what my college drawing teacher told us. "Just because the piece of paper we're drawing on has borders, we're shouldn't think that we have to keep the drawing within the borders." I guess Marina's photos are sort of the opposite but in the similar idea that you shouldn't be bound by the limits of the medium. It's such a fresh way of interpreting recipes and what a photo should be.Q. Can you tell me what you’re trying to capture when you take your food photos? A. In the photographs I deconstruct different dishes into the distinct preparation phases in a single image. I want to inspire home cooking by showing the ease of making food that we often take for granted.
Q. How did you come up with the idea for your “Visual Recipes”? A. It was one of the assignments for school, in which we had to make a five-image story about a social issue, for me it was food and time. So in those five images I had my first two Visual recipes. It still took some time before I realized how well the images work just by themselves.
Q. Any obstacles while developing and executing the idea? A. It is somewhat demanding to fit everything into one image and to make sure the food stays fresh, as the process does take quite a long time.
Q. Are you the one actually prepping all the foods for the photos? If so, how did the cheese come out in your cheese recipe photo? A. Yes, I have prepared all the foods myself. The cheese is delicious, and was used in the beetroot pasta image. Cheese is a perfect example of food that we as consumers have distanced ourselves from. We are so used to buying products, that we have forgotten that it is possible to make for example cheese yourself. Q. What do you think is the one thing that has affected you as a photographer and your photography style? A. I have a background as a history and social sciences student, so that of course affects the topics I want to capture in my personal projects. All in all, I think it is a strange mix of influences and events that have shaped my style. One of the things could be my never-ending curiosity.
Q. Any photography heroes? A. One of my favorites is Jacques Henri Lartigue. I adore the curiosity and the joy of life in his works.
Q. I have never been to Helsinki, what foods should I MUST eat if I ever visit? A. Finnish food consists of simple flavors. I would highly recommend fresh fish or game together with mushroom or wild berries. One of my favorites is the traditional finish rye bred.
All photos courtesy of Marina Aurora