Angles For Your Food Pictures - Experiment!

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I have been lazy and unwell over the weekend. Well, mostly Sunday. So meals over this weekend were mostly comfort food, like dal chawal - the everyday yummy yellow dal recipe that I use and use and use again atleast once a week. I also made pepper rasam, lots of it, and it was so good for my sore throat.

After making the yellow dal for our dal chawal on Sunday, I realized that I have never posted the recipe here. In fact, quite a few of my friends, especially those who are abroad, have emailed me asking for basic yellow dal recipe or dal-chawal recipe. It just seemed too simple to post here but I now I know better.

I don't know why I went yada-yada over the recipe so much because I am not going to post it now :D I just wanted to share the pictures I took of the dish and the various angles I tried.

Ok so, first, I transferred the dal to two of my white bowls. I was a bit eager to use my napkin papers from Ikea so I took out the bright blue ones thinking they would make a good combination with the yellow of the dal.

Blegh. How boring is that? Really!

*Rotates the napkin to try a different angle*

still, very meh. Whatever. The dal looks dull in this one. Not excited at all.

Looks like the napkin has to go. Sigh..

Its definitely an improvement but what's that bright shot of light from the top left doing in the picture?

*Walks over and closes the window*

*tap tap tap*

Two bowls of dal feels like an overkill. After all its a simple dish so why not go for a simple look?

Hmmm..

Just one bowl, overhead shot, no colours or fancy napkins, nice and comforting, just like the dal. What say?

Hmm.. naah! Too boring. I have done a zillion shots like this, I need more in the picture. Something's missing!

Last chance with both bowls. Different angle this time and maybe I can blur off the bowl in the background later.

YUCK! No! Two bowls is not an option. Discard idea. Dis-caaaaaaard!!!

*tap tap tap*

Ah! The messy look! I haven't experimented much with this. How about that? Messy dal! Everyday yellow dal that's also messy!

Like so.

Hmmm.. not bad. I do like it but don't feel like this is it. Since I tried the messy look, how about also giving the 'holier-than-though' look a shot?

*Quickly licks spoon*

Yumm. Good thing I have another bowl of dal ready.

*Switches bowls, messy for non-messy*

Ah.. that's nice too. Simple and neat and nice. A little unhappy with the glaring light on the spoon. Quite pleased with the 'licking job' though ;)

Ok hold on! What about the 'bowl-in-bowl' look? Ahh! That could look good too.

*Rushes to clean the bowl that featured in the messy-look picture*

*Click*

Oooh, nice. Quite classy. The shadows are not too bad. Should I fit in the spoon there? Hmm.. nah! This looks fine. This could work.

*Smiles*

But wait, what about the same thing on my wooden sticks coaster?

Even better! This one wins. Congrats buddy, you get to go on the post. And maybe even to Click - Wood if nothing else works. This would be a lame entry but what the heck! Am feeling adventurous ;)

Which pic(s) did you like, if any?

Do you try out different angles, backgrounds and set ups too? If not, what's stopping you? Go on, play!

I also have one exercise for you guys. Here's what you need to do:

1. I want you all to pick 5 of your most favourite food blogs, especially the ones you admire for their photography. Make sure you pick food blogs and not food photography blogs.

2. Go to their oldest set of posts, using their archives link or something. The longer they have been blogging, the better this would work.

3. Look at their first few pictures and be amazed. Be prepared for some serious jaw-drops, in most cases.

Moral of the exercise: We all start somewhere. Its okay to take so-so pics initially as long as you have the interest and the determination to learn. Some take their pics and recipes and templates to the next level in a few weeks' time, some take months and a few, even years. There is no right time or too much time, its all decided by you.

PS: If any of you take a look at my old pics, you'd be quite amazed too :) Not that I am spectacular now, but trust me, you will see a lot of difference!

PPS: I need some ideas for posts in the photography series. Otherwise you are going to be bombarded with posts like this one. Consider yourselves warned!

Click HERE for the initial posts in the series.

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