Before we talk cameras, let’s talk kitchens. I’ve always been fascinated by the difference between how recipes are passed down in Indian households versus Western ones. Growing up, I never saw a single handwritten recipe from my mom or grandma. Meanwhile, many of my American friends have recipe books passed on for generations! Whenever I asked my mom or cousins why we didn’t document recipes, the answer was always vague. Turns out — they never measured anything!

👉 “Just eyeball it.”

👉 “Taste as you go.”

👉 “You’ll know when it’s ready.”

Except, of course, when making food for God. Then, no tasting allowed. 🙏

One thing stood out:

Indian recipes: Often have 10+ ingredients

Western recipes: Typically use 5 or fewer

What that means is simple — in Indian cooking, if one spice is off, it likely won’t ruin the dish. Moreover, there’s room to adjust as you go.

And that’s where the photography connection clicked for me.

In photography, your image depends on just three settings:

🕒 Shutter Speed – controls motion (freeze or blur)

🌸 Aperture – controls depth of field (blurry or sharp background)

🔆 ISO – controls brightness (especially in low light)

So unlike Indian recipes, there’s no hiding if one setting is off! You only have three “ingredients” — and they each matter a lot.

No — it depends on what you’re shooting! Let’s take two of my favorite genres:

🐅 Wildlife Photography & 💃 Dance & Event Photography

They share a similar goal:

Wait for the perfect moment Freeze the action That makes Shutter Speed the most critical. Start with 1/1000 sec — enough to freeze most motion.

Then: 🔓 Open the aperture wide (lowest f-number available)

🤖 Set ISO to Auto — today’s cameras + editing software handle noise well Boom

— you’re now in Manual Mode (M). That’s it. You’ve moved beyond Auto.

1️⃣ Exposure Compensation

Even with good metering (Matrix/Evaluative), you may find: Your subject is too bright (like a white egret) Your camera underexposes it Use the Exposure Compensation dial to adjust. Intent is to use the power of ETTR (Expose To The Right!)

Want help?

Turn on: 🦓 Zebra lines – blinking highlights mean overexposure

📊 Histogram – shift it to the right, but don’t let it hit the wall

🎯 Why? Overexposed areas lose detail — and you can’t recover blown highlights!

Use subject tracking (most modern cameras do a decent job!) — it’s amazing:
Your camera can now detect birds, animals, and people

Use Wide/Zone AF for general tracking Switch to Single Point AF if the scene is cluttered

Practice switching quickly between focus modes and adjusting exposure. That muscle memory helps you never miss the shot!

Start with 1/1000 sec

Still blurry? Go to 1/2000 sec

Shooting a duck takeoff or hummingbird in flight? Try 1/4000 sec

If Indian cooking is forgiving because of its complexity, photography is demanding because of its simplicity. With just three tools — shutter, aperture, ISO — you’re in charge of crafting an image that tells a story.

Get the basics right, and the rest is just masala ✨

Photography isn’t just about the shot — it’s about noticing the nuances, the moments in between.

If you love discovering meaning in motion and storytelling through stills, you’re in the right place.

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