Quentin Bacon deserves props. Although he seldom receives top billing in any of the cookbooks he contributes to, his impact is undeniable - he's a food porn photographer extraordinaire and a hired hand in many works that you've likely touched, opened, looked at, and maybe even own (do you have Batali, Morimoto, Ina Garten in your collection? Maybe something from Williams-Sonoma?). But more likely than not you have no idea who he is or that he's one of the main lensmen responsible for making food look so good that it makes you feel, well, dirty.
Food photographers, even ones as in-demand as Mr. Bacon, rarely get the big font or author credit in a cookbook. Search Amazon for Quentin Bacon's name and you'll find 19 co-author citations. But that's just the tip of the iceberg - there are even more books where he receives but a simple nod in the intro - or a tiny font credit on the title page. Just today, for example, I was looking at a vegetarian cookbook, and after guffawing over some of the over-the-top photography, had to search the book's (usually ignored) acknowledgments to find the photographer - Quentin Bacon.
Food porn may sometimes rub me the wrong way, but in the right hands - like the hands of Quentin Bacon - it adds the necessary and needed dimension of sensuality that text alone lacks.
Thank you for this nice message. Quentin never takes enough credit and he is one of the most talented hard working guys out there!
Lauren
Needless to say, we appreciate the post!
his assistant
Posted by: Lauren | September 27, 2007 at 04:56 PM