Prawn Salsa by Avi Chatterjee

Prawn Salsa captures a vibrant, refreshing culinary composition featuring grilled prawns paired with the tropical sweetness of mango, kiwi, and coconut, accented by delicate pumpkin dumplings. The photographer meticulously arranged these elements to highlight the dish's textures and colors, utilizing a narrow aperture to ensure every detail remains sharp and inviting. This image succeeds as an award-winning piece through its clean, balanced composition and the deliberate play of light, which elevates a simple dinner dish into a sophisticated visual experience that celebrates the artistry of food presentation.

Prawn Salsa by Avi Chatterjee
Canon 5D Mark IIII with EF 100mm f/2.8L | Exposure 1/125sec @ f/14 | ISO 100 | Focal Length 100mm
Copyright Β© Avi Chatterjee
Light & Composition Photo of the Day

Avi Chatterjee

REGISTERED PHOTOGRAPHER

Born in Kolkata, India, Avi Chatterjee is a Dubai-based photographer who transitioned from a career in electrical engineering to professional photography. Inspired by his wife, a painter, he established his studio, Time Machine Works, to pursue his passion for macro, wedding, food, and product photography. His work reflects a technical precision honed through his engineering background, combined with a growing artistic vision that seeks to capture the beauty in both everyday moments and professional culinary displays.

Profile View Full Profile
11.4/20
RESONANCE
SCORE
108/500
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SUBMISSION
Award Reach | Reviews
17,975 views | 6 Reviews
Award Winner Photo of the Day
Award Date February 1, 2014
65.0
AWARD SCORE
Value 12.0
Clarity 12.0
Composition 17.0
Style 12.0
Skill 12.0
Photograph Location
Dubai Marina, The United Arab Emirates

AWARD SEGMENT | TAGS

Avi Chatterjee Photography
Food Photography

Resonance Score Breakdown

Transparency in Award Scoring

Transparency Note: The resonance score (11.4/20) is calculated based on social engagement metrics collected before the award announcement.

Social Shares
5.0/5 points
1,452/1,000 Social Share
Page Views
5.0/5 points
17,975/2,500 Page View
Reviews
0.3/5 points
6/100 Review
Submissions
1.1/5 points
108/500 Submission
Jury Score: 65.0/80
Resonance Score: 11.4/20
Total Award Score: 76.4/100

Expert Photography Reviews · 6

Amara Diallo Portrait, Human Story & Narrative Portraiture Expert Review
We look at these prawns and mangoes, and we aren't just seeing a meal; we’re seeing a conversation between the sea and the sun. Avi listened to the ingredients before he framed them. He’s captured the quiet dignity of a dish that knows its own worth. It’s vibrant, yes, but there’s a stillness here that moves me. I’d sit at this table for hours, just to hear what the coconut and kiwi have to say.
Lena Brandstrom Macro Photography, Optics & the Science of the Seen Expert Review
At f/14, Chatterjee pushes the EF 100mm toward its diffraction limit, yet the focal plane remains remarkably crisp across the prawn’s fibrous texture. It’s a calculated risk that pays off; the light hitting the mango’s translucent edges reveals a cellular structure the naked eye simply misses. I’m genuinely moved by how the optics resolve the coconut’s fine grain against the dumplings. It’s a clinical, beautiful dissection of color that makes me crave the dish’s very chemistry.
Eleanor Voss Composition & Visual Structure Expert Review
The frame’s geometry relies on the circular repetition of the prawns against the rigid, linear placement of the mango cubes. It’s a calculated grid. The depth of field at f/14 forces a relentless clarity that refuses to soften the edges. I’m genuinely irritated by the lack of negative space, yet the spatial tension holds. The composition doesn’t collapse under the weight of the garnish. It’s a clinical, balanced architecture that barely survives its own density.
Sophie Delacroix Emotional Narrative, Viewer Response & Psychological Impact Expert Review
Before the eye identifies the prawns, a sudden, sharp brightness hits the back of my throat. It’s a visceral, salivary response to the acidity of that mango. The composition is so clinical it almost hurts, yet there’s a strange, cooling stillness here. I’ve returned to this frame three times today; it doesn’t feed me, but it triggers a phantom hunger that lingers long after I’ve looked away. It’s a beautiful, icy, calculated ache.
James Rokeby Camera Craft & Technical Execution Expert Review
1/125sec at f/14, ISO 100, 100mm. Stopping down to f/14 on a macro lens is a calculated risk. It’s a sharp, clinical choice that keeps the prawns and kiwi in focus, though it risks diffraction. I’ve seen enough soft food shots to appreciate the discipline here. It’s technically sound, even if the lighting feels a bit flat. It doesn't excite me, but it’s a precise execution of a very rigid, functional plan.
Clara Whitfield Award Criteria, Legacy & What Makes an Image Endure Expert Review
Of the thousands of food shots I’ve reviewed, most are merely appetizing. This one survives because the f/14 aperture forces a clinical, almost architectural precision onto the prawns and kiwi. It’s not just dinner; it’s a study in geometry. I’ll admit, the vibrant acidity of that mango makes me genuinely hungry, even a decade later. It avoids the usual soft-focus cliches, proving that when you treat a plate like a landscape, the composition actually lasts.
Reflections on this Photograph
By Margaret Holt

The Architecture of a Meal

In the quiet hours of the afternoon, when the kitchen has been scrubbed clean and the steam has long since vanished from the windows, there remains a lingering sense of what we have consumed.

Read the reflection →
By Sven Lindqvist

The Weight of Sustenance

We eat to forget the cold. There is a ritual in the preparation, a quiet geometry of ingredients placed upon a plate. It is a temporary architecture.

Read the reflection →

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