Char Kway Teow is stir-fried ricecake strips with prawns, cockles and bean sprouts. It is a popular local hawker dish, notably from Penang. Think of it as Chinese fettuccine.
Some of the best things in life are not free nor cheap. Such as this delicious Char Kway Teow from Penang One Restaurant. But there is one thing that is still free. If you eat out in the daytime here, there is plenty of available light for food photography.
The trick is in finding the right position. Sit facing the door or window. Most people avoid it because they feel the back light may be too strong. What you want is to let the light skim the food surface and bring out its texture.
There may be a temptation to photograph a dish such as this from the top, try not to. The lower you go, the more three-dimensional the food appears. See how the bean sprouts jump out because there is depth? Let the light skim the shrimps (prawns) to make it succulent. Lai Chiak.
Olympus OM-D, ISO 640, f3.7, 1/30 sec.
