Q. What are you trying to capture when you take your food photos? A. I want to capture more than the food. Of course food is the real star in my images but I want to highlight the mood and atmosphere around the food too. Give the viewer the feeling he/she were actually a part of the image and experiencing the food with some of their senses. The tagline for my blog is "experience your sense" and I try to achieve that partly with the images I present. Therefore it is important that I capture texture, color, style, mood and atmosphere so the viewer can really experience their senses.
Q. Can you explain a little about your thought process when you’re getting ready to shoot? A. I begin thinking about the shot while I am cooking or baking the dish. I look at the color and texture of the food or ingredients and think about the atmosphere and mood I would like to translate to my shot. This helps me think about the styling, props and background. While taking the actual shot I always look through the "eye" of the camera to see that what I had envisaged for my shot is really being realized.
Q. You’ve been blogging on “What’s for lunch, Honey?” since 2006! How has it been for you these past 4.5 years? A. What started out as a basic way to digitalized a few family recipes has turned into a passionate hobby. I am freelancing as a writer, photographer and stylist, something I would never have imagined 4 years ago. I am also presenting at conferences and universities on the subject of photography now and really am enjoying this channel immensely. I've learnt so much in the past 4.5 years and the way to where I am today has been the most precious experience. I know my HTML from my CSS, I know about props, styling and backgrounds, I know how to write and develop recipes, I am bolder and more daring in my baking. My blog has evolved me so much and I've seriously enjoyed most of it.
Q. Anything in the past 4.5 years stood out for you as the BEST thing that happened to you because of your blog? A. Many of the things I described above. Of course while I've been doing this thing I love so much I've also been recognized by various media and awards. There have been a lot of great job opportunities that have also come around due to the blog. I cannot say there has been ONE best thing but certainly several over the past 4.5 years. Q. I read the interview you did for Learn Food Photography and Food Styling. In the interview you said that your “styling is unconventional and sometimes break the conventional rules to capture the perfect shot.” Have you always been unconventional or did it evolve over the years? A. I think it's basically due to the fact I've taught myself everything I know about photography and styling that I "dare" to break the rule. I've always think outside of the box and so why not with my styling and photography? I go out of my comfort zone because it's fun to experiment and try new things. I like varying my style and working with different methods and never get stuck in one box. It's not me!
All photos courtesy of Meeta Khurana Wolff from What's For Lunch, Honey?
