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.