Q: What led you to take on the subject of competitive eating?

Years earlier I had photographed the iconic Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest, which takes place on the Fourth of July each year in Coney Island, New York. I found it both hilarious and a bit horrifying, so I thought there may be more to do on this particular subculture of competitive consumption.

Q: What did you need to consider when planning your shoot and how long were you on the road for?

I researched various competitions, looking for a good mix between professional competitive eaters and amateurs, as each affords different options and has their own vibe to them. I also realised that I needed to consider the colour of the food, since I was looking for close-ups and didn't want everything to be just one colour or texture. I went to several locations in the New York area, and also one in Florida. It took me a few months, on and off.

Q: How did you choose which competitions to shoot?

I chose the locations based on the type of food that was being eaten and whether I could get close enough, since the shoot needed me to have a face fill a frame with a 180mm lens. I also used a lighting assistant for off-camera strobes.

Q: What was the biggest challenge for you on this project?

Not to laugh so hard that I couldn’t press the shutter. And the speed of the competition – it was all over in a few minutes.

Q: What was the most surprising aspect of this shoot?

I imagined it one way, but after the first shoot I realised that the pictures could be deeply symbolic and emotional in ways I hadn’t imagined. When someone comes up for air in between bites, you have this look of simultaneous suffocation and desire which kind of sums up our culture. I also didn't realise that of course it's a competition against players, so there would be these shots of victory and defeat.

Q: Is there a single image that stands out for you?

I really like the woman with the blueberry pie. The shot makes it look almost like a religious experience. I love it when pictures reveal something I hadn’t imagined or maybe even seen in the moment. That’s the magic of photography, right?

Q: What’s the issue that you wanted to highlight with this project?

That we're consuming ourselves to the point of suffocation and for some reason we see this as entertaining.

Q: Which camera and lenses did you use and why?

I shot with the D800E, which was the camera I was using at the time. It had the best file size and quality, in my opinion. I used the older 180mm manual focus lens because I didn’t have a 70-200mm zoom and I needed a long lens. Plus, when I was shooting in the analogue days, I really loved this lens.

Q: How do you want readers to feel when they view these images?

Intrigued, attracted, reflective and a tiny bit repulsed.

Q: Is there a realisation or call to action you’d like to spark in those who see this story?

Definitely not a call to action as in go and join eating competitions or boycott eating contests! Really, I hope the pictures reveal something deeper about societies that are rich enough to use food in this way, and what it means to stuff oneself – not just with food, but with consumer goods, since consumption is both praised in our culture, but in the end it is doing us in.

Q: What advice would you give to an aspiring photojournalist taking on a similar project?

Have fun and find your own visual approach.

Q: Given the chance to shoot this subject again, is there anything you’d do differently?

On reflection, I’d have liked to have shot a few slow-motion videos.