Seven reasons why photography is just like Masterchef
I can even see the image of a chopping knife in one of my images!
Do you watch Masterchef?
I have to admit that I am a little obsessed by Masterchef. It is an addictive reality TV cooking series. I used to watch every series but I have had to go cold turkey on it for a while. I do not pretend to have the cooking abilities of the contestants. I don’t want to be on the show. I just love watching what people manage to create.
Anyway, I was watching it recently (the cold turkey went wrong) and it suddenly struck me that cooking and photography are more similar than you might think. Here’s why:
1. It’s creative
It’s easy to think that both cooks and photographers follow recipes and guidelines. That is very true for many people. But for entrants of Masterchef and more adventurous photographers it is all not about trying follow what has already been done: it is about creativity, coming up with new ideas and trying to push boundaries.
2. It’s about improving skills
Masterchef contestants will not progress unless they learn new skills. And it’s the same for photographers. Whether it is a new cookery technique or a new style of photography, many find pleasure in improving their knowledge base and their abilities. It’s also fair to say that, for both cookery and photography, there are plenty of gadgets that people enjoy buying to achieve different results!
3. Skills don’t necessarily equal creative ability
In MasterChef, there is the dreaded skills test! Contestants are asked to cook a dish and are judged on how well they manage the technical side of it. Some cooks fly through this test and then fail dismally at the creative side. Others struggle with it and go on to create extremely tasty dishes. Naturally, some basic abilities are needed, but the skills test doesn’t appear to be the key to succeeding in the competition. It’s the same in photography. I see many technically perfect images that will win no prizes for creativity. Equally, the images that are often the most moving are often created by those who may not have a wide range of technical abilities.
4. It’s rule-driven
Think that Masterchef is all about creating weird and wonderful new dishes? Think again! You are expected to have a solid understanding of the classics. If you move away too far from them, especially in the early stages, you will be frowned on by the judges. Does that sound a little bit like a camera club competition?
5. People can be too clever for the sake of it
Many contestants come to a sticky end on Masterchef because they think that it is all about showing off. It’s no good spending lots of time perfecting your spherification technique (yes, that is a thing in cooking) if the end result doesn’t taste very good. Just as there is no point in obsessing about perfect focus stacking if the composition is uninteresting.
6. Less is often more
I often look at a dish being prepared in Masterchef and think that it is just too much. I don’t want my vegetable prepared in five different ways. I just want a simple, tasty meal. Just as I prefer a simple photographic composition without too much going on and which doesn’t feature loads of complicated techniques.
7. It can become obsessive
Successful Masterchef competitors seem to spend every waking hour (and quite a few sleepless nights) perfecting their dishes. And I know plenty of photographers who spend the same amount of time perfecting their image making.
What would you add to the list?
I’d love to hear your thoughts and ideas in the comments.
I have to say that I’m surprised that a regular reality TV series hasn’t dominated mainstream TV yet!