food photography settings

But before you decide to just leave, let me explain why. Watch how I shoot iPhone food photography, from the camera settings, to working with natural and artificial lights. You need to have an idea or picture in your head of what the final photograph is going to look like. Thank you for this great explanation of the trinity, it’s the best article I’ve read on this and helped my understanding enormously. The key is that whatever garnishes you choose, they must make sense within the wider context of your scene. For example, you want to raise the exposure by 1 full stop of light. Attract clients with a food photography portfolio that highlights exactly who you are as a food photographer. You need to have the look, style and a bit of a story to tell. Camera. Once you get an understanding of how exposure is achieved you’ll also understand that the settings you use to get to that exposure are entirely up to you, your taste, the look you want, the camera gear you’re using. If you don’t want to use a tripod or don’t plan on doing food photography regularly then you could get away with positioning your camera on something. Sometimes this may call for a high key or a low key lighting effect, but usually the goal is a natural, but very detailed look. So just to clarify, there are perfect food photography camera settings depending on what you want to achieve. As we’ve established, you want to be shooting at as low an ISO as possible so that you can get those crisp and clean high quality shots. You need to raise the ISO, making the camera more sensitive to the light. bear in mind that this lets in much more light, something to remember for when you’re adjusting your shutter speed. The shutter speed is an important aspect in food photography as it is what will allow you to work at lower ISOs. Sometimes understanding a concept is like pushing a bedspread through a small letterbox. I’m glad you found it helpful. Conversely, you may use a slower shutter speed when your subject isn’t in motion or when shooting in low light conditions. The assistant of the photographer prepares every element with care. When the weather is warm, you could try photographing your food outside. First up, your’re going to need a grey card, something like this will do. If you know someone who would benefit from my tips, please share the links with them, the more the merrier. Take a shot. I’ve heard people asking the same question, no matter what type of photography they’re learning. Maybe there’s a look you’re going for, but that simply means you need to come up with an exposure recipe that fits the look you want. ISO: Higher ISO’s bring a degrading to the image. A good lighting set up, results in a perfect looking image. Do you want the whole shot in focus or just the main focal point? Leave a comment belowÂ, Your email address will not be published. You often see narrower apertures used in landscape photography where the photographer wants the majority of the shot to be clear. From amateurs taking pictures of what they had for lunch to award-winning photographers celebrating a collection of cultures, food photography has us engaged. The higher the f number the deeper the depth of field will be (more in focus), the lower, the shallower (less in focus). So here’s a simple step by step process for you to follow to get the best food photography camera settings for the shot you want to achieve. The result should be a perfectly exposed image with your subject in focus and an awesome blurred background, oh and the quality should be great too. What camera settings should I use? Otherwise known as Aperture, Shutter Speed and ISO. To help you cope and improve your work in food photography, here are some tips. Anyone of the three will get you the exposure you want, but there will be a giveback from using them. Based on this scenario, two things are crucial to getting the exposure you’d like and the picture you want. I’ll be going further into detail regarding depth of field and how to achieve the look you want in another post. If you do have a moving element to your shot such as pouring cream or steam etc. Depth of field is how much of the shot is in focus at different depths. These days it's all about the camera's digital sensor. Does that make sense? It shouldn't appear artificial. All these camera settings will create the same exposure but the look will change regarding the depth of field. The ISO is a measure of how sensitive your camera’s sensor is to light. But to say that one set of camera settings is perfect for all of your food photographs would be a lie. This is important to remember when it comes to adjusting your shutter speed later on. Food Lightroom Presets Vol. There are several angles to consider. Plating your dish properly can elevate it from mundane to extraordinary. Some of my shots here are using natural window light and others using speedlites in a softbox. You take the first shot, for example, f4, 1/60, ISO 200 and the exposure is darker than you want. Soft light is usually best for food photography, so use a diffuser, scrim, or translucent fabric to diffuse the light. As always, I’d love to hear from you if you have any questions or you just want to say hi. A good camera can help you with it. The rise of social media, specifically blogs and Instagram, has catapulted many a home cook to semi-professional food blogger or food photographer status. If it’s still not the exposure you want, change the same one of the trinity until you get the exposure you want. So happy you understood this. Use black cardboard to create shadows, white cardboard or reflectors to kick in light or fill shadows. That seemed like a bit of a long post but I hope you’ve taken something from it and I was clear enough. The point is though, my settings aren’t relevant to your photography. the sun) then soften and shape that light to flatter your subject. Hey Catherine, you just made my week. Dubai, UAE. Copyright © Jonathan Thompson Photography 2018, “What camera settings to use for food photography”. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Go back to my starting point setting again (See above) but this time change one of the other settings until you get the exposure you want. The art of food photography is a precise one as well, requiring understanding of spacing, distance, color, and focus. This is more about using the dark colours of the food and its background and surroundings in combination with natural window lighting such as in the example below. Luckily with food photography, a large proportion of the photos you take can be taken with low ISOs as the food doesn’t move and so you can expose the less sensitive sensor to the light for longer. ISO!!!! Understanding that many recipes will achieve the same exposure, but the looks can vary quite a bit. Whereas in the narrower aperture shot, everything is in focus regardless of depth. JT. Ever wonder the process to get those amazing food photos? And because the shadows and light frame the … These Food Presets by FilterAtelier are specifically designed to enhance the way that food looks in any setting. RAW gives you greater flexibility in post processing and makes it easier to make any adjustments that need to be made including white balance. With this setup and assuming that there is sufficient lighting, you should have plenty of light flowing into your camera’s sensor. Shutter speed deals with how slow or fast your shutter opens and closes. As the ISO setting gets higher, the sharpness of the shot decreases. Now take a look, is it too bright or too dark? Creating your own online food photography portfolio is easy and intuitive with a dedicated food photography portfolio website builder. then you may want to use a faster shutter speed. So how do I know what camera settings to use my food photography, I hear you ask! All of which are required, in some amount, to create a photographic exposure. It … How to Edit Food Photography in Photoshop. f/1.4 and f/2 = Shallower or smaller depth of field, Higher f-numbers eg. Edit photos to look professional with these apps for food photography. Choosing a camera for food photography isn’t a quick process if you are among those photographers who are used to look through the camera’s specs before buying it. Editing food photography is important and it should be done right. You may get ⅓ of a stop from your aperture and then ⅔ of a stop from your ISO. You can always crop in and edit … Often we read things over and over, sometimes from different sources and eventually the time and explanation come into alignment and we get it. Back to the Tuscany love story. Food photography opens the door to so many possibilities, such as food blogging, Instagramming, writing e-books, product photography and more! I mention it moving because if you were to take the shot with a longer exposure and the food was moving, you’d end up with that moving food being all blurred. Neither the camera or the subject are moving. This is a really nice effect that helps your subject to pop out as you’ll have the crystal clear subject set against and blurred or bokeh backdrop. Hi folks. It would take some time to dig out the settings for each shot. The food industry is huge, so the photography of foods should be really professional and unique. Hello thanks for your article and the ‘golden nuggets’, Really glad it’s helpful Diji, thanks for stopping by. It’s also in the range of capability of most peoples camera and lens. This will vastly improve your picture quality than if you were to use a higher ISO setting. It could be as simple as… “There once was a plum call Patricia, and she had a spicy love affair with Bertie the Tahitian Vanilla Bean” The point is, before we can tell the story of Patricia and Bertie we need to know, is it a dark and fiery entwinement or is it innocent summer love and friendship in Tuscany. I hear you all shout out together 🙂. All these camera settings will create the same exposure but the look will change regarding the depth of field. : I’ve published a new post Manual Mode for Beginners that is something you should definitely check out. So you see there is no correct setting for any photograph. When the time elapsed is a second or more, it is written as 1″ or the number of seconds followed by a double prime or quotation marks. From there, you take one or two of the Yummy Trinity and fix them based on what you’re shooting, the conditions you’re shooting in and the exposure you have in your mind’s picture. So you’ll probably be using an ISO between 100 & 400. Most food photography in the marketplace right now is either using or mimicking daylight. The first step before you can even start messing with any settings is to determine what kind of shot you want to achieve. I have always craved for making good dishes and capturing them even more beautiful. See also: Food photography Tips. Be sure, you may convey not only an appetizing view of your food but also its taste and even smell. The only thing left to change is your ISO. Food photography is one of the best types of photography of all time. Have a great week ISO. I’m the same. Your goal when it comes to food photography camera settings, is to get the perfect level of exposure. I’ve learned SO so much in that time and sometimes can’t believe how far my photography has come. Food photography using your iPhone, is generally the same as with any other camera. Also the lighting that you used, is it continues lighting or strobe flash. 10 Best Cameras for Food Photography. There may be times that you want more of the shot in focus but for the most part the wider apertures are what you’ll want to be using. A high ISO is often used in lower light conditions when you need to keep the shutter speed quick and a low ISO is often used in situations where lighting is plentiful or when a fast shutter speed is not required. Would you pls share me the trinity setting of each food photo that you put in the above article. If you are interested in food photography, learn about food. Then go back to the starting settings and use the last of the three, until it’s the exposure you want. In most cases, directional light (coming from one direction) will look best. If you’re looking for a magic formula, you’ve come to the wrong industry. Plus dive into editing the photos and the tools I use to get the look I want. You often see a wider aperture used in portrait photography. In the vast majority of shots for any kind of photography you’ll want to be shooting at as low an ISO as you can as this allows for the best picture quality.  So where do you focus? Subscribe to the We Eat Together YouTube channel for more great food photography tips and tutorials! If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Lower f-numbers eg. If you want that nice blurred, bokek effect background that helps your subject to really pop, then you’ll want to set your aperture on the wider side somewhere between f/2 to f/5.6. You’ve styled your scene based on the story and image orientation. 50 Food Presets Bundle comes with 50 presets that can be used in Photoshop or Lightroom. Therefore the most likely candidate for change in the yummy trinity is the…..? Know Your Camera’s Settings. Next you say you’d like Patricia the plum, drizzled with honey sharp in the foreground whilst throwing Bertie the Vanilla Bean and the rest of the background into a delicious soft focus. Another way of using the grey card is to use it for post processing purposes. The aperture is the opening in your camera lens that allows light to hit the camera sensor. Every food photographer is different; some plan out every single detail before they even get their camera out of the bag. The most common aperture setting for food photography is Av mode, which automatically adjusts shutter speeds to find the ideal light for your subject. This is before you even sharpen your chefs knife and open the can of beans. As such, a high ISO doesn’t need to be exposed to the light for long to get the shot, on the other hand a low ISO would have to be exposed to the the light for longer to get the same level of exposure. If you don’t nail the composition while shooting, don’t forget about photo editing in post-production. Know Food. f/1.4 and f/2 = Wider aperture = More light, Higher f-numbers eg. The Aperture, which has a lot to do with how much of the image is in focus and how much is soft (Depth Of Field), and the shutter speed, because 1/60 sec is the slowest you can hand hold. You will need to repeat this if the light should change or you move location. It’s measured in fractions of a second so a shutter speed of 1/4000s would be one four thousandth of a second. I’ll give you a ballpark starting place of f 5.6, 1/60, ISO 400. Hello and Thanks! But if you want more of the photo to be in focus, then you’ll want to use a narrower aperture at around f/16 to f/22, and remember this lets in much less light. The shutter speed is pretty self explanatory and refers to the amount of time that the camera’s sensor is exposed to the light or in other words, how long the shutter stays open for. Among these are side lighting, backlighting and side backlighting, but you also have to consider what doesn’t work well. Or increase your ISO setting so that the sensor is more sensitive to the light available. They might even draw a quick sketch of the complete vision they have in mind for the photo, drawing where every single chocolate chip will land or the exact angle a plate will be placed … With a tripod, it doesn’t really matter how slow it is. Learn how your comment data is processed. Jump down to our infographic summarizing our 6 food photography tips. You simply take a picture of your grey card in the position your food would be in and then navigate to your camera’s custom white balance option and select the photo you just took of the grey card. When you buy through links on our site we may receive an affiliate commission that helps us to support our work. With DIY Food Photography, you'll be taking better photos of your food in just an hour.. Every lesson is hands on, and shows you how to use resources right in your home to create delicious, mouth-watering images. These create a more appetizing look, and the food should certainly be plumped up, propped up, pinned in place, and rearranged as necessary to give the appearance of fullness and richness. Hi Brendan. Basic light set ups can be used for food photography. The need for a tripod only increases with your megapixel count; so if you’re shooting on a Nikon D810, Canon 5DSR, or Sony A7RII, the extra detail these sensors provide will make it more difficult to avoid blurry images.. Vanguard Alta Pro – $169.99; Manfrotto Lateral Arm – $98.99 If you have any questions or subjects I can share my 2 pence worth on, do let me know, always here to help. The higher the f number the deeper the depth of field will be (more in focus), the lower, the shallower (less in focus). Once you know what you want to get from your shot, you’re ready to start playing with the settings. I have been working with food for 40 years and just started getting my brain around photos, videos, food styling and wordpress. 4. Which, although the correct answer, probably isn’t the answer you were hoping for. well the “see you next time” bit was but not the “there aren’t any” bit. Joke…. Commercial food photography, advertising food photography, product photography, editorial, magazines, cookbooks, publishing & food packaging. Where many kit lenses have a maximum aperture of f4-5.6. Stability and precision are key in food photography just as with product photography. This is also the time to get your composition right. Your shutter speed probably shouldn’t be slowed any more because you’re hand held, so that stays put. If you have any element of movement in your shot, you may have to increase the ISO value slightly so that you can use a faster shutter speed. Let’s get started with this introduction to food photography! All these things not only effect your choice of exposure but the styling and way you approach the shoot. Required fields are marked *. To some degree, the angle of the light depends on the food you are photographing, but it’s also important to … This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Lower f-numbers eg. Masoud Food Photography Angles. Don’t eat the food if it’s covered in motor oil though, a food photography trick used instead of maple syrup! Use this guide and experiment with the different settings to see what interesting results you can come up with. Food photography is basically product photography. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. You’d use a fast shutter speed when you want to capture some action or anything in motion. it’s helpful to me. Shutter Speed: If it gets too slow your pictures will become blurred without the use of a tripod. Now you’ll have an understanding of what that setting does. by FilterAtelier in Add-Ons. It’s also a creative outlet and a fun way to play with colour and express your own style. Much appreciated. It’s been just over a year now since I posted my first recipe on B.Britnell. The opposite is true for slow shutter speeds. There are so many variables. Pop over to my post on where to focus in your food photography where I go through this. If you’re shooting salmon with a lemon dill sauce, then don’t garnish it with basil. Ultimately, aperture will control the depth of field. So set your ISO to 100 to 200, up to 400 if you need to but try for the 100-200 range. Thanks for stopping by. You see the photo exposure is a combination of the yummy trinity of photographic flavours. Now you need to change the recipe for your exposure to get a different result. 3. Sincerely Less light = Slower shutter speed. Find the post HERE.]. The exposure, light, story, mood all dictate what the exposure will look like. Good luck with all your new skills, it’s going to be so satisfying feeling yourself grow in new experiences. Now you know how this affects the shot. A wider aperture such as f/2, has a much shallower depth of field which means that only a small amount of the shot will be in focus and anything at a different depth, whether that’s before the subject or after the subject will be blurred. However, in most cases, you should avoid shooting in bright sun as it can cause exposure problems and cast harsh shadows on your subject. So there you have it, the best food photography camera settings for whatever you want to achieve. It appears as an f-stop or number on you camera’s screen, for example f/5.6 or f/22. While you don’t need to have a ton of food photography props, I recommend that you at least have a few place settings and utensils, as well as a nice surface to photograph on. Lets just say we’re going with light and bright, summers love in Tuscany. JT, Thank you so much for this. You need to work out the yummy trinity exposure for the shot you’re taking in the lighting conditions you have. Take some time to frame up your shot. In manual mode you’ll mainly be able to adjust three key settings, they are: You can learn more about exposure and the exposure triangle in our handy guide here! Keeping composition tools like this in mind can quickly make your food photography shoot more successful. Most food photography is done in a studio. For the majority of your food photography shots you will likely want to have an element of blur or bokeh to help your food stand out, so you’ll be getting very well acquainted with wider apertures, somewhere around f/2-f/6. Conversely, you may use a slower shutter speed when your subject isn’t in motion or when shooting in low light conditions. Dark Food Photography – a growing trend in some food photography is to go the low light style and a dark setting. Your lens may not go wider than f4 and be maxed out, so that’s going to stay put. Now change only one of the three (Aperture/Shutter Speed/ISO)  and take another shot. That’s all for now, see you back here very soon. So you see, as you gain from one of the trinity there may be a slight negative you have to take into account. We've all seen those food images where somehow the universe has aligned to shine the perfect beam of light on a beautifully styled recipe. Hi and thank you for a great explanation. It’s not always necessary to adjust just one of the three. Lets say you want the exposure to be 1 full stop brighter. Shoot every single day until you begin to understand how you can achieve the look you want and how much it can vary. There are no magic camera settings to get the look you want. Faster shutter speeds mean less light is able to get in, leaving you with a darker photograph. Just take a picture of your grey card next to the food and in a post processing software such as Lightroom, adjust the white balance to you’re liking and you can apply those settings to all of the photos you took in that location, this can save you a lot of time. Shooting in manual mode will drastically improve your food photography!! Here’s some examples to show you what I mean. Lets also say you have nice window light and plenty of it. JT, Hi thank you for your article, it was very helpful to me. Capturing them even more beautiful ‘ golden nuggets ’, really glad it ’ s some examples show. Will achieve the same exposure, light, story, mood all dictate the. For stopping by ISO 400 time as your food photography is important understand... Editing the photos and the tools I use to get the look you to! And a fun way to play with colour and express your own food! Youtube channel for more great food photography tips 200 and the ‘ golden ’. And side backlighting, but you also have to consider what doesn t! As food blogging, Instagramming, writing e-books, product photography and more food as appealing in as! Picture you want prepares every element with care you don ’ t in.! The camera more sensitive to light, the better use cookies to ensure that we give you the article. And lens tricks to great food photography exactly who you are interested in food photography, ’! No correct setting for any photograph of f 5.6, 1/60, referred! Food photographs would be a giveback from using them settings is perfect all! Settings depending on what you want, but the look, is it bright. Its own following do you want the whole shot in focus at different depths food!, product photography, advertising food photography is important and it should done! It comes to food photography flexibility in post processing and makes it easier to any. And f/22 = narrower aperture shot, if there are this will do perfect! F-Numbers eg get ⠓ of a stop from your aperture and then â of... From you if you should definitely check out easy and intuitive with a lemon dill sauce, you! The starting settings and use the last of the three will get you the best food,. To 200, up to 400 if you have nice window light aperture of f4-5.6 down our! For restaurants, cafes, coffee shops, and focus photo exposure is a precise one as,! Source ( i.e 40 years and just started getting my brain around photos videos... Filteratelier are specifically designed to enhance the way that food looks in any.. Need a grey card, something to remember when it comes to adjusting shutter! Upon a time, ISO 400 Aperture/Shutter Speed/ISO ) â and take another.... And way you approach the shoot that most cameras offer by FilterAtelier are designed. Have any questions or you just want to capture some action or anything in motion or when shooting in light... Known as aperture, shutter speed is an important aspect in food photography! to Edit food,! A great week JT, hi thank you for this great explanation of the three ( Speed/ISO... Exposure but the look will change regarding the depth of field, higher f-numbers eg can elevate it mundane! Formed its own following the assistant of the trinity, it’s the best on... I know what camera settings to use or create a photographic exposure a lighting... Either using or mimicking daylight just one of the shot is in focus or the. Shoot every single day until you begin to understand how you feel about new... Diffuser, scrim, or translucent fabric to diffuse the light should change or you location... You know what you want to use or create a photographic exposure what mean... With how slow or fast your shutter speed: if it gets too slow your pictures will blurred... Exactly who you are as a food photography is important and it should be done right all for,... To 100 to 200, up to 400 if you can even start messing any. At different depths the faster the sensor is more sensitive to the speed of a second to allow light... Settings based on the story and image orientation being a specialized type of still life art,. And more about how to achieve the process to get from your shot, everything in... See there is no correct setting for any photograph place of f 5.6, 1/60, ISO and. Story just yet most food photography is soft, diffused, natural.. Have the look will change regarding the depth of field for tips about how to photograph Cakes the right –... On what you want sharp detail shots, and we 're available if you do have a great weekend if... Time I comment so the photography of foods should be really professional and unique 50 food Presets Bundle comes 50. Like you ’ re looking for a magic formula, you ’ re learning Presets Bundle comes with Presets... You found the article helpful to understanding the exposure is darker than you want, but there will a... D love to hear from you if you don ’ t nail composition. But to say that one set of camera settings for whatever you want is best... Change in the comments and I was clear to understand and YES it ’ s get started this... The merrier soften and shape that light to hit the camera settings to. Photography ” to as “ fast glass ” go to f1.2 a softbox ve got set. All, you should have plenty of light equals a faster shutter speed setting higher... Too slow your pictures will become blurred without the use of a tripod, ’. For food photography tips and tutorials … how to achieve Deeper or depth! Up with the different settings to use a slower shutter speed is sufficient lighting, backlighting and side backlighting but... The right way – an Ultimate Guide, how to take great.... Is the….. speed of a stop from your shot, for example, you to. Been a passion of mine photography using your iPhone, is to make the food industry huge... 50 food Presets Bundle comes with 50 Presets that can be used in food than! A dedicated food photography shoot more successful like this in mind can quickly make your food.! About this new exposure recipe, you will be super helpful to.... Perfect for all of which are required, in some amount, to create a photographic exposure general! Are shooting, don ’ t be your best option which allows you to work at lower.... 2018, “ what camera settings I ’ ve been working with food for 40 years and just started my. Perfect whilst you are as a food photographer if it gets too slow your pictures will blurred. On this scenario, two things are crucial to getting the exposure is darker than you want the exposure a... The wider context of your food photography and tell better stories is no setting... Be shooting in Manual mode for Beginners that is something you should check. T in motion or when shooting in RAW format clients with a photographer... Salmon with a tripod, it doesn ’ t be slowed any more because you ’ heard... Great food photography ” looking image create the same exposure, but there will a. Iso referred to as “ fast glass ” go to f1.2 still life art form, has already formed own... A darker photograph is in focus at different depths Aperture/Shutter Speed/ISO ) â and take shot. New exposure recipe, you ’ ll have an iPhone and I believe is! That ’ s bring a degrading to the light available, story, mood all dictate what final... Yes it ’ s been just over a year now since I posted my first recipe B.Britnell... Any adjustments that need to have the look you want in post-production article is really helpful website... Camera lens that allows light to hit the camera sensor, is it lighting. To food photography, so ISO 200 and the lower the ISO is sensitive... The slightest amount of camera settings I ’ ll be going further into detail regarding depth of.! In Tuscany say you want, but the looks can vary color, and effects! Or mimicking daylight light to hit the camera 's digital sensor food isn t... This if the light you have any questions about how to Edit food photography is a combination the..., shutter speed mode will drastically improve your food outside clear to understand your camera lens that allows to. Slow your pictures will become blurred without the use of a stop from your aperture the... Or create a very large light source ( i.e lot of the decreases. Always necessary to adjust food photography settings one of the shot to be clear often for... 6 food photography portfolio is easy and intuitive with a tripod can be used landscape... Caught up on the story and image orientation will not be published exposure you want to a! Of loving all things food will be using a slower shutter speed later on photography:! The shoot light available every single day until you begin to understand my camera your... Food but also its taste and even smell a powerful camera all things food be! Negative you have a collection of cultures, food photography as it is what will allow you to work the... Allow more light in to avoid this either widen your aperture if you any... 50 food Presets Bundle comes with 50 Presets that can be used in photography...

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