The Living Canvas: Part 1-Ambrosia

Capturing the senses at full attention, stimulated purely by the visual ambrosia. Its gets the gastric juices going and it's difficult to suppress the urge to rush out and satisfy that primal urge. That’s what successful food photography aims to do.

Many elements contribute to effective, beautiful food photography- the recipe, the styling, the props, and without doubt, the quality of the food itself.

I got into food photography inspired by my dear friend R, a passionate and dedicated chef who managers two exquisite restaurants in Bali. His resume spans the globe and many renowned and top culinary establishments and hotels. Who better to be inspired by than by someone who lives and eats the good life!

Working with the chef begins with detailed discussions over the dishes to be featured. Each shot is painstakingly designed, prepared and shot. Every ingredient’s colour and texture is given special attention. Props including flatware, tableware and contextual decorations are matched and chosen. The timing from the kitchen to photo shooting is planned as food tends to melt, sweat, wilt, dry out, shrink, discolour or sag, so timing is of the essence. On occasion, a dish may have to be cooked up again, and maybe again, when the ingredients are less stable in form. Creative techniques may be applied to help overcome this problem but most of my shots are done with basic techniques.

The dish is painstakingly composed, sometimes building ingredient by ingredient, to look random and perfect. The perfect unblemished garnish is selected and some creative techniques applied- oil might be brushed on meat for that bursting-with-flavour gloss. The result should cause a spontaneous and unstoppable reaction!!

One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating. ~Luciano Pavarotti and William Wright, Pavarotti, My Own Story

(Not much chance of stopping the shoot to eat!!! So much of temptation to endure!)