In 2018, I had the pleasure of working in a little Indian street food café in the Grainger Market in Newcastle, run by Ravi and Rachel Cabral, a lovely couple passionate about South Indian cuisine and vegan cooking.
They were updating their website, which at the time featured blurry phone photos and generic Indian food stock images. I couldn’t bear for them to stay with such poor visuals! So I decided to organise a photoshoot for them. This was before I had my studio and was working with just some basic umbrella lighting, so I had to get quite creative.
Lacking colourful backdrops, I made my own by painting cardboard, drawing inspiration from the vibrant interiors of Snackwallah, using colours like oranges, pinks, yellows, along with rich blues and greens, accented with a touch of gold. I sourced the cardboard from the corner shop nearby, a tip for fellow creatives: if you need cardboard, the corner shop often has plenty available for free! It took about a week to paint and prepare the backdrops, and then the day arrived.
Rachel and Ravi brought along a wonderful selection of props, decorations, dried beans, and ingredients like curries, samosas, wraps, and various dishes, including Samosa Chaat, Pani Puri, and little bowls for serving.
Working with limited equipment, I prepared everything in my spare room on a table by the window. I had to arrange the items carefully and use a ladder to shoot from different angles, ensuring the composition was just right. I imagine neighbours walking past might have wondered what was going on with a girl standing on a ladder photographing colourful food!
Food photography works surprisingly well with natural light, and I love how the textures and colours complement each other. Many assume food photography is quick and easy, but in reality, it often involves hours of meticulously placing objects, checking through the viewfinder, and making small adjustments. Climbing ladders can be mildly nerve-wracking too, I recently watched a YouTube video about an adjustable-height table, which looked like quite a luxury in comparison!