Arva Ahmed: I Live in a Frying pan

Food blogger profile: Arva Ahmed

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Name: Arva Ahmed

Blog: I Live in a Frying pan

Camera: Canon 50D "My camera and equipment has evolved over time into the basics I need to do on-the-go, quick and efficient restaurant photography."

Dream kit: "Myself, with vastly improved photo skills. I've been astonished with results that pro photographers can get out of the most basic cameras and lenses."

The importance of photos on a food blog: "They play a big, big role. I will not blog about an experience if I don't have photos, or in the worst case, I'll doodle something to make up for the lack of photos. Food is a sensory experience, and when a reader is interacting with your blog, they don't get to taste, smell or touch the food. So as a blogger, I aspire to stimulate at least the sense of sight, by using photos to build a strong visual connection to the food I'm describing.

Views on taking photos in restaurants: While I am the first to take my camera out at restaurants, I am also the first to admit that it's thoroughly disruptive to the dining experience (unless you've been invited for a PR/media event, in which case the rules are different). I try to take a few, quick shots upfront, seated in my own chair and not hopping about the table, avoid moving the dishes around too much, and then discretely keep the camera away, unless there's a really compelling photo opportunity that crops up mid-meal. If you're ruining the meal for your companions or the diners around you—I'm sure I've been guilty of doing that myself all too often—then you know you're doing something wrong.