Chiiz Volume 21 Mountain Photography | Page 26

Tomato Ketchup Canon 5D Mark III 50mm F/10 1/3 ISO160 Q. You are a photographer who also dabbles in motion pictures. Which of the both are you more inclined towards and why? A. I would say I am more inclined to stop motion. It’s enormously thought-provoking and gives me a chance to invent and use my imagination in so many ways. The static object on the screen gives me a very enchanted and stimulating feeling. Q. You go through a lot of prep work behind the scenes before the actual shoot. Can you let us in on your process? A. So, to begin with, stop motion is basically a series of pictures which when played creates a sequence of animations. Before shooting stop-motion, I need to be very clear about the theme, ideation and the follow of the animatics. Creating a storyboard helps me in getting a clearer picture of my theme, post which, I create the props and models or food art and then decide their motion. The key to getting perfect stop motion is keeping the camera and equipment stable to avoid judder. To conclude, some color correction and frame by frame arrangement is needed to create the final video animation. If you can add some quirky sound in the background, it can create more drama for the clip and work as the icing on the cake. Q. How is food styling important in your photography, from a creative standpoint? A. Food styling is an art, it plays a very vital role in photography. The right composition of the food can create a stunning visual. Food styling comes with its own set of challenges, so it’s not just about positioning the food, it’s also about knowing the sustenance. From selecting appropriate veggies to apt crockery-props and choosing a correct background and composing the relevant elements, all is needed to create an appealing visual. 26 FEATURE Brinjal Splash Canon 5D Mark III 50mm F/5.6 1/160 ISO100 Q. What are your major takeaways from photographing food professionally and how does that affect your relationship with your clients? A. The major takeaway for me while photographing food is that I get to learn new things every day, be it interesting facts about food or innovative ways of styling, there is always an opportunity to learn and explore. I look at food styling as a piece of art and handle it that way. Hence it works in my favor, as the clients nowadays are continually looking for ground-breaking concepts and stop motion is an exceptional concept that entices them. Shreya Bhattacharya [email protected] A mass communication student trying to reach out the world through books. Shreya strongly feels that keeping a positive attitude in life can make everything possible. She is a quiet girl with a big smile on her face, ready to conquer the world.