“Any great photographer needs to have passion for their subject.”
I was born and raised in Chinatown of Bangkok, Thailand. Surrounded by culinary wonders, my earliest memories of food were formed around my grandfather’s restaurant in Bangkok. Those experiences created my bond with food which is forever sealed. Other experiences came through my passion for photography, which was started at 11 years old. That was when I got my first film camera, a gift from my father, and I have been taking photographs ever since.
After graduating and working in photography for 8 years in Chiangmai and Bangkok, I moved to Seattle in 1999. I have been working in the food industry for over 10 years now in the US. Throughout my serving and cooking career, I continue my passion for photography. Over the past decade, I continuously push myself to capture the most alluring aspects of the inspired food creations of my own as well as other chefs. I found my true occupation when I combined my passions for food and photography.
The balance between light, subject and composition is essential to any great photograph. A food culinary image has to possess something extra. It has to motivate an emotional response and push the viewer towards a specific call to action. Even though I know the audience can’t taste, smell or feel it, the visual impact should be so powerful that it can stand on its own. It can compensate for the absence of other sensory inputs.
I also love to travel and transform my journeys to visual forms. My images are influenced by stories of my experiences. I travel as much as I can. A photographer on foot must always be ready for changes. The bizarre changes in scenery or changes in atmosphere must be confronted despite one’s uneasiness and disbelief. I believe that each culture has its own story.
I am not only a culinary photographer, but also a chef and a culinary stylist as I capture images into frames through my artistic eyes.
So please sit back, relax, and allow me to share my vision with you. Enjoy!
Sutthisak Saksrisanguan
