After trustworthy recipes, your photography is the most important aspect of your food blog. It captures people’s attention and draws them in. You don’t need to break the bank to take good photos, but owning a few basic pieces of equipment and software will make a huge difference!
- DSLR Camera. A digital SLR makes a huge difference in the quality of your photographs. I own a Canon EOS 60D. Yes, it’s 4+ years old, but it’s incredibly dependable and still one of the top-rated models on the market.
- Lenses. I highly recommend a 50 mm lens. I personally own this one. They’re perfect for food photography, especially since your subjects don’t move as much as squirming kids!
- Macro Filters. Instead of spending thousands of dollars on a macro lens, I bought these filters on sale for about $15. Between the 50 mm lens and these attachments, I spent about $145, but they produce images that look as if they were shot with a $2000 macro lens. Best investment I’ve ever made in my photography!
- Diffuser. Unless you have gorgeous white sheer curtains, an inexpensive diffuser works wonders. It filters the harshest beams of sunlight, which reduces the shadows and glare in your photos.
- Reflectors. I recommend foam boards and tin foil. They’re inexpensive and get the job done. No one needs to know if you prop them up with cereal boxes (like yours truly).
- Tripod and Remote. It takes a while to get the hang of them, but these two things enable you to still shoot on overcast days. When you’re not a slave to the sunshine, it makes life a whole lot easier!
- Wooden Background Boards. I also call these my “faux tabletops.” You can buy vinyl, but nothing beats the real deal of wood. There are quite a few tutorials on how to make your own (here, here, here, here, and more…), or you can purchase them online too. I actually made my own using laminate flooring from Home Depot that snaps together. So easy!
- Small White Plates and Dishes. Yes, small. Yes, white. It’s easier to fill up a smaller plate and zoom in to capture the details of the dish. White is always classy and elegant, and it won’t distract from the food like colored dishware. If you have the space and budget to buy more, colored pieces (especially pastels) make a great addition to your prop cabinet, but stick with whites to start. You won’t go wrong.
- Linens. Napkins, fabric samples, whatever you can find! Don’t spend a fortune, but they add a fun textural and colorful element to liven up your shots.
- Non-reflective silverware. If you can find it… I love my wooden forks and spoons, but antique and thrift stores also carry pieces that have lost their shine. They generally charge less, and it means you don’t have to worry about glare in your photos. Win-win!
- Paper Straws. These are a fun way to bring more color to your shots! I never actually drink through them, only photograph with them.
- Sprinkles. These deserve their own category. With so many different colors, shapes, holiday themes, and more, there will always be a jar that fits the occasion for your photos. Like linens, they add a textural and colorful element without being overly distracting.
- Lightroom. This is the program that the majority of food bloggers use to edit photos. It’s not as expensive as Photoshop, but it still has all of the tools you need to enhance your shots.
- GIMP. This is almost like a free version of Lightroom. I used it for years, and it made all of my photos look professional.
- PicMonkey. Many bloggers turn to this for collages and text overlays. It’s easier than downloading lots of fonts to your desktop!
- Tasty Food Photography. This eBook by Lindsay (from Pinch of Yum) completely changed my photography. It gave me the confidence to start shooting completely in manual, which drastically improved the quality and clarity of my photographs. It’s worth every single penny!
- Food Photography: From Snapshots to Great Shots. This book is a wonderful resource to have. It covers every aspect from composition to lighting to editing, and it’s a great starting point for beginners and casual food photographers alike.
