Food photography makes Chennai salivate

Anita Kamaraj, a city-based photographer, is one such expert at making hundreds of people drool over the food shots she captures and shares on social media. Scrolling through her social media accounts is sure to work up one’s appetite in no time.

“I try to give a feel of what goes into the dish in the background. I make use of props like cutlery, jute cloth, etc., and also throw around spices that go into the dish — like chillies and black pepper. I would also look at what would look pleasing to the eyes. For example, a whole tomato wouldn’t look as appetising in a picture compared to a sliced up tomato that has been charred,” elaborates Anita, who has clicked food shots for about 80 restaurants in Chennai. The young photographer has also freelanced with restaurants in Bengaluru and Mumbai over the past few years that she has been capturing food.

Her enticing food pictures are captured entirely in natural light. “I always look for a window at the restaurant and click close to that. I don’t like to artificially edit the pictures and make technical calibrations. For anyone who wants to capture food, I think it is very important to have a clear idea of the visual one’s looking to click,” she says. With most of the restaurants she works with having common dishes, like biriyani, Anita says she uses different crockery, lighting and backdrop to make the pictures appear differentand appealing.

“I want people to feel hungry looking at my pictures. If someone tells me that they ordered a certain food item after viewing my shots, it is the biggest compliment I can receive,” remarks the self-taught photographer.