FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY

[rev_slider alias=”portfolio”] All of the photography on this site is original unless otherwise noted.  If you’d like to license one of my photos, please contact me at scott@seattlefoodgeek.com.

Photography Tips for Food Bloggers

I’ve still got plenty to learn about food photography, but over the past few years, I’ve discovered tips and techniques that helped propel my photography forward.  Here are some great resources:

  1. Behind the Scenes with Modernist Cuisine’s Food Photographer – Part 1: Getting the Shot
  2. Behind the Scenes with Modernist Cuisine’s Food Photographer – Part 2: Photoshop Magic
  3. Light is the most important part of food photography.
  4. A DSLR is the best money you can spend to advance your photography.  If a DSLR is not in the budget, spend time to learn how to use the controls on your point-and-shoot camera.  If your camera supports it, try shooting in Aperture mode (A) with the lowest f/ number (ex. f/3.8, f/5.6).  Also, try using your camera’s macro mode (often symbolized with a flower) for close shots.
  5. Never use the flash that’s built in to your camera.  Direct flash makes photos that look like driver’s license pictures.  Learn how to bounce your flash for better lighting in any situation.
  6. Consider investing in a monolight flash, like the AlienBees B800.  A powerful, off-camera flash like this allows you to achieve dramatic lighting with extremely fast shutter times.  This means that you can shoot handheld, which makes for quicker setups and faster exploration of shooting angles.
  7. If you’re frequently shooting on-the-go, consider using an on-camera speedlight that allows you to point the flash in any direction.  These flashes are available for both Nikon and Canon.
  8. If you’re shooting at home and want a warm, inviting look to your photos, seek out natural, indirect light, such as a North-facing window.
  9. If you’re shooting in low light conditions, whenever possible, use a tripod.  If you don’t have the budget or space for a full-sized tripod, try out a gorillapod or something similar.

 Current Photography Equipment

In case you’re wondering what I use for most of my photography, here’s the list.