A love letter to Sri Lanka
This series is a visual love letter to Sri Lanka as experienced through food, light, and human connection.
It is inspired not by restaurants or recipes alone, but by eating with locals, meals cooked slowly, generously, and without performance. The imagery feels lived-in, instinctive, and deeply sensory, echoing the way food is prepared and shared in homes rather than styled for spectacle.
Creative vision behind this personal project
The story unfolds from ingredient to plate: raw spices, leaves, grains, textures then culminates in a humble bowl of king prawn curry, served as it would be eaten, not styled beyond recognition. Each frame feels like a memory: warm, imperfect, intimate.
Visual Mood & Aesthetic
Tone: Warm, earthy, cinematic
Palette: Burnt amber, terracotta, clove brown, cinnamon bark, turmeric gold, muted greens
Light: Soft directional light, reminiscent of late afternoon or candlelit interiors; gentle fall-off, deep shadows
Mood: Quiet, grounding
Key inspiration: Spice markets at dusk, wooden tables, hands passing bowls, the smell of curry leaves hitting hot oil
Hero Dish Direction
Sri Lankan King Prawn Curry:
Shot overhead and at gentle angles to emphasise generosity and warmth.Curry leaves remain whole and visible, prawns intact with shells where possible, rice served simply.
Lime, spice bowls, and whole cinnamon sticks act as quiet companions, not decoration.
The dish should feel like it has just been set down for someone you care about.
Emotional Intent
The viewer should feel:
Invited, not impressed
Grounded, not overwhelmed
This is food as connection, food as memory, food as a bridge between cultures.
Composition & styling
Ingredients as Portraits:
Macro and close-up studies of cinnamon bark, cardamom pods, cloves, red rice, curry leaves, treated with the same respect as people or landscapes. Each ingredient should feel tactile and alive.
Negative Space:
Allow breathing room. Let the ingredients shine - imperfection and asymmetry are welcomed.
Surface & Props:
Textured stone, worn ceramics, raw wood, linen cloths. No modern shine. Nothing that feels imported or styled for trend.
Food Styling Philosophy:
Minimal intervention. The curry should look eaten, not posed; prawns nestled naturally, oil glistening subtly, rice imperfectly spooned.
Post-processing & Finish
Warm highlights, soft contrast
Muted saturation with rich mid-tones
Gentle blue/ aqua in the shadows
The final images should feel timeless, as though they could have been made ten years ago, or ten years from now.
Let’s work together
Whether it’s recipe creation, food photography, or a blog + Instagram partnership, I’d love to hear more about what you had in mind! Read how working with me looks like HERE & let’s get in touch.
For partnership opportunities, please reach out directly to suze@gourmetglow.co.uk