MARY ANN BIEHL (Williston Park, New York)

Menu Moments by Mary Ann Biehl, 2016, digital photography

The "decisive moment," as described by photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson, “is the simultaneous recognition, in a fraction of a second, of the significance of an event.” Like most of us, I have attempted to capture special moments through my photography. However, I have come to appreciate the daily, seemingly ordinary visual moments, which through the advent of smartphone technology, are readily captured.


Menu Moments captures a series of personal food choices focusing on the cycle of repetition. Unexpected themes emerge through the lens of these typical food selfies, a concept rarely considered until smartphone technology and social media became ever present in our lives. Initially meant to lightheartedly record a special occasion or unique meal, the food selfies collectively reveal more serious issues of personal choices, some healthy, more often not. Might reflection on these “menu moments” prompt a change of eating habits for the better? I hope so. Wish me luck.