Occupational Hazard

Occupational Hazard aims to raise awareness of the significant waste generated by the contemporary photography industry. By juxtaposing aesthetically polished food photographs with props crafted entirely from discarded photography materials—such as plastic packaging, cables, camera straps, and bubble wrap—the project exposes the environmental toll hidden behind the industry's pursuit of visual perfection. Each "dish" is a carefully constructed forgery, revealing how both the food photography industry and the wider digital photography world rely on unsustainable practices to create their flawless imagery.

The inclusion of crude oil in each photograph further emphasizes the direct link between these disposable materials and their origins in fossil fuels, pointing to the deeper environmental implications of this cycle of consumption. Occupational Hazard challenges viewers to confront the unseen waste that props up the photography industry and to reconsider the true cost of the visual culture that celebrates perfection at the expense of sustainability. Through these staged yet unsettling compositions, the project critiques the wastefulness and artificiality that often goes unnoticed in both industries.