Meet Taha Ahmed, a 22-year old Karachi based business student with a knack for food photography.

Armed with truckloads of creativity and a phone camera, Taha creates breath-taking food photos out of regular ingredients without relying on an expensive DSLR, flashy gears and big setup.

With little to no formal education on photography or concept creation, Taha uses a cellphone camera to use food photography as a tool to visualize different moods and atmospheres, evoking an emotional response.

“My inspiration could be anything that is wild and free, mostly in nature. I like things that look organic. I love combining city and nature shots in my gallery. My goal is to find beauty in trivial things”, says Taha while speaking to MangoBaaz.

“In Pakistan, the circle of food photographers is very scarce as people have trivialized the trade. My personal goal is to break this stereotype and gain as much as possible by commercializing the trade.” 

The beauty in food photography lies in the way light is being used.

Many of these photographs are rich and vibrant.

Making food look hot and inviting is the “skill that pays the bills”, so to speak.

Taha is currently working as the art director for “A Wardrobe Affair”, a fashion and lifestyle blog.

He also works with different brands to create captivating pictures.

Talking about international food photographers he looks up to, Taha named a few,

“I’m inspired by a handful of photographers. They have all taught me great things. Some of my favorites are Elizabeth Kirby (@localmilk), Linda Lomelino (@linda_lomelino), and Marta Greber. Those are photographers/bloggers whose work I strive for. They always amaze me and inspire me to be better. They are true artists and masters of our craft.”

He is terribly fond of the creative world and aims to lead his own creative agency one day.

Sharing a funny behind-the-scenes story, he talked about the one time shit got too real.

“I mostly take my shots on the terrace because what can be better than natural day light, am I right? An annoying pigeon has always been my nemesis. One day, I arranged the backdrop, props and food, everything was almost done. I needed to get some more stuff before taking the final shot and when I returned, the little buddy had spoiled my whole setup. It was full of shit! Haha… It was a little funny but super annoying and gross!”

For all those who want to delve into photography, Taha has a special message

“Contrary to popular belief, photography is less about the camera more about the visual perception and thought process. Your camera is just a tool, and it’s the last thing you have to worry about. It doesn’t make you more creative, or talented; but it helps you share your art with the world. If you’re original and remain focused, you are good to go.”

You can follow Taha Ahmed’s work here.