Mediated baking
So, I’ve had a lovely public holiday, with yoga, brunch, naps, tea and cake baking, but I find myself ending on a bit of odd note.
After having finished icing my carrot cake and noshing a slice, I spent a good half hour peering at it through my camera and cellphone, taking snaps, tweeting about it, then editing the pics for a blog post. Even while taking the pics (putting my recently-acquired camera skills to practice), I found it kind of annoying that I was picturing my cake already on a computer screen, as part of a blog post. It’s confusing: I like the focus and the scrutiny of a moment or a scene that this kind of mediation offers, but at the same time, I feel bothered that it robs it of just being what it is. I feel like one of those parents who never stop photographing their kids as they’re afraid of missing an instant, and consequently they have a stack of photos of their kids wearing weird fake smiles, learned through constantly being in a state of documentation.
Hmm. Sounds like I need more than a one day holiday, don’t I?
Anyway… happy Womens’ Day! Here’s a photo of the carrot cake I baked today. It’s just a cake, and I had a great time making it, eating it, photographing it… and, to tell the truth, tweeting and blogging about it too.
Molly
No fake smile on that cake!
Funny, I also baked this public holiday and spent a LOT of time styling & photographing slices … and eating it 🙂
Remember the line: Wasted time is not wasted if you enjoyed the wasting there of, or something like that.
Shelley Noble
Blogging/posting/sharing is a pleasure to be sure. Sometimes when I don’t “document” a happening that warrants it I feel as though the moment was lost. Even though it was lived.
Janne
I know what you’re saying…
helene magnusson
Work taking over private life…
alison
I’m so happy to hear you say this, I had the exact same thoughts involving a lovely loaf of blueberry bread I baked a few weeks back. Happy to know I’m not the only one… Your carrot cake looks delicious 🙂
Claire
Yes, I hear you Heather. I no longer get my camera out for birthdays or take snaps when I travel for fear of just viewing it all through a lens and not really just being in the moment. And yet I relish other’s photos and the memories they hold. How greedy I am…Ps That cake looks delicious! I also baked a cake yesterday for our anniversay and I did think to photograph it for my blog but somehow we ate it before I remembered to do that…(*o*)/ pps Where was the orla in red skinnylaminx tea towel for the photo shoot?
Athol
looks like moms incredible carot cake icing on that lovely cake.
I believe it is possible to enhance a moment by documenting it. By stopping and noting it is something significant you prevent it passing unnoticed. There is a need for balance though or the documenting of the moment can destroy or falsify it if allowed to dominate or manufacture the moment.
The reason I hate doing posed group photos at events. Rather catch things naturally (like you did beautifully with that cake. no cheesy grins in site)
Lesley
Ha! Very true, but there’s a good side to it too: someone told me, and I agree, that when you are thinking of this kind of mediation, you end up making more adventurous choices.