A
lan Epstein had been in Chicago just a year in 2016 when he started What
Was Breakfast (@whatwasbreakfast), the Instagram feed dedicated to what
its subjects had for breakfast. When he’s not taking photos, Epstein, 37,
is a server at the Cherry Circle Room, where he began the project. What Was
Breakfast begs comparison to Humans of New York, but Epstein doesn’t ask
the same soul-baring-some critics have said saccharine-questions as HONY
(“What is your greatest struggle right now?,” “Who is the most influential
person in your life?”). His ambition is simpler: He asks you about your
morning meal and takes your picture as you answer. “I’d like to be the Bill
Cunningham of breakfast,” he says.
How has What Was Breakfast changed since you started?
What I really do, I just wander fairly aimlessly. I like to know what
direction I’m going, but I’m not tied to any particular streets. I wait
until somebody catches my attention. I can’t dictate where that happens, I
just try to catch that. I don’t really move anybody; the most that I might
do is just walk around you, to make sure I’m on the right side of the
light. But the things that I look for are some person that is interesting
in some way, and then I just try to not mess up the shot. v
