Right. So… Two posts in one day, this is a bit unusual for me. My lighting equipment has really got me all excited. I wanted to cook so I could have a subject to test it with. So for dinner, I made cajun chicken burger with mango salsa and sweet potato wedges. Minimal prep, but full of flavours and really hits the spot. You can find the recipes at the end of the post. But for now, let’s tackle some issues on lighting and photography.

I’m by no means an expert and still have lots to learn and improve on, but here are a few things I’ve learned so far:

This photo was taken with a speedlite in a softbox coming from the right. Now, I’m not saying it’s an excellent photo, it’s just to demonstrate some lighting techniques (although part of me likes this image as it has a sort of mood to it). Anyway, using a softbox diffuses the light and as a result, you get softer shadows.

But you probably noticed that the photo is quite dark, I brought the light source a bit closer this time round, but still needed to fill in the shadows on the left-hand side. You can use a reflector to some effect, but here I’ve used another speedlite with a reflective umbrella.

And why does the focal point occupy such a small area of the image? We don’t need to see so much of the tablecloth. We should move in a bit more.

Okay, so we’ve moved in. But the shot is bog standard. The plate of food looks dull. Don’t be afraid to move in even closer and really crop into the subject.

That’s a bit better. Try different angles to see what works best.

How bout one where you can see more of the burger’s contents? I like this, I think it’s a shot that whets your appetite, but the background, although blurred, is a bit distracting.

So I shot it again, this time making sure there wasn’t anything behind the burger.

Another tip, for both food photography and general cooking – colour. I have this random memory of my elder sister being really picky with food and stressing that food should be colourful. But she was right, colours can really help breathe life into your food and help whet the apetite.

Okay, now onto the recipes, which serves 4. Best to start with the salsa first and leave it to chill in the fridge, while you move on to the sweet potatoes and then finish off with the chicken.

Mango and coriander salsa

1 large mango (perfectly ripe)
1 medium red onion
1 red chilli
1 small bunch of coriander
lime juice (to taste)
salt and pepper

Dice the mango into 1cm chunks. Finely chop the onion, chilli and coriander and season with salt, pepper and lime juice to taste. Leave in the fridge for at least half an hour, to allow the flavours to be absorbed, or overnight if you can.

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Spiced sweet potato wedges

4 sweet potatoes
2 tbsp of olive oil
1 tbsp paprika
freshly grated nutmeg
salt and pepper

Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Cut the sweet potatoes into wedges. In a large, shallow roasting tin, toss the potatoes with the olive oil, paprika, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Roast for 25-30 mins, turning once or twice, until tender and crisp.

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Cajun chicken burger

4 skinless chicken breasts
2 tbsp olive oil
4 ciabatta rolls, split
some rocket leaves
mayonnaise, to serve (optional)
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp paprika
salt and pepper

Mix the ground cumin, ground coriander and paprika together with a good grinding of black pepper and a sprinkling of salt, then set aside in a large dish. On a board, flatten out the chicken slightly, then drizzle half the oil over and toss in the seasoning until completely coated. Heat the remaining oil in a griddle pan, and cook the chicken for 5 mins on each side until firm.

Half and toast the ciabatta rolls and spread them with mayonnaise if you want. Next, layer with some rocket leaves and the mango salsa that was made earlier. Finish off with the chicken breast and top off with the bun, served with the sweet potatoes.

Happy cooking.