Have you ever been snacking on some food and been told that you should put it on a plate because it’ll taste better?  Now, as a person who spent the first quarter century of my life frequently eating on the run (and often standing up), I always found this advice strange, if not quaint.  OK, I admit it, I actually thought it was quite funny and parental.  And while I still have a love of eating street food on the run, I have certainly developed an appreciation for dining with my beloved, as well as an occasional treat of fine dining.  And while I have found that the food in a restaurant is usually the draw, the atmosphere and dining experience is a close second.  Over time, I have found that it is hard to overestimate how much a good setting and atmosphere can contribute to an experience.  It may not be the thing that you came for, but it may be a big part of the reason that you chose as you did.

In discussing my last two posts with several people, the topic of their word length came up – the first being a bit long and the second a nice antidote to it.  And while I will freely admit that I am not a fan of keeping it to one page, three bullet points, or 140 characters unless called for, like my Photo Sketches, the purpose of the text, or back story as I sometimes like to call it, is to help provide a bit of atmosphere and setting.  A bit of mise-en-scene, if you will.  I am sure that you would agree that the internet is totally awash in images, so when I decided to set up a more public presence on the web, I deliberately decided not to use my photo hosting website as my primary means of communication with folks.  As a close friend politely reminded me last year, nobody wants to see 200 shots of my most recent vacation.  And then another 200 shots of a flower that just started to bloom.  Image hosting galleries are great, but many seem like the virtual equivalent of a family slide show.  Thankfully, excusing yourself if you fall asleep is no longer an issue.

And while I would like to think that images I post can “speak” for themselves, I also believe a little accompanying text helps create a more friendly environment for enjoying them.  So, as a person who has enjoyed food on the run as much as I have three-hour, multi-course dinners, I suggest that if a post is longer than fits your attention or schedule, feel free to skip right to the photos or just pass on it.  Short or long, I always envisioned these posts as a quick break from the daily grind, just like the daily comics that I like to read every morning while I slowly ease into my day.

Today’s photo?  This photo was featured in last year’s exhibition, and was taken at one of the local farmers’ markets.  I love to shoot at the markets, and hope to plan some type of small exhibit on the subject in the future.  But, unless, there is a bit of vanilla ice cream involved, I suggest eating a pear with your hands rather than on a plate – it just seems to taste better!

–Ken