You Got Served: Farley Elliott

 

As you can see we've switched things up on Box 003, with a gentlemanly comparison of style. To make things even more interesting, we've invited Los Angeles food writer and man about town, Farley Elliott (is there a better name in gastronomy?), to step into the mystery box ring and dazzle us with his humor and unusual styling techniques.

This is definitely a new kind of activity for Farley, known best for his knowledge of the LA food scene and witty commentary on publications such as Serious Eats, LA Weekly & Eater LA...oh, did we mention we have him on twitter speed dial for any occasion we might find ourselves hungry in a new neighborhood? Yeah, he's a nosh-know-it-all.

But what about his styling game? Let's just say this session still has us surprised what can be accomplished with one box of donuts and a self timing photo app.

You got served...by Farley Elliott.

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The Rules:

~Subject must choose and work with at least two items and one textile from the mystery box

~Location and surface area up to the discretion of the subject

~One additional textile, prop, and food/botanicals can be selected from the subject’s private collection

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Do you have a routine or game plan when it comes to styling with props for your photos? 

I mostly shoot on the fly, using my iPhone 5s and the VSCO app. Because I'm eating at and experiencing so many different places all the time, the variables of lighting, plating and location can make for unexpected challenges. Mostly, I look for interesting colors, crisp images and that all-important composition that really pushes a photo of half-eaten sandwiches into "food porn" territory.

Image: Farley Elliott

What's your Serving Style? Brand new/on trend, unique vintage originals, particular colors?  

Does being on trend mean wearing the same pair of dirty Converse sneakers every day until they fall apart? If so, I'm that. Otherwise, I'm usually just looking to style any shots I take with a few things in mind, composition, clarity and color. Strong looks (the more vibrant the better) and things that really pop. I tend not to fall for the vintage, slightly pale and muted aesthetic.

Do you have a favorite piece in your collection? What's the story behind it?

Probably my stone pestle and mortar. For the cooking videos I occasionally dabble in, it usually makes an appearance as a home for some bright green guacamole, or a place to grind and mix up a batch of seasonings. Plus it looks really heavy and old school, which, for normal folks, means "hard to work with" and "very impressive."

Self Portrait: Farley Elliott

If you could get a hold of any item for your kitchen or tabletop, what do you currently have your eye on?  

Either a home smoker or a Vitamix blender. The Vitamix is for making sauces and those days when I want to kid myself by making a healthy smoothie. The smoker because it represents my true self: a guy who wants to put lots and lots of slow-smoked meat in his face.

If you could express your personal style in 3 emojis, what would they be?

What I think my style is: 

What other people think my style is: 

What my style really is:  

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Could it be!? The "You Got Served" Selfie is the new hot styling trend?! Regardless, it's definitely a first...and we find Farley absolutely hysterical. This kind of out of the box thinking and angle on donuts as an art form is unique and definitely one of a kind, just like Mr. Elliott himself. We thank you sir for tackling this challenge with as much grace as possible, especially with fingers completely covered in chocolate icing.

Try to keep up with Farley's food adventures around Los Angeles on his crave-inducing instagram feed (feed as in literally, wow there's a lot of eating happening) and keep tabs on his writing around town and all over the internet on twitter.

Also...he may or may not be partially responsible for those tiny hamsters eating tiny burritos...or at least the tiny burrito part of it.

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Want more "You Got Served"? Check out Nathan Hazard and his Tiki inspired approach to styling this box.

Be sure to catch up on the full series over here! And more from box 003 next week!