Idli..

What's for breakfast? This is the first thing that comes to my mind when I open my eyes in the morning. Still not completely awake, wanting to spend a little more time curled up, my routine-following brain whispers to me telling me to leave the comfort of my bed while the lazy side of me wants to relax a little bit more to enjoy the warmth of the bed . Then finally the alarm beeps and I have no option but to get up. And again it strikes me, what's for breakfast?

How do I plan my food shots...

Many a times I have been asked how do I plan my food shots and about the technical details of the shots. Before I talk about these,  I must confess that I have no training in photography. I have always loved the idea of taking pictures, as pictures are the only way to freeze a moment forever. My first inspiration is my father.
Baba had a Konica film SLR camera. He used to take it out for special occasions and during our annual travels. I used to nag to let him give the camera to me so I can take pictures just like him. Those were days when there were only analog cameras,  there was no way to check the image or delete an image once you have taken it. Good or bad you have to take it. And you would only come to know whether it's good or bad after you develop the films,  both buying and developing the film was quite costly. Still Baba used to let me hold his camera. He used to prompt me how should I check the metering through the view finder before I click, and I still remember how he used to warn me not to touch the circular knob to adjust ISO. 'Keep to 100, do not move it', that used his strict instruction. And now when I show him a night shot using my Nikon which permits an ISO high as 12800, he nods his head with surprise.

With the new age digital photography, it has now become so easy to take a picture, everybody can take a picture. Even my 5 year old niece is taking pictures with her mother's phone. You click, you check, if you do not like it delete it, click again, things are so simple.

My Soba noodle bowl and passion of photography...

This post is going to be a bit different than my other posts. This will be more about my passion for food photography than the usual recipe posts I share. Don't worry, there is a recipe at the end,but I would like to call this one 'The monologue of a self taught food photographer'.

For last few weeks I was planning to add some movement, action and human touch to my food photos. But planning and execution are two different things, specially for a self taught photographer like me.

Whatever knowledge I have gathered about food photography is because of my food blog. During the course of shooting the food I cook, I have managed to understand and learn different aspects of food photography and there is so much yet to learn.

For me experimenting with the camera is the best way to learn. And I enjoy it immensely. I feel super enthusiastic about trying anything new, it gives me a rush, it is like a quest to do something I haven't done earlier.

While looking at a food photo, I  am always intrigued to get a feel of the story in it. Being a hardcore foodie and food lover, I think incorporating sense of movements like mixing the batter, or pouring sauce or holding a bowl of soup in a food photo brings out an emotion, it tells a story and that is what I love and want to share. I have shot a few like that previously, but all were very amateurish and I find them awful when I see those images now.

I am my worse critic, and I compare myself with the past me. The images I have taken earlier and now shows me it is an evolving process for a self taught food photographer. Photography in general needs planning and lots of trial. Sometimes it's frustrating but "never give up" is the mantra and above all enjoying your work is the fuel to keep on going. So I placed the camera on tripod, arranged a glass, a bottle and some orange juice and started. I tried a pouring shot. If you follow me on Instagram or like my Facebook page you have already seen the following image.

Grapes for BWW#88

This is my contribution to edition #88 of Black and White Wednesday -  A Culinary Photography Event created by Susan of The Well-Seasoned Cook, now managed by Cinzia of Cindystar, and hosted by Sreevalli of Ammaji Recipes.

This is an image of simple humble grapes, they were patiently lying on the fruit bowl. I took a shot specially for this black and white Wednesday event. The original Image I took was a color image I converted it to a black and white image using Photoshop.

On this page you can find who are hosting the current and future editions of the event.