A Learning Curve

One night as I was about to retire to bed, my daughter called and wanted to discuss a bread recipe that we had baked together and was blogged about. While suggesting to her to halve the recipe and talking about it, we both opened the blog on our respective machines and laughed out so loud looking at the picture of the bread - some odd angles, no “set up” so to speak and one loaf where the crust had torn off a bit. The recipe was from a well received blogger, so I am sure the bread must have turned out well and I confidently wrote a blog. Ah, if only the picture did justice!

 

For the next twenty minutes, we kept opening a few of my earlier posts and were commenting on the photographs and content. By God, what ever was I thinking! When I was aware that some people out there were taking great pictures even with their mobile devices, I had a good camera and just did not know how to handle it? I have been shooting in auto mode and still poorly focused photographs, over correction with picasa are all so evident. 

My daughter once set me benchmarks saying that she will accept and credit me if ever I show the quality as few other bloggers. She has not given her verdict yet and it is over three years. That is indication enough where I stand.

I had, without qualms, attached badly focused photos like this one.

Some wrong angles thinking it looked cool. In this picture all you see is a chunky slice of potato and not the bread. How would anyone make out if the bread had turned out soft as I had claimed?

The food is your hero in the picture, but there was nothing but the dish in many.

  In some pictures, the food looks like a small prop, and the furniture and the windows more important?

Speaking of props... oh dear, they were simply arranged to cover the frame. I did not realise that they were so distracting. 
Too much food in one frame, and a crammed post at that. Whoever would patiently read so many recipes?

I also realise, things do improve with patience and practice. If my picture is not to my satisfaction I thrash them, the recipe does not make its appearance until it has a picture worthy to share. I take help from those numerous photographs that appear on Pintest, Flickr and such sites. They help me look at my dish with someone else's perspective. I mentally tally my idea with what I see in those and then work. Attending the food photography workshop that Aparna conducted was a good idea. I see areas I need to improve. Last year's Indian Food Bloggers Meet in August had two sessions on photography. They taught me how to compose, what to focus, what to mute and more.

Looking back at these old pictures, my learning curve is quite evident to us. I still need improving and lack perfection, yet I keep clicking, discarding or sharing. Now, I am more aware of the quality of my photos, keeping a keener eye on tasteful framing, composition, light etc.

It takes just a little learning to get to near good pictures if not truly amazing. I learn a little bit every day with each blog post I read, and each set of photographs I look at. Looking back at old work was eye opening, to say the least and provided a good laugh for the day!

This is not a recipe post, but I needed to ramble off a bit and have a hearty laugh along with you.