I am often asked,
“How do you get such good pictures of food?!”
The answer is:
I don’t know! I just see it and take a picture. My eye sees a great angle or the light is just right and I have to snap a photo.
I am self taught and at this stage of the game still learning! I will share what equipment I use, where I find props and my favorite editing tools. If you have questions, please ask! If I don’t have the answer, I will find out and we can learn together. Sound good?
Oh, and some of the links I’m providing are affiliate links-if you decide to use or purchase through these links, a small amount of dough is added to the coffee fund. Thank you!
Equipment:
I’ve had to be very frugal when it comes to equipment, so I have Macgyver’ed many a photo shoot.
Cameras:
For a lot of my photos, I use an iPhone 5s. I dream of upgrading to a 6, but for now, this works just fine. This means I have a camera on my person at all times, so I can get a shot anywhere. The tricky part is lighting-especially in restaurants. *Window seat please*
NO. 1 RULE= NO FLASH!
Canon Rebel T3i : This is my “big girl camera” and I love it. I have used the kit lens (18mm-35 macro) up until a few months ago. I added a (100mm-55 zoom) by happenstance — it was left behind by a college student and the landlord had it in the dumpster. This is a gorgeous lens and takes beautiful photos.
Wish list: I am coveting this lens: Canon EF 50mm f/1.2 L USM Lens Fixed & EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM, I cannot wait to save enough for them.
I am adding this camera to the list too: Samsung NX500 mirrorless camera-From what I’ve seen on the web, this little camera takes phenomenal photos and is compact — which I like.
Props:
I find a lot of my props at garage sales or Target. The $1.00 section has great finds for backdrops, bowls or plates.
Craft Store: I use craft poster board for my plain backdrops. I have 3 white and 1 black. They are only a few dollars each and work great.
I know, chocolate and pumpkin, right? Here’s the recipe for you: Best Pumpkin Truffles
Scrapbook Paper: I stock up on scrapbook paper every chance I can get. When doing close-ups, it can’t be beat. For .10 cents a sheet, you can have an instant burlap background! See? This is a piece of paper!
Strawberry Rhubarb Muffins, Mmmm…mmm!
Lightbox: I did try to save some money and made my first box out of a left over wine box and tissue paper. It did the job, but was a huge pain to store.
It worked great for this recipe shoot:
I eventually broke down and grabbed a kit on Amazon- and I am thrilled with it. It comes with 4 different colored drapes, lighting and the best part is that it folds completely flat and stores perfectly next to my prop cabinet.
This is the one I purchased: LimoStudio Photography Table Top Photo Light Tent Kit, 16″ Photo Light Box, 5500K 600 Lumen LED Lighting Kit, Camera Tripod & Cell Phone Holder, AGG1066
Editing:
You can be the BEST photographer in the world, but you will still have to edit your photos. Whether you need to resize them or just add a bit more light or balance to your image, you will be editing. Everyone has their favorite software, but for me, I keep it super easy and super simple.
The only one I use is PicMonkey. Yep, that’s right. Every picture you see on the blog has run through that little site and I’ve been really happy with it so far. They offer a free version and a paid option. I went ahead and paid because I wanted the versatility that came with a subscription (more gadgets!) and less ads flashing. PicMonkey: photo editing made of win!
These are my tips so far- as I learn more, I will definitely share.
Again, have a question? Please ask! You can email me at eatpicks@gmail.com
*I have included affiliate links to the products I’ve highlighted. If you purchase through these links, a small commission is added to the coffee fund, so I thank you!
