A LOT OF ROOM FOR EXPERIMENTATION

WHILE EATING THE DELICIOUS FOOD SERVED ON YOUR TABLE IS EASY, MAKING IT LOOK GOOD IS A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT STORY. ALL THE BEAUTIFUL PICTURES OF THE SCRUMPTIOUS FOOD THAT ATTRACTS YOU TO IT, THERE IS A TIRELESS TEAM WORKING BEHIND THE SCENES MAKING IT LOOK THAT WAY WITH INTERESTING TIPS AND TRICKS UP THEIR SLEEVE. IN THIS MONTH’S ISSUE WE SPEAK TO ISABELLA CASSINI ABOUT FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY, HER PASSION FOR PHOTOGRAPHING FOOD AND MORE.

- BHAVYA DESAI

How did food photography happen? Have you always had an interest for food?

Well yes, I’ve always been hungry.

I do love food, but initially that’s not what motivated me to start photographing it. When I began developing my portfolio, food photography was not what it is today - there weren’t nearly as many people doing it commercially. But the photographers I knew who were shooting food were doing stunning things with it, nothing like what I had seen before.

Food seemed to lend itself to both the fine art and commercial worlds. So I wanted to be able to make a living as a photographer, but not have to completely sacrifice my art. And because it was a largely untouched niche, I felt there was so much I could do with it that hadn’t been done before. A lot of room for experimentation.

What are the most important things to take note of in food photography?

No matter what subject you’re photographing there are elements that separate a great photo from a bad one. Lighting, storytelling, the decisive moment - as coined by Henri Cartier Bresson, composition of your subject. Whether you’re in the studio or out on the streets.