CLICK: Saffron – An Ancient Spice

Saffron (03) by MeetaK 

Saffron, a regal and ancient spice dating back more than 3500 years and spanning several cultures. It has always been one of the world’s most costly spice.

Saffron is my current Food Guide feature, and I hope you enjoy reading more about this incredibly precious spice.

Click this month has paired up with the Monthly Mingle and is being hosted over at Jugalbandi. With the theme Heirloom both Bee and Jai asked for a challenging entry to both events. But as I decided on submitting my grandmother’s Saffron Rice Pudding, I knew straight away that saffron was to be my click of choice.

I like this picture a lot as it highlights the different shades of the saffron. I focused in on the mould of saffron giving a sharpness to mostly the spice and leaving the front and back of the photo out of focus. With this I hoped to draw in the attention to the spice itself. I liked the contrasts of the grey-blue backgrounds against the reds and oranges of the saffron. I also wanted to play around with the different textures; of the background, of the rock and of the saffron threads all three seemingly intermingling with each other.  A simple shot but hopefully it brings out the depth I was hoping to achieve.

Details

  • Camera: Nikon D70s
  • Lens: Nikkor 18-70mm
  • Tripod: Bilora 1211
  • Focal Length: 70 mm
  • Exposure Time: 1/60 sec
  • Aperture: f/4.5
  • Lighting: Lowel Ego lights – one from right and one lighting the back. White bounce in the front to light up some dark patches in the front.

 

Hope you like it too.


All photographs and written content on What's For Lunch, Honey? © 2006-2009 Meeta Khurana unless otherwise indicated. | All rights reserved | Please Ask First

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28 comments:

  1. I love the contrasts in the slate and the saffron.

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  2. The colour combination in the shot is the winner

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  3. I think it's a gorgeous shot Meeta. The DOF really works well here to put the entire focus on the safron and the colors work well together too. Very pretty!

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  4. A beautiful photo with nice contrast Meeta :)

    All the best!

    Gera

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  5. Stunning Meeta! Love the textures you have used for your shot...def makes the saffron look regal!

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  6. Beautiful shot!! I like the slate as the background, the colors are beautiful together!

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  7. That is one heap of expensive spice you have got there.

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  8. The simplier, the better! Great picture... the Queen of the spices :D

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  9. Wonderful shot. Makes me want to reach out and grab a shot and grab a pinch of the spice, with which to make something. I look forward to seeing your Saffron Rice Pudding entry.

    Paz

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  10. Meeta, this site has been more than I had hoped for. Your photos are stunning, your information educational and your "ramblings" enjoyable. Thank you!

    Food made with saffron usually goes well with wine - the spice and the flavor are perfect for this. (My hubby found a good wine review site - I'll add the link to my name, so click it if you want to see about what wines are perfect for saffron).

    You'll be on my blogroll for a long long time! Thanks Meeta!

    -Rose

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  11. Gorgeous click as usual. Is that slate that you've placed it on?

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  12. I came back to see this picture of saffron very many times after you posted the Kheer, & was wondering why you did not mention anything about the click.. i had taken it for granted that this would be it:-) Then I saw the kheer picture in the gallery. Meeta, what kind of stone is that saffron on? Love the gray & that old time feel.. almost reminded me of the grinding stone back in India.

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  13. wonderful picture, meeta... i love saffron and have recently found our that they now grow it in Austria, too! I have yet to try it - and it might be even more expensive than from, say, Spain. But when i feel a little patriotic, i might give it a try!

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  14. wonderful picture, meeta... i love saffron and have recently found our that they now grow it in Austria, too! I have yet to try it - and it might be even more expensive than from, say, Spain. But when i feel a little patriotic, i might give it a try!

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  15. Gorgeous photo (of course, all of your photos are gorgeous - you put such careful thought into all of them). I love saffron, the flavor and fragrance are so subtle, yet complex. In your Saffron Rice Pudding, the saffron plays so well against the sweet, creamy rice, the nuts, and the raisins. Yum.

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  16. thank you all so much! yes that is slate that i have used as a background.

    johanna - saffron from austria - would you laugh if i said THAT sounds exotic!! LOL!

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  17. Lovely, lovely. Saffron must be the most intriguing, mysterious of spices.

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  18. Gorgeous photograph, colors are amazing! I adore saffron. Having just whipped up some saffron aioli, I am considering myself an addict. Yum.

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  19. Gorgeous pic Meeta and that too on the stone. Beautiful. I thought Monthly Mingle was to end at month's end and had a post for it but sorry I am late :(

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  20. Meeta, I love this photo. the saffron truly stands out from the blue/grey background. Superb shot.

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  21. Wow, what a great photo! I love the excitedment of using saffron as it's not that often I use it!

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Thank you for visiting What's For Lunch, Honey? and taking time to browse through my recipes, listen to my ramblings and enjoy my photographs. I appreciate all your comments, feedback and input. I will answer your questions to my best knowledge and respond to your comments as soon as possible.

In the meantime I hope you enjoy your stay here and that I was able to make this an experience for your senses.

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Meeta