Abhishek Khanna, a self-taught Food Stylist and Food Photographer based in Gurgaon, India, who has redefined his career path after a 15-year journey through various corporate roles. As a Canon EOS Influencer, Abhishek excels in Food, Product, Conceptual and Table Top photography.
What started as a hobby in late 2016 quickly turned into his passion which led him to leave his corporate profile to pursue the art of photography. Today he works with some of the leading and top food brands and restaurants in the country.
When did you start your journey as a Photographer & Food Stylist?
In 2016 I left 16 years of my corporate profile to take a break for a while, it was in February 2017 I began my journey into the world of photography and styling. Initially I took up all sorts of assignments, even events and corporate shoots, the idea was to click as much as I can and learn.
Abhishek Khanna evolution of digital technology has impacted the way food styling and commercial photography are approached today compared to when you started your career?
Food photography today has evolved to more than just a close up shot of the dish, with social media in play and increasing competition for visibility, shots today are done in more of a conceptual format.
The idea behind is to have a bit of storytelling whtheir content on digital platforms, the images need to be more than just closeups, shots can be about storytelling, showcasing the ambience of the place, human element in the shot, etc. The idea behind all these images is to make a compelling visual that makes the target audience visit or order from the place, it builds a better visual connect. They are not just limited to a print menu today.
Also, the frequency of shoots from a restaurant business perspective has increased due to social media, brands continue to launch new dishes more frequently compared to earlier when one would do a shoot for a print menu probably once in 1 or 2 years.
In your view, what are the key Elements that differentiate a compelling food photograph from one that is merely aesthetically pleasing?
Lighting plays a major role when it comes to creating compelling food photographs. How you light the subject or the scene can really bring out the best or the worst of the dish in focus. The photograph should be able to bring out the texture and character of the dish, for e.g. capturing the dew drops on a cold drink, making the oiled part of the dish glisten, allowing the glaze on a cake to shine and stand out, etc.
I also believe in attention to detail. If something in my shot is placed in a particular way then there is a considerable thought or various number of tries that have gone into it to make it appear the way it does. Its position, its direction, its angle is not random.
I also pay a lot of attention to how the food looks in the image, whether it is neatly prepared, not overdone, in good shape and not breaking apart, looks juicy and fresh, etc. For me it is a combination of all the minutest details in the image that contribute towards making the image more compelling as a whole.
Given your extensive experience across various domains before transitioning to photography, how do you integrate your knowledge of design and operations into your current work?
My past experience in these fields has helped me a lot. My sense of aesthetics and design plus attention to detail can be seen in the work that I do. When I am working my mind is constantly thinking of how to make what’s in front of me look better and make sense at the same time.
My experience with design helps me to visualise colour combinations, the crockery I chose, the concept I want to build, better in order to make the best of what I am shooting. With a lot of previous roles in the operations domain, the experience has helped in streamlining my work. As a commercial artist, creating just good art is not enough, one should also be able to sell it.
My prior experience has helped me market my profile better to my prospective clients. Being a commercial photographer is not just doing good photography, but also managing things in the back end such as communicating with the client, the whole experience the client gets on the day of the shoot while working with you, logistics, having a smooth payment flow, sticking to your commitments and be able to handle post delivery services, my past experience has helped me streamline all of these.
How do you approach storytelling through food photography, and what role does conceptualization play in creating a narrative within your images?
First it is important to understand what the client may have in mind, lot of times they dont know what they want, as an expert it is my role to probe them, ask relevant questions such as who is their target audience, whether they are a dine in or a delivery outlet, where will the images be used, whether they want to portray themselves with a traditional look or a modern approach.
Depending on the understanding that I build from the answers to these questions, I choose my approach. Sometimes it can be only table top shots with a play of ingredients, sometimes I will even bring in the ambience of a place say if its a dine in as it will add to building a visual connect with their diners, the choice of crockery that I want to bring in also impact the overall look and feel of the place, bringing in specific props or colours to highlight the cuisine of the place, etc. Keeping these in mind, the conceptualization of the shots happen.
With your recognition in multiple international awards, how do you maintain innovation and creativity in your work to stand out in a highly competitive field?
I keep on experimenting, I try to change and play around with the lighting quite often. Often I spend time observing my old images and try to decode what works in the image and what does not, what could have been done better or differently, so that the next time I am shooting I can incorporate the learnings.
I also invest in various props, backdrops, and crockery from time to time, the idea is to try to create a different visual every time as shooting similar dishes for similar places can end up looking the same. Whenever I am shooting, I keep telling myself that this shoot needs to be better than the previous one.
Only when we push ourselves to be better each time, can we improve and progress. Always remember your only competition is you and your previous work, push yourself to outdo yourself. By merely doing what others are doing, you will always remain a step behind them.
