Food in Strange Places

Food in Strange Places: December 11th, 2018-While commuting at 5am, I captured this unusual sight. This photo inspired me to find other foods, in strange places.

In December of 2018, I was taken aback by a crab leg on the stairs of a subway platform. Amused at the sight, I quickly took out my camera to capture my view. In my mind this served as juxtaposition, a fancy crab leg, was somehow thrown out or dropped in such an ordinary place, the subway. Soon after capturing this image, I decided to find food in other public places that stood out. Too often, I would find abandoned drinks, smeared sandwiches and neatly placed food, in strange places. Capturing these images at first was a little embarrassing as often in New York City on the train, I was surrounded by others. I was a little self-conscious to be seen taking photos of such random things. Yet, as time went on, I learned that I’d regret not capturing the various scenes I would often encounter. So I learned to care less about how I’d look taking photos.

Food in Strange Places: Social Distance Edition, May 14th, 2020-I captured this image in my apartment. Thus, the watermelon print is juxtaposed with the cheetah print on the chair.

When reflecting, I captured the essence of life, in a large bustling city. Originally the food I captured was in public spaces that I would find commuting in New York City. However, once the pandemic hit, I decided to continue my original idea, but from home. Thus, every day I would look for interesting compositions of food within my apartment. Upon moving home to St. Louis, I continued this project. Whether in St. Louis or New York City, I captured liter and food left behind either on purpose or by accident.

The images from this series can be found on my Instagram page, lightsey_alexis.