Anna Maria is the person behind the food blog When you're hungry and you know it and today she talks of her journey and shares advice on the use of color in food photography. Discover her recipes on her blog and Instagram!
Hi Anna, thanks for accepting this interview! First thing first, can you introduce yourself briefly and tell us what you do?
Hi, my name is Doina Ion but I go by Anna Maria.
I am Romanian, currently living in London, UK and before that I was living in Hamburg, Germany.
I develop, cook and photograph all food at When you're hungry and you know it.
Make sure all the colours in your photo work well together and do not overpower or distract from the hero subject.
©Anna Maria Ion
The blog is in its early stages, but my aim is to share the tastiest healthy recipes for people with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and people with food intolerances.
I know how difficult it is to figure out what is safe to eat when you have loads of food sensitivities, so I created this blog as a way to share the most delicious recipes I’ve tried and loved. I do not like to restrict myself to a particular country or region's cuisine and will instead try anything at least once.
What do you like most about food photography?
The thing I like most about food photography is that it's a journey of discovery.
I have done an online course in composition and have devoured books on the same subject, but am mostly self taught when it comes to using my Nikon camera, lights, props and all the other things needed to do a good and sometimes great shot.
© Anna Maria Ion
I find it extremely rewarding to be able to discover my personal style and let it evolve, to be able to experiment, to have those wonderful aha! moments and many other things that come with such a vast subject.
And the best part is the learning and experimenting never ends!
What are your favorite subjects to shoot and why?
I can't say I have a favourite subject, or subjects for that matter.
I am currently going through a list of things I'd like to prepare and photograph and I like to focus more on styling and storytelling.
Each new dish, ingredient or process needs a different approach, lights, props, colour palette, etc. There is no right and wrong, but it can be a very fun challenge!
Which part do you enjoy most in a shooting?
I like styling most.
Then, tied for second spot, are shooting and research, plus shopping.
Shooting can be a lot of fun, especially when freezing motion. I get to be a kid again, tossing, spilling and throwing things around and just making a general mess!
Research and shopping go hand in hand in my opinion, you can't have great results without some research, great produce and tools to work with.
Did I mention shopping is fun? :- )
For me, your current style could be described as rich and colourful, with a touch of rustic, vintage and nature. Would this be a good way to define it?
My style is continuously evolving, but at the moment I do enjoy giving my shots a chocolate-box village vibe, with all the modern amenities, if that makes sense!
A bit of comfort, a bit of colour and hopefully a lot of character!
How do you incorporate color in your creative process? Are you intentional about it?
Good use of colour is very important in food photography and together with light and texture will add interest to any photo.
I use colour schemes when I plan out a shoot and the first ones that pops to my mind are split complementary and triadic colours.
Some great other options are monochrome and analogous colours. The colour shade and intensity and whether I'm using warm or cool colours also matters.
As a rule of thumb, your hero should be the brightest, most colourful, sharpest thing in the shot, you don't want your props to take center stage.
As a rule of thumb, your hero [subject] should be the brightest, most colourful, sharpest thing in the shot, you don't want your props to take center stage.
© Anna Maria Ion
What tips do you have in order to enhance food photography through color?
A couple pieces of advice to enhance your photography is to get familiar with using a colour wheel.
Also, don't overcook your ingredients to keep most of the texture and colour, use blanching instead where possible. Make sure all the colours in your photo work well together and do not overpower, or distract from the hero.
Avoid organizing elements in neat little groups, all lined up, as this will look staged, instead embrace a bit of chaos.
Avoid shiny and textureless backgrounds and props.
© Anna Maria Ion
Do you sometimes hear that little voice inside and feel the pressure to post more often on social media?
I prefer to post photos I'm proud of instead of just for the sake of posting. Anything you put more thought and time into it will produce better results. Forcing yourself to do something never ends well.
Furthermore, taking occasional breaks from Instagram helps me reset and refocus.
And finally, do you have a french dish that you love. Would it make a great topic to shoot?
Some of my favourite French dishes are crepes, galettes and french toast, all of which can be made gluten free and topped with low FODMAP *(IBS friendly) ingredients. They most definitely make for great photo shoot subjects.
Thank you so much Anna!
*fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols, which are short-chain carbohydrates (sugars) that the small intestine absorbs poorly.
© Anna Maria Ion