BORN OUT OF THE PASSION FOR FOOD AND PHOTOGRAPHY

The magic of memories and how photographs can trigger these.

Memories have magic

Memories have a magic imbued in them. They have the power to bring you back to a place in time and relive your experiences. For a moment you can revel in all the details that are recalled from the depths of your memory. Not only are memories magic but also what triggers these memories to resurface. A scent, a sight, a phrase, or even just a word. A miniscule fraction of something can bring a memory bubbling forth. The ability for us to be able to relive moments from the past is amazing and precious.

Photo by Robert Schall Photography

Photography aids the recall

As a photographer I have an added recall trigger. Looking through my photographs nearly always spawns a memory. Interestingly not just memories of when the image was captured. They also bring forth other memories, some aren’t even directly tied to the image. Recently I wrote a blog about my “EXPOSED: Formosa Night Markets” photobook, which got me to look through the stack of photos that I had compiled for its creation. They flooded my head with memories. At times even overwhelmed my senses with memories.

The foodie revels in his memories

*Chuckling to myself* I am a foodie so it should not surprise me I guess that food memories would also entice my other senses to relive the moment. Two of my most gratifying passions are, these shouldn’t surprise you anymore, photography and gastronomy. You can bet that there are a myriad of memories tied to one or the other, or even both, of these passions. Most think of me as someone who captures a snapshot of a moment to help them retrieve their memories with my camera. However, the art of creating such recall triggers also works for myself. As I had written, this photobook was born out of my passion for food.

Photo by Robert Schall Photography

Photo by Robert Schall Photography

Photo by Robert Schall Photography

After the crunch came the soft part

So here I am sitting, browsing through my images of the night markets in Taiwan, my mouth watering, my nose tingling, my stomach growling in anticipation, I can even hear the cacophony of sounds that fill these night markets. These recollections are so real at times. I can vividly recall the crunch as my teeth sunk into my first daring bite of deep-fried stinky tofu, how the mushy interior oozed out onto my tongue, and the explosive and slightly revulsive flavor that instantly followed. I dare you to try it yourself if you ever get the chance. Trust me, the deep-fried variant is the way to go. Way less offensive first experience than going for the soft-boiled version of this strange delicacy.

Photo by Robert Schall Photography

Taiwan a foodie’s potential heaven

Years ago, on my first trip to this wonderful island, I was introduced to how Taiwanese do night markets. I fell in love instantly. There is something irresistibly attractive to me about street fairs that center mostly on offering you an intricate panoply of foods to gorge yourself on. They are also colorful, teaming with life, and a dream for a photographer. There is always something going on, some person or act of cooking to snap a moment off. During the peak hours, everyone is so busy that they hardly notice you and you can get some incredible candid shots.

It is my good fortune that I now go regularly to Taiwan, at least once or twice a year, so I get ample chance to explore the night markets around the country. Nearly every village, town, and city has at least one such food mecca. Larger cities sprout multiple markets every day. So, there is no shortage of stalls for me to sample each time I am there.

Photo by Robert Schall Photography

I hope to inspire you

So, as I digitally leaf through these photos, basking in my memories, I thought I could share a few more images that are currently not on my website with you, my readers, and hopefully they also spart some memories to come up to the surface for you to relish. Maybe some of you have even been to similar night markets and will recall your own experiences. Or maybe I can just inspire you to go out and find some delicious foods to build new memories with. Myself, I am already counting down the days until I go back to Taiwan and can sink my teeth into delightful treats that await me there.

Thank you for visiting my website and taking the time to read my blog, I will be trying to post a new blog weekly.