We were lucky to catch up with Manju Narmada Ulaganathan recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Manju Narmada thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?

Ten years ago, I barely knew how to cook. But then out of necessity and being away from home, I started learning how to cook and fell in love with it. I loved making curries. One thing led to another and there was a sudden spark of interest in learning to photograph what I cooked. So when the time came to name my food photography brand , my social media handle and my blog – I wanted to have the word ‘curry’ in it. Also, curry was the one single thing I would make every single day and hence the word ‘often’ came in to the name.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am Manju. I am a south Indian transplant currently living in Los Angeles with my family. From a young age, I had a deep passion for the arts, which stayed with me as I pursued my professional career as an engineer. My journey into the world of food photography began with a simple desire to recreate and enjoy the home-cooked meals I missed while living away from home. However, as I got better with my cooking skills, I wanted to photograph my recipes for the social media. One thing led to another and I was completely hooked to food photography.
I had an old nikon camera with me and started learning how to photograph from Youtube Tutorials. After, I gained the confidence to shoot food images, I also invested in a bunch of online food photography courses to further improve my skills.
Today, I help restaurants and brands take great quality pictures of food for their social media and websites. My photographs present their dishes in the most appealing way, helping them to attract more customers and followers.
In addition, I also have a food blog featuring simple, flavorful, home-cooked meals that showcase culinary inspirations from my country and around the world.
I am incredibly proud of the positive impact my work has had on my clients. Seeing restaurants and brands thrive with the help of my photography is immensely rewarding. On a personal level, hearing from parents who have successfully incorporated my recipes into their children’s diets brings me great joy.
For those interested in my food photography services, know that I am committed to creating images that make your dishes shine. My goal is to help you showcase your culinary creations in the best possible light, attracting more customers and enhancing your brand’s presence online. For my blog followers, I want you to know that my recipes are crafted with love and care, aimed at making healthy eating a delightful experience for everyone in the family. Whether you’re looking for inspiration in the kitchen or professional-quality food photography, I am here to help you achieve your goals.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

Being a creative, especially in food photography, comes with its own set of challenges that non-creatives might not fully understand:

It’s an Expensive Hobby: Getting into food photography isn’t cheap. You need a DSLR camera to start with. At first, you can manage with natural light, but if you want to step up your game and use artificial light, you face two big challenges. First, the cost of the equipment can be pretty high. Second, learning how to use all that gear can be daunting. If you’re someone who learns best through structured courses, that’s another expense, and those courses can be time-consuming too.

Editing is a Must: Once you’ve taken your photos, you have to edit them, which means learning how to use software like Lightroom or Capture One. This step is crucial to making your photos look professional.

Social Media Algorithms: Building an online presence means understanding the ever-changing social media algorithms. It’s like a puzzle that keeps changing, and you have to stay on top of it to keep your audience engaged.

Content Creation and SEO: Creating recipes, photographing them, and then blogging about them involves more than just cooking and snapping pictures. You need to learn about SEO (search engine optimization) to get your content noticed. Honestly, before I started, I didn’t even know what SEO was.

Marketing and Business: On top of all that, you have to market your work and build your business. This part is a whole different beast, requiring strategic planning and consistent effort.

These are just some of the hurdles I’ve faced on my journey. It’s a lot of work, but seeing the results and knowing that people enjoy what I create makes it all worthwhile.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding part of being a creative for me is all the appreciation I get from friends and family. There’s nothing like hearing that they love what I’ve created and seeing their genuine excitement.
Then there’s the deep sense of fulfillment I get when I receive positive and appreciative comments on my blog. Knowing that my work resonates with others and adds value to their lives is incredibly satisfying.
Ultimately, it’s about nourishing my creative spirit. Every recipe I develop, every photo I take, and every blog post I write feeds my passion and creativity, making the whole journey worthwhile.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://oftencurry.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oftencurry/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/manju-narmada-ulaganathan-03b48a293/

Image Credits

Manju Narmada U @oftencurry