Brunch, as seen through the lens

Last week, the Indiana Photographic Society photo club challenged each of its members to take a photograph during a breakfast in the next week and bring it to the next meeting. It was left to the members to decide what they wanted the picture to depict.

I didn't understand the challenge fully initially; it was relayed to me by email because I missed the meeting at which it was assigned. On first read, I thought we were being asked to photo document a breakfast, which would entail taking a series of photos. But no, it turns out, after carefully re-reading the email just a little while ago -- after I'd taken my pictures -- apparently just one photo is needed. And so, because I took more photos than I needed to, I felt it would be a shame for the images to go to waste. And Photo Potpourri readers win because of it!

I think the series of pictures would have made just as interesting of an essay, but this was my challenge: I normally don't eat breakfkast. I'm up early enough in the morning, and yes, I've long known of the admonition touting breakfast as the most important meal of the day (actually, I think that might be true for younger folks, who need -- and expend -- the fuel provided by a top-o'-the-morning meal; but for the older generation?).

But as it turned out, I had a brunch date Sunday with a group of people (a meal I left quickly, incidentally, to ensure I could arrive in time for the play rehearsal responsible for yesterday's post), and I figured this would be the ideal occasion to complete the club's assignment. And you readers "win" because while club members will see just one, representative photo, I'm going to lay out my full series for you here. In fact, if you'd like to chime in and vote for a picture here that you feel is most representative of the series -- the one I should take to the club for Wednesday evening's meeting -- I'd appreciate the input. I'm not sure just yet which one it should be, but I do know it will not be the one of me pretending to be bloated at the end of the meal. That one was way too obvious, and I will be very surprised if someone else in the club doesn't think to do something like that. Don't want to beat a dead horse idea, you know.

I lead off the post with a view of my meal after a few bites of the Belgian waffle, topped with strawberries, maple syrup and some butter. The fork and knife were included to document that I'm civilized and don't use my hands to eat (kidding ... I really do). The rest of the photos, below, will be presented in chronological order, beginning with the arrival of water and coffee.

Above and below: Water is served and coffee quickly follows. The eyes belong to a couple of fellow diners. I liked the composition below, even though I didn't use sweeteners in coffee.

Above and below: In the pursuit of accuracy in chronology, the server delivered this dish first, before the waffle. 

Above and below: My Belgian waffle, with strawberry topping, and single side dish, bacon, which came with the waffle, as they were served. 

Above and below: I clued in fellow diners about what I was doing, so a few sitting near me allowed me to photograph their plates as they arrived. Both of these meals are Eggs Benedict with Canadian bacon. The diner above asked for a side dish of stoned ground corn creamy grits; the one below, the fruit medley.

Above: A late-arriving fellow diner who ordered a pomegranate mimosa received the beverage right about the time the rest of us were getting our meals.

Above and below: My waffle after applying the syrup, and the empty syrup receptacle. I initially was going to pass on using the butter, but had a change of heart and put it on at the end. Hence, the photo at the top of this post.

Above: My cup runnething low.

Above: A fellow diner also ordered the Belgian waffle, but chose a walnut topping.

Above: The aftermath of a fellow diner's order of Florentine, a concoction of baked eggs, spinach and Fleur de la Terre cheese.

Above and below: I'd almost finished my waffle, and on the home stretch of the bacon.

Above: This is 21st-century America; where would we be without our cellphones? And no, these were not provided by the eatery as "extras" with the silverware and napkin.

Above: Leftovers from one of the Eggs Benedict meals is package for take home. 

Above: My coffee mug and water receptacle, and a peek at the diner across from me. I wanted the mug to be the focus, but the Canon PowerShot G12 I used for this shoot cannot focus on objects that close, so by default, the water receptacle became the focus of the image.

Above: Here's the photo you do NOT vote for. It was posed, the lens' wide angle distorts the features, and I swear someone else doctored this to make me look far more bloated than I really was before I could get my hands on it.