Food blogging & Being content

“Wow, so you must be having like a fancy studio & kitchen where you cook and shoot stuff noh”. This is the usual first reaction that I get from people upon first seeing my food blog.

I wish! But then, do I wish really?

I shoot with the 7 year old Nikon D7000 which my father got me as a graduation present (I had to work really hard for it – a First-Class-Honors-Degree-from-a-state-university-kind of hard) with the default 18-105mm lens that came with it. My “studio” varies according to the time of day, the light or the kind of food or drink that I shoot. It can be a little patch of grass in the garden, a small makeshift table out on the terrace, a plank leveled off on the two arms of a chair on my balcony, a coffee table in the living room or simply a cardboard box behind the kitchen where the things that we want to forget about are stored away. This is what I work with.

The only lighting I have ever worked with comes from the sun. The little jars and baubles, the knick knacks that I collect along the way certainly help.

I had no expensive courses on editing photos or videos – I learned it all by myself, after coming home from work, tired and sleepy, on weekends amidst thousand other things that require my attention, by trial and error.

I balance the food blog with a full time job, writing and studies. I need the day job to fund the food blog - simple as that.

The point is, I make do with what I have. This is what I have always done in life – make do. For better or for worse.

My policy in life is to never be indebted to anyone. I don’t believe in taking loans – I did not even own a credit card until recently and only succumbed to the bookworm in me who realized the virtues of making book purchases online. I spend only what I have, what I can afford to. And right now, this is all that I can afford – not only in terms of the financials, but also in terms of time and energy.

And am I happy? I believe I am one of the most satisfied souls on planet Earth!

Of course having that big, airy kitchen with white marble tops and ceiling to floor windows and a nice set of food photo-ideal macro lenses wouldn’t hurt ;)

Right now, at a somewhat troublesome period in my life, I take some time to look back and I see that all that I need is right here at my feet. And it helps immensely.

Makeshift Studio - This is where the below photo was shot

End result of the above

So let this be a season of thankfulness, perseverance, satisfaction and above all else, courage.

Seasons Greetings!

www.peckishme.com

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