Now that I think back about how I ventured into food photography, I have to credit Monica from Gourmet Club for it. I can’t seem to remember how I was put into contact with her, but I went with her to my first shoot, and till date I still vividly picture the scene of Sebastiens @ Bukit Timah. That was when i first met Chef Paul, and had no idea he was pretty famous in the industry at that time.

Going to the first shoot was nerve-wreaking. I had never shot food before and heck, I hadn’t even shot much with my camera back then. Equipped with nothing but my D50, 50mm, and a tripod, (and some last minute research from Google) I went into that restaurant on a cloudy day. Bad lighting. Never mind, I have the sun outdoor light. No I don’t. Ok maybe they can turn up the ambient lights or something. Didn’t work.

I was more freaked out about getting a good picture rather than enjoy the feast presented.

The photos turned out ok-ish for a first-time but there was definitely more room for improvement. This was when I realised that this could be a niche that I can carve for myself. There are too many people doing fashion, events, weddings – and they are all extremely good in their own fields. Here I was as a newbie looking to invest his time in something worthy.

Of course as I shot more food in time to come I’ve learned to appreciate what I’m shooting more, and really try to understand what goes on behind the cooking, and what goes through the chef’s mind when coming up with the dish. All these opportunities came because I started shooting voluntarily for the school magazine – of which I would probably be stoned by many of the mainstream photographers out there for not shooting for a remuneration. My school of though lies in having the opportunity to increase in my portfolio. I was willing to shoot anything related to food. If I didn’t had the chances to shoot food, I would never have had the opportunity to go freelance and shoot for income. Everyone has to start somewhere.

I’m always learning, and I guess it’s always good that I pick up some new knowledge per shoot, so that I’ll be better prepared for the next.

Keep Shooting.