Words But No Pictures

For the past two years I've carried a camera with me everywhere I go. This camera was for the sole purpose of food pictures, and only once in a big while I'd have people pictures included. This was fun at first, very fun. But now, it is more of a burden than anything. This morning something happened. Something that made me second guess whether I would want to continue with the 'photographing food' part of blogging. And I don't think I want to.

I want to write though. And I know a good part of the magic of a food blog (I'm starting to despise the word 'blog') involves photography. But then, I was looking over my archives and comparing it with more recent posts. And I've realized that as the pictures get better (they're still pretty crappy), my words are going to shambles. Sometimes I worry that I'm more interested in posting pictures than words. And that is not what I want to do.

If it was not for this blog, I would not have meet and kept in touch with many people who have become close friends with today. That's also magical. Because when you start a blog, you never do it with the intention of making friends or having people recognize you and then get freebies (the freebies part also makes me a little sick, and very guilty, even when it's just a loaf of bread, or a bunch of pizza).

But you know what's also irritating? Not being able to eat food for the comfort of food alone. Not being able to eat without first shooting pictures, and more pictures of food. It's almost amusing at first. But it gets old pretty fast. Sometimes I forget what a luxury it is to eat food without going all camera crazy. I completely neglected to take picture of a wonderful lunch I had alone in the Village last week, and I think it was one of the best lunches I've had yet. Three glasses of champagne, my new Marc Jacobs bag, baked eggs, a gorgeous summer peach crostada all to myself. It was so amazing that I didn't even realize I didn't take pictures until a few days later. I wish all my meals could be like that.

It's actually kind of silly if you think about it. All this picture taking is completely self-imposed. No one demands that I, or any food blogger for that matter, takes pictures. It just becomes a habit. A horrid habit in which nothing can enter the mouth without a single shot (or a dozen). And a habit I am going to break right now. The camera is going in the drawer. It will come out for people pictures (something I've neglected for years). And hopefully, as a result, the writing quality of this blog will improve.

I will continue to find good food, because what is life if you do not eat well? But I hope that my words will be enough to allow you to create the pictures yourself. Besides, there are so many blogs out there with wonderful pictures that will make your eyes glaze over in wonder and drool to slide down the side of your mouth. I'll provide the words. And you can make up the pictures.

P.S.
I'll take pictures from time to time, and I'll post the pretty ones for (cause I'm a sucker for pretty things). But for the most part, I'm going to enjoy my meals camera free :) How nice it will be!