VeganYumYum » Food Photography for Bloggers

Food Photography for Bloggers

September 20th, 2008 Stumble it!

Food bloggers wear a lot of hats. We have to be chefs, prep cooks, food stylists, photographers, photo editors, dish washers, and writers every time we post a something new. I’ve been wanting to do a post on food photography for a while; everyone who has ever emailed me about my photos: this is for you.

Most food bloggers don’t have their own studios, or professional lighting equipment, or access to food stylists. Here’s how you can make your own high-quality food photos at home no matter what equipment you have.

There is a lot that happens before and after I click the shutter that contributes to the final photo. I’m not a professional photographer, and I’m figuring things out along the way with a lot of trial and error. The only prior knowledge I have is some skills that I picked up in a high school photography class several years ago. A lot of the tips online about food photography are for commercial shoots, and therefore don’t contain much specific information for the home food blogger.

Workflows and techniques are very personal, so I’m sure other food bloggers out there achieve fabulous results doing things differently than I do. This is what works for me, and I hope you find it useful.

Dishes

Above is just one part of my dish collection, and it grows all the time.

The right dish really sets the overall look for the photo. Everytime I’m in a store that sells dishes, I pick up one or two of something I find interesting. You don’t need a full set. Some general tips:

1. White will always, always work.
2. Square dishes always look classy.
3. Smaller is better — small dishes are easier to fill up with food, which prevents your plate from looking bare.

Also look online for fun dishes. I have a friend who works at Beau-Coup Favors, a neat favors business, and he sent me these great little miniature martini glasses I use in a lot of photos in this post. Just goes to show you how the right presentation can make even a boring vegetable salad look gorgeous.

Plan Ahead

Do as much as you possibly can ahead of time. Food should be photographed as soon as possible after preparing, which means you’ll need a space for photographing ready to go, an uncluttered kitchen, etc. Here’s what I do before I start cooking:

1. Clean up, do all the dishes, clear countertops
2. Pick out dishes
3. Set camera up on tripod, pick out background
4. Clear your photography space
5. Think about the dish: do you need a garnish? Special utensils? Placemat?

Mise en Place

Prepping all your ingredients neatly will keep your kitchen more organized, cut down on cooking time, and allow you to focus on the task at hand. And mise en place photographs make for killer filler photos, as well!

Starting Out

When I first started doing my blog, I had a sony point-and-shoot digital camera, no tripod, and I got on just fine.

The image to the left was taken with a point-and-shoot (PnS) at night, with only my kitchen light on. Even better is taking your photos during the day with natural light. The colors will be much more true to real life, like this photo, which was also taken with a simple consumer camera.

But if you’re looking to improve not only your photos but also your equipment, here are some tips for you.

Moving Up

If you are interested in investing a little money in your photography, I’d highly recommend getting a “prosumer” digital SLR (single-lens reflex) camera and a trusty lens or two. There are a lot of cameras on the market, but most people find themselves deciding between Canon and Nikon. It’s really difficult to say which is better, and the reality is that they’re both great. I happen to shoot Canon, so my recommendations will be for Canon products, since that’s what I know.

Digital SLR Bodies

I started out with a Canon Rebel XTi, aka the EOS 450D. This is the perfect camera to start out with if you want a dSLR, but don’t want to spend too too much, and don’t want a super clunky camera. Granted, the XTi is much larger than a pocket-sized camera, but compared to other SLRs on the market, it’s downright tiny. You’ll be able to use different lenses, change your aperture and shutter speed, set your white balance, shoot RAW–pretty much everything you’ll want to do to take your photography to the next level.

However, I started with the XTi, and quickly upgraded to the EOS 30D. A little too quickly. I should have spent a little more money up front and gone with the 30D to begin with. But it’s bigger, heavier, and more expensive. Think about what you want in a camera, and go to a store and hold different models before you decide what the right camera is for you. The 40D is out now, and the 50D has been announced, so I bet you could get a pretty good deal on a 30D right now.

Lenses

Whatever camera you get, I suggest you skip over any camera package that includes what they call a “kit” lens. The lenses the cameras are packaged with are usually semi-poor quality “all purpose” lenses that do a bit of everything, but don’t do anything well. By getting the camera body only, and purchasing the lenses you want separately, you’ll not only save money, but also be getting exactly what you want. But that’s another decision you need to make: what lenses are you going to buy?

There are a lot of lenses you can get that will work for food photography. Here are my recommendations, but keep in mind these are definitely not the only options. The lenses here are ones that I 1) own and use myself and 2) make great photos for things other an food photography. If I’m going to spend a few hundred dollars on a lens, I want to use it for more than just food photography!

Canon 50mm 1.8 $80-90ish
If you’re on a budget and can only buy one lens, I’d recommend this one. It’s cheap compared to other lenses, and is a very “fast” lens. A fast lens is one that has a very wide aperture that creates nice depth of field and can be used in low-light situations (more on all that later). The downsides: slow, loud auto-focus, a cheaply built plastic body, and cannot focus very close to your subject. I owned it and it was great for three months. Then it broke. Still, very highly recommended. It is also a great general lens that you’ll love to shoot portraits with as well.

Example Image from 50mm 1.8:

Canon 50mm 1.4 $325
This is the big brother to the 50mm 1.8. It has all the benefits the of the 1.8, but an even faster aperture, a much sturdier body, closer focusing range, quieter and faster auto-focus and a nicer “bokeh.” (More on bokeh later.) It’s much more expensive but will last you longer, and compared to Canon’s other lenses, this is still on the “affordable” side, believe it or not. I use this lens all sorts of photos. (You can spend even more and get the 50mm 1.2 L series lens, but that’s even more expensive than this one.)

Example Image from 50mm 1.4:

Canon 60mm 2.8 Macro, EF-S $400
You might not think there would be a large difference between a 50mm and a 60mm, so why own both? I’ll tell you why–this lens is a macro lens. A macro lens allows you to really get in there and focus closely on your food (or whatever) and get details you’d be hard pressed to get with another lens. It’s also fast lens and doubles nicely as a portrait lens. I’ve shot the majority of my food photos with this lens, and I’d say if you only were to buy one lens for food photography, this lens or another similar macro lens might be your best investment. However, if you ever plan to upgrade your camera to something nicer than a 30/40/50D, be aware that this lens won’t mount onto the more professional Canon cameras like the 5D and 1D. (But if you’re in the market for a 5D or a 1D, you definitely don’t need my advice!)

Example Image from 60mm 2.8, food is “actual size”:

As I said earlier, there are lots of lenses that can and do work great for food photography. If you’re a food photographer and have a different lens that you use and love, please leave it in the comments!

Simple Setups, Natural Light

You don’t need to invest in lots of studio equipment to get great images. The very best lighting you can get is free, and it’s coming through your windows every day. Here’s a shot of my “studio”:

A table, next to a window. Done! Well, almost. Since I shoot with natural light only, a lot of times it’s slightly too dark to hand-hold my camera and get a clear image. Use a tripod and you’ll be amazed at how much better your photos get, especially with PnS cameras. Even balancing your camera on a can of tomatoes or a pile of books can save a shot. Tripods very drastically in price, but I have a cheap $30 that has done the trick for well over a year now.

Make your own backgrounds

There are lots of ways you can make backgrounds for your food shots. My favorite backgrounds are just simple 20×30″ foam-core boards that I spray painted on my porch, a different color on each side.

I love these because they’re cheap, easy to make and customize, easy to store, and fairly durable. I once bought this kit that comes with colored paper, but soon realized the paper gets destroyed after a few uses: it tears, it gets ugly creases in it, and if you spill anything on it at all it’s ruined. The big foam-core boards, on the other hand, wipe clean and don’t bend, and if you do ruin them they’re easy to replace.

As you can see in the photo to the left, they’re easy to swap in and out during a shoot. You can try all different colors before picking the right one for the dish you’re photographing.

One tip: buy matte finish spray paint - glossy paint will cause unsightly glares in your photos.

Natural Lighting

I’ve already mentioned this, but I can’t stress it enough. It’s nearly impossible to reproduce the wonders of natural sunlight artificially. As far as I know, even big-wig professionals have trouble duplicating it. Yes, it means you’ll need to do your food photography during the day, but I promise you the results are worth it. Nothing looks as nice as sunlit food, and fortunately the sun is pretty easy to use (even if it’s unpredictable). Besides, learning how to shoot with natural, varying light will improve your photography across the board.

Using natural light is probably the number one thing you can do to improve your photos. Turning off the flash, since you’re using lovely natural light, is the second best thing.

I find side-lighting to be the most dependable and easist to expose for. Back-lighting can be very nice, but is harder to manage the correct exposure. Full on front-lighting can work well, too, so experiment with everything.

When using natural lighting, don’t place your food in a sunbeam. You want ambient, diffuse light. Things shot directly in the sun usually look too harsh, but again, it can sometimes work depending on the shot. In my opinion, the “safest” set up is diffuse side-lighting coming from nearby window.

For those of you who are interested in artificial lighting, I’m not the best person to turn to for advice, but I can suggest you look into Lowel Ego lights. I bought a set and have used them on one post only, but I managed to get a good result. This shot was lit with Ego lights at night:

For more information on Lowel Ego lights for food photography, check out Jaden of Steamy Kitchen’s fabulous and detailed review of them.

Take a LOT of Photos

I did a photoshoot for this entry to help illustrate the points I wanted to make. What you see above is every single photo from the shoot, all 93 of them. I think I average around 100 photos taken per recipe, and I whittle them down drastically to just a handful for each post. Buy a large memory card for your camera to make sure you have enough space for all those photos!

I always find it funny how one shot can be “meh”, while another shot take from a slightly different angle, or with a slightly different focus, can suddenly become “WOW!” The best way to ensure you get “the shot” is to take lots and lots of them. Taking lots of photos allows you to be very, very picky when you’re editing, ensuring you never have to post a photo you dislike.

Anatomy of a Shoot

I start out photographing the process of the recipe–chopping, special techniques, assembly, etc. Once the dish is done and plated, I’ll take some “basic” shots which help me establish the lighting, background, what props/garnishes are needed, positioning of the food, etc.

I gradually work my way towards a photograph that feels complete to me, making sure to get all different angles. I try overhead, straight on, close up, environment shots, and many different angles. My photographs start out boring and move towards interesting as I shoot. It’s hard to explain how I plate or frame, but it involves a lot of photos and looking at each photo and saying, “Hmm, the image looks too bare” or “I need to figure out how to emphasize this particular quality of the dish.” As I said before, the more photos you take, the better chance you have of getting that perfect shot.

Camera Settings

No matter what kind of camera you have, one thing always applies: turn OFF the flash. A flash will at best make your food look flat and at worst wash out all the details and create unappealing shadows.

If you have a PnS camera, look for a setting that is marked with a little flower. This is your macro setting, and it will help your lens use the best of its close-focusing and detail capabilities.

If you have a larger dSLR with more settings to choose from, here’s what I recommend:

ISO: Set to the lowest possible, probably 100. The lower the ISO, the “cleaner” your image will be. Photos shot at higher ISOs have a lot of digital “noise” in them that looks like colorful static. Higher ISOs are used to increase your camera’s sensitivity to light, allowing you to shoot in darker conditions and still maintain a shutter speed that is fast enough to prevent blurry images. But since you’re using a tripod (right?!), and your food isn’t moving (right?!), it’s best to keep this setting as low as possible for the best looking images.

Flash: Keep it off. Always.

RAW or JPG: If you have a choice, shoot RAW. RAW files record lots and lots information about each photo, which allows you to bring the most out of the image in post-processing (editing color, contrast, white balance, etc.). Be aware that you may need special software to process RAW images, however, and there’s more on that below. If RAW isn’t an option, make sure your camera is set to the highest resolution JPG option available.

Shutter Speed and Aperture: In my opinion, shutter speed doesn’t matter so much in food photography; it’s your aperture, or f-stop, that’s most important. So important, it gets its very own section.

When shutter speed would matter is for “freezing” action, or purposeful motion blur. For example, in the photo of the pancakes, I needed a fairly fast shutter speed to “freeze” the pouring syrup. And lets say you wanted a shot that showed the motion of you tossing greens or sauteing vegetables; a slow shutter speed would be required for that. But on the whole, you’ll be more interested in apertures than shutter speeds.

Know your F-Stops

If you’ve ever wondered how photographers get that nice, blurry background with only one thing in focus, now you know. F-stops! The aperture of the camera is the opening that lets the light in, and you can set it to very large (the photo on the left) or very small (the photo on the right).

Think of the aperture on your camera the same way as the pupil in your eye. When it’s dark out, your pupils expand to gather more light. If someone shines a light in your eye, they constrict and get very small to let less light in. Your camera’s aperture is the same. One of the side-effects is what’s called “depth of field.” When the aperture is very wide open, only a small amount of the image will be in focus, just like the photo on the left. If the aperture is very small, much more of the photo will be in focus.

Your eyes are actually the same. Ever squint to read a street sign in the distance? The smaller your pupils get, the more focus you get, so squinting to see a sign more clearly is just like “stopping down” to a smaller aperture to get more things in focus. If you’ve ever wanted to pick out a specific part of an image to draw the viewers eye, a small depth of field is one way to say, “Hey, look at THIS!”

There’s no right or wrong when it comes to apertures, it’s just a matter of taste. I prefer many images that have very large apertures because I really like the dramatic focus. If you’re looking for this in your photos, too, make sure to purchase lenses that have a an aperture of 2.8 or wider (like 1.4). All the lenses I recommended above can provide this effect.

By the way, the technical term for the pretty, smooth and silky blurry parts of an image like this is called “bokeh.”

Learn Manual

Of course, none of this is much help if you don’t know how to set your f-stop, or how to get the proper exposure once you do. The best thing do to is learn how to use your camera on the manual setting. It takes a bit of time to get used to it, but once you do you’ll have complete control over your images. This post is already long enough as it is so I won’t go into it here, but I’m sure there are some great resources online for learning how to use your camera on its manual setting.

One possible way around learning to shoot manually is “Aperture Priority” — a setting that is available on my camera and many dSLRs. On a Canon camera, simply set the dial to Av and use the scroll wheel at the top to set your aperture, big or small. The camera will figure out the corresponding shutter speed to give you the proper exposure. Well, that’s the short of it, anyway. If you need more help with that, feel free to email me.

Framing

Whatever subject you’re shooting, you’ll hear people talk endlessly about the Rule of Thirds, and for good reason. It just works. If you’ve never heard about it, definitely check out that link. Like all rules of thumb, you can break it and still get a great photo, but it’s a reliable way to dramatically improve the images you make without much fuss.

For food photography, a lot of times people stand above the dish, take a photo, and call it a day. Overhead shots can work, but try taking photos from lower angles, even level with the food itself.

Also, get in close, but not too close! It’s always important to leave some frame of reference for the viewer so they know what they’re looking at, even if it’s just the edge of the plate, or a fork, or the rim of a glass. You tell me, which close-up photo is more appealing?

Post-Processing

I use, and highly recommend, a piece of software called Lightroom to edit and organize my photos. It’s not free, but it is fabulous. Since I shoot in RAW, the images that come directly out of the camera are usually pretty “flat” looking. RAW images require some sort of processing, and most people turn them into high-res JPG files, making edits to color, contrast, sharpening, exposure, and white balance along the way. I tend to boost contrast and color saturation, as well as add vignetting (darkened edges), but it really depends on what I’m trying to bring out in the photo. Here’s an example of two images before and after editing in Lightroom:

It’s hard to make such dramatic changes to a photo if it’s not a RAW file. The information a RAW file keeps allows you to make many non-destructive enhancements. RAW files give you lots of control over how your final image looks.

If you camera doesn’t have the option to shoot in RAW, set it to the highest resolution JPG setting available. And if you’re using a mac, you can start with some basic editing in iPhoto. I feel like Lightroom is a nice middle step between the ease of use of iPhoto and the powerful tools of Photoshop. I know a lot of people also like Aperture, but I’ve never used it myself. If you’re on a PC, I have no idea what programs to recommend, but I’m sure other people do!

Whatever software you use to edit your images, check out the settings and make sure your photos are being edited in the sRGB colorspace (which is good for putting photos on the web) and use a calibrated monitor when editing. Both of these things will help ensure your photos look as good as they can on many different monitors.

Final Thoughts

The very best advice I can give you about food photography is simply do a lot of it. Like anything, the more you do it the better you’ll get. I’ve only been doing food photography for two years or so and I can see a huge difference in the quality of my shots. The more I learn about photography the more I realize how much more there is for me to learn.

I hope this was helpful for you. Happy shooting, and be thankful that no matter how your photos turn out, you can always eat your work after wards! But if you’re going to get really into food photography, be ready to eat a lot of your meals cold.

Entry Filed under: editorial, how to, photography

296 Comments Add your own

1. Debbie | September 20th, 2008 at 7:04 pm

What an amazingly helpful post! Thank you so much for sharing your expertise.
2. magpie | September 20th, 2008 at 7:56 pm

Thank you so much for this post. It must have taken you so long to write! But the advice you gave was exactly what I needed. Thank you again for taking the time to explain everything that you’ve learned.
3. emily | September 20th, 2008 at 8:22 pm

I adore lightroom as well. actually, i dont know that i could really live without it (as far as photography goes anyway)

check out these free presets for lightroom that my friend made they are really great!

http://stellerphoto.com/blog/archives/326
4. Amy | September 20th, 2008 at 8:26 pm

Incredible. Thanks for taking the time to share your knowledge on the subject of food photography. You explain it much more simply than books I have read, and I will be using your tips for my next photo shoot!
5. Christina Whiskhands | September 20th, 2008 at 8:32 pm

Well, it’s official: you’ve outdone yourself. Again. Absolutely incredible post, well spoken, easily digested, chock full of information.
6. Jedimomma | September 20th, 2008 at 8:37 pm

What a great post, thank you!

I was wondering what you think of the PnS cameras out there that have some adaptability for using manual settings? For example, I have a Cannon PowerShot SX100 IS (for which I will now be re-reading the manual!), and it does allow one to manually set things like shutter speeds, apertures, etc. How do these settings compare to real lenses? Should I just stick with the pretty little flower icon and be done with it, or is it worth my time to get the manual stuff down even without the nicer lenses?

Of course, I’m not now, nor will I probably ever be, a real food photographer, but I’d like to do as well as I can. Thanks again for a great post!

Absolutely learn how! It’s always a good idea to learn more about your camera, whatever kind it is. I just looked up your camera, and it says it has a maximum aperture of 2.8 - 4.3. That means that when the camera isn’t zoomed in at all, the max aperture is 2.8, and as you zoom, the maximum aperture gets smaller until it hits 4.3 at full zoom. But not zoomed in, 2.8 is a great aperture for nice shallow depth-of-field. I’d set the camera to macro, keep it zoomed out, and set the camera to 2.8 and see what happens. Get as close as you can while still having the food in focus and have some fun with it. You also have an aperture priority setting that could be neat to play with. Good luck!
7. Gabrielle | September 20th, 2008 at 8:41 pm

Amazing post!!!! Wow, so informative and complete, and well thought out, and ultimately extremely helpful. Thank you so much for taking the time to do this.
8. ttfn300 | September 20th, 2008 at 8:43 pm

such a great post!!! Thank you so much I’m just starting in my food blog days and looking to improve my photos (and creativity!)
9. Dayna | September 20th, 2008 at 9:00 pm

Such a great post to share!
Thanks to you we will now gain about 10 lbs with all the new and beautiful food photography that will be posted on our browsers!
10. Aoife | September 20th, 2008 at 9:08 pm

Thank you for such an interesting and informative post! As a new owner of a DSLR I’m trying to get to grips with all there is to learn on how to take a good photo. The section on understanding and correctly using the F-Stop/aperture setting was particularly useful (not just in the context of food photography). Thanks again for taking the time to write this.
11. SusanV | September 20th, 2008 at 9:12 pm

Great post! I never would have thought of spray painting foam core! I use it as a reflector and have used the black and white as backgrounds, but I never thought of painting it myself. I can see some cans of spray paint in my future.
12. Lachesis | September 20th, 2008 at 9:32 pm

Thank you SO much for taking the time to make this post. This is so amazingly helpful.
13. Camila | September 20th, 2008 at 9:53 pm

What a fabulous post! Thank you so much!
14. Emily | September 20th, 2008 at 9:55 pm

How interesting! Thanks for all the excellent food-photoing advice. And I hope you have enough time to actually eat your food after all that.
15. Annie | September 20th, 2008 at 10:43 pm

Hello,

I accidentally found out about this blog while browsing your photos on Flickr. I can’t describe how much I appreciate your post. It is so helpful. Usually, the food photography I saw uses artificial light (which I can’t afford-no space, no lighting!). Again, please show us more posts like this. I’m sure the readers absolutely love your blog.

Sincerely,

Annie.
16. Veronica | September 20th, 2008 at 10:59 pm

Thank you so much for this post! I don’t have a lot of access to equipment myself, so for my simple food photos I’m always looking for tips on improvement. This was excellent.
17. Kalyn | September 20th, 2008 at 11:09 pm

What a thorough treatment of the subject this post is! So much good information here. I also love Lightroom. And I also eat a lot of cold food, that line made me laugh out loud!
18. Ricki | September 20th, 2008 at 11:14 pm

What a fabulous post! Thank you, thank you. I know I’ll come back to this again and again.
19. MPG | September 20th, 2008 at 11:59 pm

It’s a great post and thanks for putting out such detailed information all in one place!
20. Mike K | September 21st, 2008 at 12:16 am

Wow, what a helpful post - it’s an inspiration to work on my photography, and this is exactly what I’ve been looking for. The photos on your blog are always amazing, and I appreciate your effort in explaining your methods.
21. Gretchen | September 21st, 2008 at 12:27 am

This is a fantastically informative post. Thank you so much for taking the time to put it together and share the things you have learned/taught yourself.
22. Jan Scholl | September 21st, 2008 at 12:29 am

I got a 2nd generation EOS Rebel 6.3 Mb about 4 years ago-as a kit. Body, lens EFS18-55, bag, media card, and TWO batteries (you will probably gag when I tell you how much). 350 plus extended warranty of 2 years. I was at a store when someone had returned it after Christmas because they didn’t like it! The return desk was upset because she would have to send make to company with some bogus reason-I offered her a price, she asked manager, and there It was in my trusty hands. List at that time was at least 799. I gave my son the newest model (as a kit from Costco for his wedding gift last year plus whatever extra lens he had picked out. I have about 700 set aside for lenses and NEED a macro. What is best for me? I love nature photography. I rarely photograph people .
23. yoel | September 21st, 2008 at 12:34 am

Wow! Thanks! I generally take pictures of knitting, which is very similar to food. This is such a great resource, and you’ve inspired me to get a “real” camera!
24. BekaH | September 21st, 2008 at 12:34 am

Oh Lauren, your blog is my favourite… you combine two of my favourite things: photography and amazing vegan food! I have not yet mastered the art of food photography - I think it takes something special (which you definitely have!) I love the how-to posts as well. Those have saved my mom and I on countless occasions.

Thanks for the amazing recipes and inspiring pictures (and being willing to share your knowledge with others!) I am looking forward to your cookbook, whenever it may come out!

RH

P.S. - Have you tried any gluten-free cooking or baking? These days I cook for my family and I’m searching for recipes that are gluten-free, vegan AND okay for diabetics - it’s not an easy task when everyone has different needs!
25. coco | September 21st, 2008 at 1:39 am

Oh lovely tips! I’m going to try out lightroom on your recommendation. Thanks for the lovely post. Indeed, very helpful.
26. karen | September 21st, 2008 at 1:53 am

You are incredible! Thanks for sharing.
27. Sophie | September 21st, 2008 at 2:58 am

Wonderful tips, beautifully explained!

I second your advice about skipping the kit lens if you buy a DSLR. I did this when I bought my Canon 40D and got a Canon 50mm 1.8 lens instead - much cheaper than the kit lens but much better for food pictures.
28. Kathi | September 21st, 2008 at 3:29 am

Thanks for this really great entry! I hope I will remember it when I have saved enough money for a digital SLR and a flat where I have a table near my window ;).
I love your pictures (not only the foody ones) so I really loved hearing you talking about it :). Thank you so much!

Greetings from Germany, Kathi
29. Stephanie | September 21st, 2008 at 4:02 am

Great post!!
30. Anna | September 21st, 2008 at 4:58 am

thanks for the informative post. Unfortunately I am of the ‘point and shoot’ variety of bloggers as I have a 1 year old and 5 year old waiting to eat what I’ve made (and often there will be crying if the meal is late and the little one is hungry!) so there’s no way at the moment that I could set up a shot and take that many pictures! I will keep some of your ideas about presentation in mind though and hopefully my pictures will get better the more I take!
31. Erica | September 21st, 2008 at 7:28 am

Wow, wonderful post. Thank you!
32. Cookthink: VeganYumYum On&hellip | September 21st, 2008 at 7:46 am

[...] VeganYumYum has a really fantastic breakdown of how she approaches the art-science of food photography. I didn’t know tutorials could be beautiful, but this one is. It’s instructive for [...]
33. Sheri F. | September 21st, 2008 at 7:54 am

Barely 9am and I’ve already learned about shutter speeds, F-stops, and aperture!

This was a fantastic post, and I look forward to poring over it again later. Thank you for sharing your expertise! The spray-painting of foam core boards is GENIUS. Your photos are gorgeous and they always make me hungry.
34. Vegan_Noodle | September 21st, 2008 at 8:58 am

What a great post! I have been looking forward to it ever since I saw you mention it on twitter! I have been experimenting a lot lately with my food photography and this had some awesome tips. Thanks!
35. Flo Makanai | September 21st, 2008 at 9:02 am

Wow, so helpful and nicely written and illustrated! Thank you +++, this is a fantastic post, one that I shall print and read again and again. Thanks!
36. matt | September 21st, 2008 at 9:13 am

What a great resource! Thank you for doing all this for everyone! So thorough and the best food photography for blogging I’ve ever seen!
37. Laurie | Your Ill-fitting Overcoat | September 21st, 2008 at 9:24 am

What an incredible post! Thank you so much for writing all of this out! I’ve often wondered how you get such amazing shots– that said, I think all the technical knowledge in the world is not enough to compare with your amazing eye for food photos.
38. rohit | September 21st, 2008 at 9:25 am

Great post. I may have missed this in the post or comments but another great way to do macro with just the 50 1.8 is something calleda lens reversing ring. It’s about 25 bucks forces one to learn manual and is oh so portable. I love mcro shots of anythong frosted like Christmas cookies. Keep up the good work. And thanks!
39. Brandy | September 21st, 2008 at 10:02 am

Excellent post, thanks for the inspiration.
40. Sandie | September 21st, 2008 at 10:03 am

Well done. I ‘m always striving to improve my blog, and my food photography (& styling) skills are at the heart of it. Thanks for this post. Lots of tips I can incorporate to improve my skills, as well as my photos.
41. Karina | September 21st, 2008 at 10:18 am

What an informative and inspiring post! I’m still using the kit lens that came with my Rebel; budget is very tight these days. Looking forward to upgrading- especially now, after seeing your beautiful work.
42. Dana V. | September 21st, 2008 at 10:55 am

Thank you SO much! As if I didn’t already owe you an arm & a leg for all of your fabulous recipes… this post is ridiculously helpful! How very giving of you to put all of your hard work and skill out there to help other people take better photos! Outstanding!
43. Nicole | September 21st, 2008 at 10:59 am

Thank you SO MUCH for this! I really needed a guide like this one.
44. Chez US | September 21st, 2008 at 11:18 am

What a FANTASTIC piece. I have been looking for something like this! I studied photography, years & years ago and at that time it was all film … I was so much better with film. Digital DSLR has been a huge learning curve for me and I have been scouring the bay area for food photography classes, lighting classes, etc.. and can’t find. You did a great job at putting this piece together - thank you!
45. PaniniKathy | September 21st, 2008 at 11:55 am

Thank you so much for this post! You’ve addressed pretty much every issue I’ve been grappling with in my photography and offered solutions that I know I can implement. I’m feeling invigorated!
46. Sandy S | September 21st, 2008 at 12:20 pm

Thank you so much for taking the time to share this info - it’s very generous of you, and tremendously helpful!
47. Janet | September 21st, 2008 at 12:37 pm

Great blog, cannot thank you enough!
48. joan nova | September 21st, 2008 at 12:40 pm

46 comment! Oops…make that 47! Looks like you filled a tthirst. I’d like to add my thanks to those that preceded me.
49. Nat | September 21st, 2008 at 12:48 pm

Hello Lolo! Great blogg and great post about food photography, thanks a lot for such a lesson, so helpful! And I also loved your work with the Knit cupcakes, so cute! Congratulations for everything! I’ll pass by here, I added it to my favorites. Greets from Spain, xxNat;-)
50. kelley | September 21st, 2008 at 1:07 pm

…but how does one hold off one’s husband until the pictures are taken? actually, a lot of the time i serve mine, then serve myself a prettier portion and take a picture. not that my shots are anywhere close to yours!
51. barbichounette | September 21st, 2008 at 1:18 pm

C’est domage que je sois nule en anglais car je n’ai rien compris…
Tes photos sont superbes….
Bizzzzzzzzz
Barbichounette
52. Kate | September 21st, 2008 at 1:27 pm

What an awesome post-thank you so much! I always learn so much from you and I appreciate that you take the time to share your talents. I’m still an “up close on the plate” girl, and I have trouble with natural light in my home, but I think I can make some big changes and hopefully see some improvement.

Thanks again!
53. Greengate | September 21st, 2008 at 2:01 pm

All your posts impress me and make me so proud. Your talent is well documented and now, paired with your generosity and gift for teaching, it is deliciously augmented. Congratulations Lolo and just know that your mom is always a true fan. You are swell!
54. purpley | September 21st, 2008 at 3:13 pm

Thanks for taking the time to detail that. What a sweet post, merci!
55. jessica~ | September 21st, 2008 at 4:10 pm

Wow! So much great information! Thank you for sharing it. Your food photography really is wonderful!
56. Veganalects | September 21st, 2008 at 4:12 pm

Wow. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Incredible post.

(But where’s that announcement?)
57. victoria winters | September 21st, 2008 at 4:56 pm

Wonderful post! I have had you linked from my site for years and came over today to see if you had any good vegan recipes, as my baby has just been diagnosed with egg and dairy allergies and since I’m still breastfeeding I can’t eat them either. Bummer.

As it happens, I’m also very interested in photography and loved your post. I love Lightroom (I used the trial version to edit shots I took at my brother-in-law’s wedding in August) and really need to shell out the bucks to buy my own.

I love your photos and think this post was great. Thanks!
58. Chris D. | September 21st, 2008 at 5:41 pm

Wow, wow, WOW! I’ve have searched the web endlessly for what you have provided so wonderfully. Thank you a million times over.
59. Just in case you ever nee&hellip | September 21st, 2008 at 5:48 pm

[...] September 22, 2008 by Sarah There’s an excellent post over at VeganYumYum on food photography. [...]
60. jordan | September 21st, 2008 at 6:21 pm

I must say that while I admire your dedication, I’m a little turned off. Frankly, it seems like you have a lot of money and a lot of leisure time, which is great… for you and others in your situation. Your photography tips really read like they’re targeted at people who have, like yourself, a lot of money. Most of the solutions and tips you’ve recommended involve dropping significant (to most of us, anyway) amounts of money on photography equipment and software.

Perhaps your target audience is people like I described above, people who can spend a couple thousand dollars on equipment and who have several hours a day to devote to a blog post, in which case, good work. However, as someone without a lot of spare income and without a 4 hours to spend photographing and editing content for my blog (and I believe there are more of “me” than there are of “you” out there in the vegan world), I find this kind of writing pretty alienating and not terribly encouraging. In fact, now I feel like I’m too poor and too busy to have a food blog, which is kind of sad.

Thanks anyway.

Hey Jordan. I’m sorry you feel alienated. Most of the content of this post was based off of questions that I get emailed to me about what specific camera, lenses, software I use, so I was just trying to throw as much information out there as I could. I think that the most dramatic changes someone can make in their photos is 1) turning off the flash and 2) using natural light, and both those things are easy and free! I’m sorry I discouraged you!
61. posty mcposterton | September 21st, 2008 at 6:46 pm

Wow… best technical blog I’ve read in a LONG while… thanks!!!!

~Dan
http://jazzsick.wordpress.com/
62. stacey | September 21st, 2008 at 7:21 pm

Thank you! I need this!
63. sam | September 21st, 2008 at 8:45 pm

wow! that’s an amazing post. Thank you so much!
64. A Pretty Mess » Blo&hellip | September 21st, 2008 at 9:09 pm

[...] Food Photography for Bloggers over at Vegan YumYum gives a really good overview of some basic camera functions and terms that can sometimes be confusing even if you’ve been at this for awhile. It’s also a beautiful blog, and although the tips are specific to photographing food, most can be transferred to other situations as well. (Thanks to Elise Bauer for this link.) Think of the aperture on your camera the same way as the pupil in your eye. When it’s dark out, your pupils expand to gather more light. If someone shines a light in your eye, they constrict and get very small to let less light in. Your camera’s aperture is the same. One of the side-effects is what’s called “depth of field.” When the aperture is very wide open, only a small amount of the image will be in focus, just like the photo on the left. If the aperture is very small, much more of the photo will be in focus. [...]
65. MJ | September 21st, 2008 at 10:13 pm

When I first read this post I had been directed by a friend who asked me if I found it alienating. As someone who constantly struggles with money and time, I expected to read a post that would make me ill with references to items I could never afford and make me feel angry when I was finished. I was ready to hate this post.

I was surprised to find that this post not only shows how to do the amazing photography you do, it shows it in a practical manner that someone who is interested in creating professional-looking photography can use. Your suggestions for cameras and lenses (grammar, don’t fail me now!) are perfect, they show the most economical first, then the higher priced items for when (or if!) one decides to go to the next level. I found your tips for finding dishes, using natural light and spray-painted boards interesting and helpful.

tl;dr: I may struggle with money, but if I ever think about starting a food blog, I’ll make sure to re-read this post first. You’re brilliant.
66. Francella Dell | September 21st, 2008 at 10:54 pm

Thank you for taking the time to write this post. I have photography magazines. I have photography books. I’ve checked out photography books from the library. I’ve had friends try to give me tips (that I usually don’t understand). And when it comes down to it, I’m a novice. I don’t know WHAT I AM DOING even though I have a DSLR. And your post explains, in layman’s terms what to do and why from the ground floor up. A VERY rare thing in the photography world. THANK YOU.
67. Laura | September 21st, 2008 at 11:52 pm

Thank you soooo much for all of the wonderful advice! As a fairly new blogger (since this spring), I would love all the tips I can get on how to take good pictures! I have a little sony digital too, so I am really trying hard to make it all work for me!
68. Heikki | September 22nd, 2008 at 1:44 am

Great advice, thanks for sharing it!

Quick reply to Jordan’s comment: You can get a EOS 350D second-hand for about 200 bucks, and a 50mm Canon lens for under $100. I think that’s not much if you’re serious about your hobby!
69. aNoop aka --xh-- | September 22nd, 2008 at 2:29 am

amazingly helpful.. thanks a lot for taking the pains to show us the nauseas of food photography. I am sure it will benefit me a lot… thnx a lot again…
70. Swedish Mike | September 22nd, 2008 at 2:33 am

Many thanks for this post. I had just been thinking of posting a general query on a couple of photography forums as to what lens to get next.

I already got the 50mm 1.8, and I do believe I’ll get the 60mm Macro one next after reading your excellent post.

Thanks again!

// Mike
71. Sanne | September 22nd, 2008 at 4:45 am

Thank you so much for this post, thanks for making it simple, us food bloggers need that sometimes.

Namaste.
72. Valerie | September 22nd, 2008 at 6:41 am

Thank you for the wonderful post - very helpful! I just have a basic dslr Nikon now, but I have been so tempted by photos that come out of the Canon line. I may have to upgrade my Nikon lenses for now.
73. Deeba | September 22nd, 2008 at 7:09 am

What a FANTASTIC post! I’ll keep coming back to read it coz I have LONG way to go. You’ve spent a lot of time & effort on doing this tutorial…& it shows! Thanks a TON!! Cheers Deeba
74. Dell | September 22nd, 2008 at 8:44 am

Wow, all these pictures of beautiful food is making me hungry. Especially the strawberry dish.

Great post
75. jo | September 22nd, 2008 at 8:56 am

thank you so much for this post! It has given me a lot of tips as photography is still a new thing to me.
76. Paula | September 22nd, 2008 at 10:46 am

I followed the link from Steamy Kitchen, and I’m so glad that I did! This is a wonderful post, full of helpful information, and I learned a lot. Thanks!
77. Eric | September 22nd, 2008 at 11:13 am

Great entry! I love your closing comment…..be prepared to eat a lot of meals cold……so true!!!
78. chanelle richardson | September 22nd, 2008 at 11:39 am

AWESOME post. thank you so much for taking the time to share all your tips, very very helpful (and delicious!).
i have told my family to eat dinner without me at times, because they are so tired of their own meals going cold, haha! ah, the life of a food fanatic.
79. Nate | September 22nd, 2008 at 11:56 am

This is an excellent post. Saved to Delicious. I will be referring to it again and again.

You should think of selling this info as an ebook.
80. Jay | September 22nd, 2008 at 12:47 pm

You have proven, time and time again that you can ‘teach’, even a novice, how to cook. This entry has proven that your incredible talent to ‘teach’ can spill into any field. You are indeed the ‘real deal’.
81. Micha | September 22nd, 2008 at 12:49 pm

I also followed the link from Steamy Kitchen - this is a really great post. Thanks for sharing!
82. [dave] | September 22nd, 2008 at 12:50 pm

great post, thank you
83. Leah | September 22nd, 2008 at 1:10 pm

What a wonderful and helpful post. I had actually been considering taking a photography course at a local community college just for the sake of my blog… but this is definitely a great start. Thanks for the tips and the inspiration!!!!
84. Alisa | September 22nd, 2008 at 2:04 pm

This post was so, incredibly helpful! Thank you so, so much<3
85. Kim U | September 22nd, 2008 at 2:21 pm

This was a really helpful post, thanks for sharing!
86. LisaSD | September 22nd, 2008 at 3:25 pm

With so many blogs and so little time, it is rare that I spend as much time as I did fully reading a piece. THANK YOU for the time you took to help those of us who are just starting (yes, there are still some newbies out there…Ha!) and I already have a NIKON SLR, so I think I can adapt your tips to it.

Isn’t it sad that there are people like Jordan who feel compelled to post a negative comment? How someone can be negative about your efforts just blows me away…so sad…
87. Bianca- Vegan Crunk | September 22nd, 2008 at 3:40 pm

Thanks so much for this! Believe it or not, I was a photojournalism major in college and graduated at the top of my class. But often, my photo quality isn’t the best. Part of the problem is my equipment. I have bad-ass film SLR cameras, but my only digital is PnS. I went to college pre-digital revolution…I’m also a little rusty because I went to work after college as a writer, rather than a photog.

But I’m asking the parents for a good digital SLR for Christmas and I’ll take your suggestions on the Cannon Rebel. I also get horribly impatient photographing food because I’m usually starving by the time I get done.

I do love your background suggestions. I’d like to start collecting some background boards.
88. Cy | September 22nd, 2008 at 5:46 pm

This is really useful. Thank you for sharing.

xoxo,

Cy
89. vBharat.com » Food P&hellip | September 22nd, 2008 at 6:17 pm

From vBharat.com » Food Photography for Bloggers

Food bloggers wear a lot of hats. We have to be chefs, prep cooks, food stylists, photographers, photo editors, dish washers, and writers every time we post a something new.
90. Pete | September 22nd, 2008 at 6:27 pm

Great post, I didn’t know about this blog until this morning and now it is definitely in my faves.

In response to those who feel alienated or intimidated by this sort of information, I’d like to offer some words of encouragement. As a professional photographer of nearly eight years, I read this post and learned something. No, I didn’t learn about shutter speeds, f-stops or ISO ratings.. that only took me 3-4 years to actually understand but I got it now. What I learned was another photog’s approach, and that is priceless.

Make no mistake, photography is an expensive hobby, and an even more expensive profession. If you want top-notch images, you’re going to pay top dollar for the kit. If you want a car that goes 160 and has leather seats, you’d expect to pay a pretty penny. Same with photography.

Even prosumer DSLRs and good glass are pricey items. You’re talking about complex, high precision, electro-optical systems that do amazing things with light. However, most people don’t need the weatherproofing and other high-end features that have nothing to do with image quality. And that’s the thing, in the end, regardless of what you used, it’s all about the image, and great images can come from affordable hardware with a little time and creativity put into your craft. The author doesn’t say this explicitly, but it is alluded to and worthy of repeating.

A Canon Rebel or 10D DSLR, 50mm f1.8 and a tripod can be found (craigslist, ebay, yard sales, etc) for less than $400 all told. Bang, you’re in the game. Download one of the many free image editing programs and you can produce the quality of images that were considered print-magazine quality less than 6 years ago. If $400 is beyond your budget, there are two options. You can get a point & shoot (still going to be $200+) or go with film. 35mm film cameras are cheap as dirt, and will force you to learn how to shoot. Take your film to Wal-Mart or wherever, and have them convert the film to a digital CD ($10? maybe). Pop that into your computer, and edit with free software.

With respect to the “leisure time” comment, while I’m going to guess the author enjoys what they do, it’s still work. It takes concentration and focus to do this sort of thing. If one wanted to be an accomplished pianist, they would be compelled to spend countless frustrating hours practicing nearly every day. Is that considered leisure time? The fact is that to do anything well takes time, there are no shortcuts.

Regardless, keep thinking about the images, because that’s what counts in the end. If you aren’t willing to spend a little money and a lot of time then the results will never satisfy you I’m sorry to say.

Cheers
91. Food photography tutorial&hellip | September 22nd, 2008 at 6:34 pm

[...] 22, 2008 · No Comments Steamy Kitchen linked to this food photography tutorial today. It’s fairly detailed and I agree with everything said in that blog posting except for [...]
92. AdHack Blog – How t&hellip | September 22nd, 2008 at 7:33 pm

[...] So Lolo’s recent post impressed me a ton: Food photography for bloggers. [...]
93. Delyla | September 22nd, 2008 at 8:51 pm

“With respect to the “leisure time” comment, while I’m going to guess the author enjoys what they do, it’s still work. It takes concentration and focus to do this sort of thing. If one wanted to be an accomplished pianist, they would be compelled to spend countless frustrating hours practicing nearly every day. Is that considered leisure time? The fact is that to do anything well takes time, there are no shortcuts.”

Indeed!
94. Esi | September 22nd, 2008 at 9:59 pm

This is an amazing post. Thanks for putting the time and effort into helping people out. The step by steps are fantastic!
95. barbichounette | September 23rd, 2008 at 2:10 am

Après être passée plusieurs fois sur ton blog hier…
J’ai craqué et je me suis acheté un nouvel appareil photo !!!!
Je voulais le EOS depuis très longtemps mais décidement pas dans mes moyens…
Du coup, j’ai inversti pour un Olympus SP-570 UZ. Les critiques sont très bonnes !!
Il me reste plus qu’à bien comprendre comment il fonctionne !!!
Une visite qui m’aura coutée cher !!! hihihihihi !!!
Bizzzzzzzz
Barbichounette
96. Lynn | September 23rd, 2008 at 10:10 am

What a fun post! I’m still a point-and-shooter at this point, but I’ll file this away for future reference. Even if I weren’t vegan, I’d visit your site for the sheer beauty of it. I recently started a secondary blog to keep track of the gluten-free vegan muffin/biscuit recipes my husband invents, and while for now my photos are quick-and-dirty-before-the-kids-eat-everything shots, I hope eventually to make the food actually look good! This will help tremendously!! Have a wonderful day…
97. jen | September 23rd, 2008 at 10:14 am

thank you for such a detailed post! your photos are always amazing, and it’s fun to see how you do it. i photograph a lot of non-food things i make, and your tips are very applicable!
98. Food Lover | September 23rd, 2008 at 11:15 am

This is an awesome post–your photographs are amazing, and the tips you provided are truly helpful. Thanks!
99. nariposa | September 23rd, 2008 at 11:43 am

Thanks for the awesome article. Found you by way of flickr and I expect I’ll be following you more in the future. I’ve been writing a similar tutorial for concert photography with an entry level SLR. Your photography was a great compliment to the concepts presented.
100. Amy | September 23rd, 2008 at 12:11 pm

I was sent here by my sister Lynn (a few comments above) and am so glad I visited! I do photography not for a blog but for web sites that I build (yarn instead of food!) and recently graduated to a dSLR. Although I did learn all the exposure stuff many years ago on a film camera, your post was a great refresher on how to get things looking the way I want. Even with the new camera I’m still disappointed with the digital treatment of red and am having trouble with blowouts. I read that underexposing helps; do you have any hints on that?

Thanks for taking the time to put together this amazing post!

Hey Amy! Shooting yarn is hard. I have a profile on Ravelry and every time I try to take a picture of my knitting or my stash I struggle, so I feel for you! I’d definitely try underexposing a bit. And if you have access to a photo editor, see if you can vary the intensity of just certain colors–sometimes there is a slider for each color in “saturation” and you can simply drag down the reds a little when needed, and some programs even let you vary the hue of the color if it looks more red or more orange than the real thing.. But red is notoriously difficult! Sometimes there’s also a “highlight recovery” feature for whites that are blown out. Or look for something called “curves” or “tone curve” and mess with the upper right-hand portion of the line, as that is the “highlight” part of your photos. (The middle of the line are your mid-tones and the left part of the line are your shadows).

But in terms of in-camera work, I think underexposing is a great place to start. Try several different exposures without changing anything else about the photo so you can easily compare afterwards. Your dSLR might have the option of showing you a histogram of each image as you take it; it looks like a graph. If there are a lot of spikes on the right side of the graph, you know you’re blowing out your whites. Check out this site for more info on that.
101. tanyastuff | September 23rd, 2008 at 12:23 pm

what a lovely post - thank you for sharing your knowledge with us.
102. Megan | September 23rd, 2008 at 12:36 pm

Great tutorial Lolo! :3 I’m afraid my PnS camera won’t take nearly as lovely photos, but the framing and lighting tips were so helpful! Thanks so much!
103. Erica Phillips | September 23rd, 2008 at 1:44 pm

As always Lolo… great job! And I have to disagree w/ the unhappy poster who said it seems like you have time and money to spare. I believe I read somewhere that you quit your job awhile ago to start on this blog and a cookbook? If that’s true then this IS your job, and you are certainly devoted. And you by NO means have the most expensive equipment (my husband is a photographer, so I unfortunately know how expensive just a simple lens or even an extender can be!). I appreciate all the hard work you put into this blog for US, your faithful readers. I also wanted to let you know that you were featured on http://www.yumsugar.com. Keep up the good work, and thanks again for everything you do for us!
104. food photography by Lolo!&hellip | September 23rd, 2008 at 3:55 pm

[...] { VeganYumYum: Food Photography for Bloggers } [...]
105. Christine | September 23rd, 2008 at 4:30 pm

Even though the entry’s title is “Food Photography for Bloggers”, I recommend that every beginner/amature photographer should read this. This is a very well-put tutorial on how to be a successful photographer in general.

I just wanted to repeat some very important things that you mentioned that will help every photographer take better pictures than they are now:

- Use natural light whenever possible, but not direct light because then your pictures will be harsh (unless you intend it to be so).
- Use a tripod when taking pictures (even if you have a point-and-shoot digital camera). Don’t have one? Lean up against something to keep steady, prop your arm on top of something, and/or go out and buy one.
- Always take more than 3 pictures of your subject (the first one under exposed, the second properly exposed, and thirdly over exposed).
- Always walk around your subject first to try and figure out the best angle for the shot, that way you don’t have to sift through 200 pictures only to use a couple

Thanks for sharing your knowledge to all of us Lolo! Your pictures reflect your knowledge - brilliant!

~Christine
106. Veronica | September 23rd, 2008 at 6:05 pm

Thank you so much for this entry. I came here from jaden’s post. I would like to take better photos and i’m on a college student budget, so no SLR camera for me. I have a regular point and shoot which has done well for me for landscape shots and what not. I’m just now understanding all the terminology and the idea behind lighting. I wish i read this post years ago. : )
107. Sylvie | September 23rd, 2008 at 11:02 pm

Génial! I have been in awe of your photos and food and general loveliness for months and months, and this is a magnificent resource I feel very lucky to have. Thanks again!
108. frannie | September 24th, 2008 at 12:03 am

Wow, that was ALOT of awesome and useful information. Thanks for sharing your tips with us.
109. shavedicesundays | September 24th, 2008 at 1:00 am

What an amazing post! Your photos are beautiful. I’ve been racking my brains trying to figure out why my photos are just not coming out right, and now I got some new stuff to test out. Thank you.
110. Martina | September 24th, 2008 at 3:16 am

Your pictures and your adives are more than greate!

wiches from germany
111. Gourmet Traveller | September 24th, 2008 at 4:10 am

Thank you so much for your generous information. They are very useful and I am very happy to have found your blog : )
112. sunshinemom | September 24th, 2008 at 4:35 am

Thanks for such an informative post! I was just looking for tips that dealt with every aspect and you have done just that!
113. garbane | September 24th, 2008 at 4:35 am

What a useful post! Thank you!

Yet i’d like to disagree with one of your advices regarding the dishes: “1. White will always, always work.” Personally I cant do a proper picture with white plates as they always get overexposed and ruin the picture.. Any ideas what to do about it? I am a total novice at food photography.
114. thinking about food | September 24th, 2008 at 5:26 am

Wow! Excellent post, really helpful thanks!
115. anaylli | September 24th, 2008 at 7:17 am

Great post! I’m a total novice at food photography but I’m trying to make it work with my little PnS, lol. Thanks for the tip on the Ego lights! I’m definitely going to look into them before upgrading my camera…
116. Sangita | September 24th, 2008 at 8:02 am

This is really helpful! I have been looking for an article just like this. I am trying to improve my food photography. Thanks for sharing!
117. Mayan | September 24th, 2008 at 9:30 am

Thank you thank you thank you!
118. jessica@budgetsavvybride | September 24th, 2008 at 9:38 am

This is a WONDERFUL post- so helpful! I don’t often take photos of food but I think this will help me in all aspects of my photography! What a good teacher you are!
119. patsyk | September 24th, 2008 at 9:44 am

It’s been years since I took my H.S. photography class, so I found your post so very helpful! I’m bookmarking it so I can refer to it often. I really appreciate all the information you shared and took the time to illustrate.
120. Danielle | September 24th, 2008 at 10:39 am

Another knitter here. I found your post via Tastespotting, and then saw in the comments that you’re on Ravelry, and then realized that (1) I “know” your knitted cupcakes and (2) you’re a local — I work in Cambridge

Thanks for this great post. I can only imagine how long it took to write, edit, and illustrate with the appropriate images, and I wanted to let you know how much it is appreciated! The timing as perfect, as I just bought a DSLR (Nikon D80) and want to learn more about how to get the photos I want.

Now I need to get some foam core and spray paint!
121. please sir | September 24th, 2008 at 10:57 am

Thank you thank you thank you! I started doing indoor photos of displays - not involving food, but these tips help so much. You are a wealth of information - thank you so much for sharing your tips and ideas!
122. zee | September 24th, 2008 at 11:22 am

Wow, this is such an incredible site. A real treasure. Thanks for sharing
123. Erborina | September 24th, 2008 at 11:28 am

This post is just incredible! Thank you very much.
I was looking for some useful information for buying new lenses and lights (although like you I prefer natural light).
Once again, thank you very much. Nice job!
124. Food Lover | September 24th, 2008 at 11:45 am

This post is incredible; I read it yesterday and can’t stop thinking about it so I came back again today. Really helpful, especially to someone like me who is starting to do recipe development. And it’s true, you have to provide everything from soup to nuts in most instances. Your photographs are beautiful–hope to get there one day!
125. kittie | September 24th, 2008 at 12:03 pm

Thank you thank you thank you for such a wonderful post!

I’ve been grappling with my canon for some time… so many options - I end up with brain freeze, reverting back to ‘auto’ AND my dinner’s cold

I’m going home now to play!
126. Kristen | September 24th, 2008 at 12:04 pm

So very helpful and informative! Loaded with info. Nice work!
127. Food Photography for Blog&hellip | September 24th, 2008 at 12:12 pm

[...] Check out Vegan Yum Yum for more stellar photography and a food photography tutorial. [...]
128. Donna | September 24th, 2008 at 12:21 pm

WOW! Thanks for all this great info. Lots to digest. It’ll take me a while, but I’ll get through it all!
129. veggiebelly | September 24th, 2008 at 12:48 pm

Thankyou! Thankyou!! Thankyou!!! You have been so generous in giving away such great advice.

How can you calibrate the monitor?
130. Mr Furious | September 24th, 2008 at 2:15 pm

Nikon also has a cheap 50mm 1.8 lens. It is without question the best money I’ve spent on photographic equipment—and I’ve spent plenty. For just over $100 this lens allows you to do a LOT of things that really make your photos pop in ways a kit lens or PnS can’t.

I recommend it for everyone. It forces you to think about photography and what you’re shooting in a different way. For one, it is a fixed focal length, which means you must “zoom with your feet.” But the ability to play with Depth of Field (DoF) is exhilarating—whether I’m shooting food or my kids. The ability to blur a background is what everyone is used to seeing in magazine food photos, but it is what makes fashion and lifestyle portraits better too. It isolates focus on your subject, not the picnic table (or whatever) in the background…

With my D80, I use this lens in Aperture-Priority mode and set it at 1.8 for a shallow DoF and let the camera calculate everything else.

The only quibble I have with the column is regarding the “skip the kit lens.” For instance, I know the 18-55 VR lens coming with entry level Nikons is a very good lens for the money (it costs $199 by itself)—if you can get the lens with the body at a significant savings, do so.

I leave the 50 1.8 on my camera 80% of the time, but I often wish I had spent the extra hundred bucks when I bought my D80 body-only.

Another thing to consider is filters. The 50, and many of the kit lenses share a common filter size (52). That can be a significant savings as well if you can swap your filters across more than one lens.

I recommend a protective filter for every lens (or at least every lens when in use) but one filter that gives great results shooting outdoors is a polarizer—gives you the deep blue in the sky, cuts glare, eliminates reflections… I have three lenses that can share one polarizer.
131. Mr Furious | September 24th, 2008 at 2:19 pm

I meant to include a link…here are some shots with the 50mm 1.8.
132. Mr Furious | September 24th, 2008 at 2:24 pm

Jordan,

The number of people running around with Rebels using their original kit lenses far exceeds those with unlimited disposable incomes and endless leisure time…that’s who this is directed at.

Most everything in this post can be accomplished for free (as the author notes) or with a modest investment in a 50mm 1.8 lens—about a hundred bucks.
133. Mr Furious | September 24th, 2008 at 2:26 pm

And that’s the beauty of digital—the photos are free! Shoot a hundred shots of that steak, you don’t have to pay $40 to develop them!
134. russ | September 24th, 2008 at 6:42 pm

What a great insight into the world of photogrophy - very useful reference for capturing food at its best! I was thinking about getting a G9 (not an SLR), to replace my awful mobile phone photos which would be one hell of an upgrade, but I do like photography enough to warrant getting an SLR - I wonder if the G9 would be good enough to get shots as good as yours?
135. Lori | September 24th, 2008 at 7:38 pm

Thank you. You are an amzingly devoted and talented phtographer with a keen eye.

A very well written post. Thanks for taking the time to do this.
136. Lizzy | September 24th, 2008 at 8:12 pm

Thank you!
137. Alana | September 24th, 2008 at 9:10 pm

So VERY helpful to me as a beginner blogger. THANKS and this post has been added to my favorites for further reference.
138. links for 2008-09-24 &raq&hellip | September 25th, 2008 at 1:32 am

[...] n VeganYumYum » Food Photography for Bloggers [...]
139. Sia | September 25th, 2008 at 3:38 am

Can’t thank you enough for this post Lolo. Can you also provide some useful links at the end of post which provides little more information on shutter speeds, f-stops or ISO ratings? I have been reading quite a lot of posts on them but to tell u frankly i am getting more confused:)
once again thank u for taking time and posting this article which will be referred again and again.
140. Pink Parisian | September 25th, 2008 at 4:18 am

This is an awesome post well deserving of a stumble I’ve bookmarked this page and will try to put into practice what I’ve read her on my food blog.
141. delicieux | September 25th, 2008 at 7:08 am

This is an amazingly detailed and insightful description of how to take amazing photos of food. Thank you SO much for your wonderful advice. I have only recently started my own food blog and always wondered how others achieved such amazing photos, now I know!!!

Thanks again for your wonderful work
142. Greg Turner | September 25th, 2008 at 9:18 am

Excellent post! I was asked by a reader to do a food photography tutorial, but in the interim, I’m just going to send people here.
143. ClaudiaWR | September 25th, 2008 at 10:46 am

Hey, thanks so much! I have found this post to be incredibly useful and helpful, as so many of the food photography suggestions I have found elsewhere are really basic and limited. I’m going to try out those lights that you have, as I find myself rushing to finish things just as the sun goes down. Beautiful job, as usual!
144. bee | September 25th, 2008 at 11:46 am

great post. for those looking to SLRs, i’d also recommend sony (i own a canon).

if you’re thinking of buying a lowel ego, heer’s how you can make something at home for very cheap
http://jugalbandi.info/2008/08/photography-solutions-do-it-yourself-tabletop-lighting-system/
145. Jess - The Domestic Vegan | September 25th, 2008 at 2:09 pm

Wow, look at all these comments! Holy cow. What an amazing, amazing post. I could seriously look through & read this all day long… (But I’m at work, so I had to skim, and will be back later to soak in every detail.) This is really interesting–and useful because your pictures are always GORGEOUS!
146. Ore | September 25th, 2008 at 10:39 pm

Great Post - You’ve inspired me to buy a new lense but I’m saving up for my wedding now…

I have an Xti with an 18-250 macro f 3.5/6.3 which I thought would be a great all around lens. It is but I think I will move to a 60mm 2.8 Macro or the 50 m 1.4. In your opinion, can you tell the difference between the 2.8 and 1.4? I was hoping to see a shot that would help show the difference but I guess the 1.4 can also shoot the 2.8…

Anyways - thanks for the burst of inspiration and the tip on the matte finish spray paint!

Ciao,

Ore
147. Therese-Marie | September 26th, 2008 at 12:18 am

Merci, merci beaucoup…!
This post was super helpful to help me manage everything better from my styling, lighting, camera settings and work flow.
This post was SO well organized and easy to learn from…you are wonderful to share this with us all.
I appreciate very much all the time and effort that you have put into
this treasure of a post for someone like me that is a new food blogger.
Merci mille fois…!
148. Amy | September 26th, 2008 at 1:23 am

Awesome, awesome, awesome! Thank you!!
149. Amy | September 26th, 2008 at 1:24 am

(And your photos are beautiful!!)
150. George@CulinaryTravels | September 26th, 2008 at 1:31 am

Fantastic! Really informative and really helpful. I’ve not long since bought a Nikon D60 and am just about finding my feet with it so to speak, these tips will really help.

THANKS!!
151. erika | September 26th, 2008 at 2:43 am

thanks so much for this post!! i have heard so many great things about the 50mm f1.8 lens, and after reading all this i finally went out and bought it and i couldn’t be happier! thanks for sharing this, you always have the most beautiful photos
152. Pete | September 26th, 2008 at 5:13 am

@Ore The difference between 2.8 and 1.4 is measured in miles, with regards to low-light performance, bokeh (Japanese term describing foreground separation as a result of background blur), and how thin the depth of field will be.

If you’re looking to do product/food photos, and you want the really fine details, then the 60 is most likely a better option, because of its magnification factor. In a not-completely-accurate but easy-to-understand terms, each lens will take the real world view and compress it down (optically) onto the film or sensor. Less compression = more detail. The 60 lets you get nearly a 1:1 ratio between real-word dimensions, and the dimensions on the sensor, which means lots and lots of detail. If you only want macro, Canon also makes a 100mm 2.8 that’s worth looking at.

The 50mm 1.8/1.4/1.2L series of Canon lenses are all spectacular, as is the 85mm 1.2L. You will find that these primes give sharpness tough to achieve with zoom lenses, soft smooth bokeh and are just fun to use, although they can be frustrating at first. They are great for the type of work on this site, as you can see, but they also make excellent portrait lenses, they work well at events because of the fast aperature (small f-stop, ie lots of light), and bokeh. Then again, you can also get some decent portraits with the 60.

One of the best free-resources for Canon hardware is the-digital-picture.com, excellent reviews of everything Canon.
153. Michelanie | September 26th, 2008 at 5:19 am

Love_the_idea_of_the_foam_core_boards_spray_painted_with_matt_finish!
154. Jen | September 26th, 2008 at 9:35 am

Your photography graciously captures the beauty of food. Thanks so much for this amazing post! I’ve been seeking photography guidance, as I’m a writer who needs to also ’speak’ through photos now that I blog…Great ideas
155. gary Bartholomew | September 26th, 2008 at 3:14 pm

Wonderful lighting and an great post.

Search utube for lightright and you will see a movie using widow light and reflectors.

Gary B
156. Kimberly Schaub | September 26th, 2008 at 7:34 pm

Oh, I was always so curious about how food was photographed! What an amazing talent really. I enjoy the process of creating the food and nourishing my family. The artistic elements you add are amazing! I can’t wait to share this blog with my friends!
157. Aissa Galoso | September 26th, 2008 at 10:46 pm

Mise en place shots are gorgeous!
158. jane | September 27th, 2008 at 5:51 am

Amazing post! I’ll share this with my brother who is a novice photographer. Great work!
159. Farmgirl Susan | September 27th, 2008 at 1:39 pm

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! : )
160. Johanna | September 27th, 2008 at 8:28 pm

Thanks for a really useful post - I don’t have the equipment or patience for gorgeous photos and cold meals but I will try and take on board a few of your tips!
161. Irene, KozeeLady | September 27th, 2008 at 9:10 pm

A friend just gave me this link and it’s in my favorites! I shoot beverage and liquid food photos with food props for my company blog and of course knitting projects for Ravelry. You have addressed some problems I’ve been trying to solve. Thank you!

I have a Nikon Coolpix 5600 but haven’t been able to find anything about F-stops. I would love to blur the backgrounds in my photos. This would be another way for me to soften the line between the backboard and surface. Any suggestions?

My “studio” is in my bedroom! I use foam boards draped with a white cloth but this is getting boring so will do the spray painting and experiment. I’ve had the light from the window behind the camera. I’m going to move to the end of the bed to experiment with side lighting.

I’ve bought most of my dishes, mugs, glasses, tea cups, silk flowers, holiday decorations, etc from Goodwill at very, very low prices.

While reading your post and looking at my own camera and manual, I discovered I could change color settings to vivid color, black and white, sepia, and cyanotype. I’ve only had the camera for two years!

Thank you for taking the time to do this well written post! My last shoot was hot fudge sauce and fresh strawberries which I enjoyed while “fixing” the photo in Photoshop!
162. pixen | September 28th, 2008 at 8:19 am

Thank you so much for sharing your skills and view. Not all foodies willing to do that. I’m new in food photography and I have limit knowledge in this field. Thank you to all foodie’s knowledge shared in here as well. I hope we can improved with each ‘click’ we made. Thank you again~
163. Photography for Food Blog&hellip | September 28th, 2008 at 10:18 am

[...] Yum Yum just posted this amazingly comprehensive guide to [...]
164. viz | September 28th, 2008 at 12:20 pm

just 3 words, everything else is too much

THANKS FOR SHARING
165. In My Head » Blog A&hellip | September 28th, 2008 at 3:22 pm

[...] across this site and found it fascinating. Thought I’d [...]
166. Ali Bonar | September 28th, 2008 at 3:34 pm

Your photos are pure genius, thanks so much for the post as well..
I’m always like, “how does she DO that?!”
and now I know, I guess :]
167. Maggie | September 28th, 2008 at 5:43 pm

Wonderful post! I’ve been trying very hard to improve my food photography and have been thinking about investing in lighting (with winter coming) or a new lens. Your lens section was concise and very helpful. Thanks!
168. La Vida Vegan | September 28th, 2008 at 8:11 pm

What can I say that hasn’t already been said? You are amazing, thank you so much for taking the time to share these priceless tips. Your photos are always exquisite!
169. Miss t | September 28th, 2008 at 9:39 pm

Oh my … this is just the most fantastic post! Thank you for all the effort you have gone to to share.
Miss T
170. Clara | September 29th, 2008 at 7:25 am

Amazing pictures and great tips. You’re right. When you start blogging you find yourself doing a bit of everything. Thanks for the information.
171. kelly | September 29th, 2008 at 1:23 pm

Thank you for that amazing tutorial. It was extremely helpful.
172. Radha | September 29th, 2008 at 4:01 pm

Hi,
Thanks a ton for the detailed article!! Appreciate it!!
173. imogene. » Blog Arc&hellip | September 29th, 2008 at 9:41 pm

[...] too! can i make jewelry look as scrumptious as these photos? lucky for me, like smitten kitchen, vegan yum yum has also provided some photo tips. first things first- tomorrow i will go through my very meager [...]
174. Donna Binbek | September 30th, 2008 at 6:30 am

Hi,
I want to say thanks a bunch for all this info the best I’ve seen so far. Trying to save up for the big gun canon eos, right now, since I’m just starting out, I’ve been using my trust PnS Canon psA520. I will be ordering those lights from amazon, thanks again!
175. Cesia | September 30th, 2008 at 10:32 am

Love love LOVE this post! I blogged about it.

http://ceceatitagain.blogspot.com/2008/09/national-poisoned-blackberries-day.html

- Cesia.
176. Kathleen Dixon | September 30th, 2008 at 10:48 am

Your website is too cool - your mom told me about it this morning - I am the bookseller on WI - will share it with the photographer

Thanks,
Kathleen
177. Jessie | September 30th, 2008 at 1:39 pm

Wow. Thank you SO much for such a thorough, informative post! I think photography is the thing I struggle with most, as I don’t have a lot of natural light in my kitchen for cooking shots. Your pics are gorgeous and your advice really valuable.

+Jessie
a.k.a. The Hungry Mouse
178. Easier Than Falling Off a&hellip | September 30th, 2008 at 4:03 pm

[...] picture is blurry. That is because, unlike the makers of certain otherwise-helpful food photography guides, I can’t take dozens of shots until I get the right one, and I can’t spend ages setting [...]
179. Vegan YumYum at Gato Pret&hellip | September 30th, 2008 at 4:47 pm

[...] ela conseguia tirar fotos tão bonitas dos pratos que executava. Alguns dias atrás, Lolo colocou um post bem esclarecedor, com várias dicas sobre “fotos de comida para bloggers”. Neste post, [...]
180. sharon | September 30th, 2008 at 9:49 pm

I stumbled upon your blog through a series of other clicks and I’m so happy to have found you! This is an extremely helpful post. While my pictures have vastly improved since I started blogging, photography has remained a little bit of a thorn in my side as I still struggle with capturing my food in pictures. Thanks for the tips!!
181. Cookthink: Our Friends In&hellip | October 1st, 2008 at 2:25 pm

[...] case you missed it, Lauren from VeganYumYum did a beautiful post about food photography that’s inspiring for anyone who ever wanted to snap a pic of something edible. And our newest [...]
182. Jay | October 1st, 2008 at 7:59 pm

I love this post! I will always refer back to this. I have learned a lot from this post!! Awesome!!
183. Swedish Mike | October 2nd, 2008 at 1:58 am

Hi there,

I just wanted to let you know that I linked to this page from my blog. I just posted about my newly purchased Lowel EGO light and mentioned that I got some of my inspiration for that purchase from your blog.

The direct link is here: http://www.freestylecookery.com/2008/10/new-light-in-my-life.html

Many thanks for a great blog!

// Mike
http://www.freestylecookery.com
184. Photography Articles Arou&hellip | October 2nd, 2008 at 10:39 am

[...] on photography Five Tips For Better Beach Photography Two Power Tips For The Traveling Photographer Food Photography for Bloggers Photography - Beauty in Colors A Very Unusual Impressionistic Photograph of Green Fields 6 STEPS TP [...]
185. Stephanie | October 2nd, 2008 at 9:16 pm

Thank you for an incredibly thorough and informative post! Your photography talent equals your cooking talent. As an aspiring vegan blogger myself, I truly appreciate your insight. Thanks for sharing it with us!
186. Latrice | October 3rd, 2008 at 12:20 am

I loved this post. I’m always trying to find helpful resources regarding food photography and your post was just that. So thanks for the useful advice and I’ll be implementing your input in my own work. Thanks so much.
187. Matthew | October 4th, 2008 at 12:37 pm

FYI, this post has been submitted to Digg - http://digg.com/food_drink/Food_Photography_for_Bloggers
188. Foodfotografie - Tipps un&hellip | October 6th, 2008 at 1:52 am

[...] Essen im Web und plaudert ein wenig aus dem Nähkästchen. In ihrem umfangreichen Beitrag Food Photography for Bloggers beschreibt sie anhand von vielen Beispielfotos genau, wie auch andere Amateurköche [...]
189. SmarterFitter Blog »&hellip | October 6th, 2008 at 3:34 am

[...] to become a better food photographer? Then check out this recent post from VeganYumYum, Food Photography for Bloggers, which covers everything from plates to [...]
190. Mayan | October 6th, 2008 at 10:05 am

any tips for shooting in the winter when very little or low quality light is all I can get through the window?

the autumn gloom is starting to set in and it’s hard to pick up the natural, vibrant colors of the food i shoot.
191. Ameet Maturu | October 6th, 2008 at 10:32 am

Thank you for your generosity! As a fellow food blogger, who wears many hats, I can’t tell you how helpful this was.
192. Inkublog » Around t&hellip | October 7th, 2008 at 12:18 pm

[...] VeganYumYum » Food Photography for Bloggers - Advice for photographing food for bloggers. The article doesn’t just apply to bloggers, these tips will help inform and inspire anyone wanting to build a cookbook (or any sort of Inkubook that features food for that matter). [...]
193. Word Perv | October 7th, 2008 at 2:18 pm

Where’s the recipe for the mushroom and tomato stacked sandwich thingy? (Yes, I used the word “thingy”). I can’t find it in your archive and it looks scrumptious!

Thanks!
194. tamburix | October 8th, 2008 at 5:24 am

Fantastic tutorial!
Thanks for sharing!
195. The Spring Partners Blog &hellip | October 9th, 2008 at 4:37 pm

[...] reader & commits him or her for life. A few examples: Vegan Yum Yum’ recent post on food photography for bloggers, The Simple Dollar’s post about what he learned as a first time home buyer and ten simple [...]
196. Alisa | October 10th, 2008 at 11:40 am

Great tutorial! Ive always wanted some tips on food photography. I’d like to share with you some great veggie recipes that can be found at Foodista. do check it out! Thanks again!
197. leah | October 10th, 2008 at 1:23 pm

Wow. My husband and I have been toying around with the idea of creating a cookbook as a Christmas present for friends and family. Only problem? Our photos of our meals totally sucked! Now I have an awesome primer on how to shoot our meals and actually make them look as appetizing as they taste! Thank you!!
198. Cartoons and plates &laqu&hellip | October 12th, 2008 at 6:04 am

[...] made by Lolo at VeganYumYum, whose blog I was fascinated and inspired by. She wrote a post about photographing food, and mentioned the importance of the right dishes, and suggested buying just one or two [...]
199. Daria | October 14th, 2008 at 8:18 am

Thank you sooo much for the article. It’s very helpful and interesting.

I was wondering if you have a technique or some tips on getting the exposure right? This is one of the most difficult parts for me. All your photos look amazing, have great exposure! If you do have one could you please give some tips on that as well?

Many many thanks!
200. aristebreerry | October 14th, 2008 at 9:07 am

Hello.
The natural photo of the new arrival, taken by Emma Tallulah’s dad,
Bye.
201. Josh | October 14th, 2008 at 1:13 pm

So, using my cell phone to take pictures is probably the reason why my shots aren’t coming out as well as these.

Seriously, though… as everyone else has said, this is an excellent tutorial. It’s easy for a novice like myself to understand. Thank you for going through all the trouble to write it.
202. Wanda | October 15th, 2008 at 4:29 pm

Thanks so much for the great advice!
My main interest is wildlife photography and I feel I’ve gotten pretty good at it. However, my food pictures always look horrible.
I’m going to use some of your advice and hopefully improve them (at least they can’t get any worse).
203. Philippa O | October 16th, 2008 at 4:28 am

thank you so much for this post! i’m going to put your advice into practice and make my photos look even more delicious!
204. ana | October 16th, 2008 at 6:12 am

Thank you, thank you, thank you….! Great post! Love it!
205. VROG in Bristol | October 16th, 2008 at 4:39 pm

this blog deserves an award for this article alone
clear, thorough, encouraging, personal, brilliant
not to mention the quality and clarity of the presentation and the photography
absolutely love it
206. Needle Exchange » P&hellip | October 21st, 2008 at 7:14 am

[...] Yum Yum has a good article on Food Photography for Bloggers, but considering the scale of food (small) and the scale of knitting (wouldn’t you know [...]
207. Sweet Tooth | October 21st, 2008 at 8:16 pm

Thank you! Well written, comprehensive and entertaining (eating food cold - I had to smile!) - perfect mixture to leave inspired.

Thanks,

Alexandra
208. shibani | October 22nd, 2008 at 9:22 pm

Oh there can;t be a better article than this on food photography.I had some queries in my mind and I am glad to find out answers in ur very elaborate and excellent post.
Thanks for sharing the tips, low iSO setting and taking pictures RAW format.
209. Heidi | October 23rd, 2008 at 1:48 pm

This post is such a life saver, I’ve been working on food pictures and just could get them to what i wanted…this offered so many helpful information that I will definitely be using! Thank you!
210. Marianne | October 24th, 2008 at 12:23 pm

This is an awesome how to post for food photography. If only I had a tripod, and didn’t live in a basement suite with minimal windows (therefore minimal natural light)…then perhaps I could try and produce shots as spectacular as yours.
211. Tony | October 25th, 2008 at 11:31 pm

This post was extremely helpful! Your pictures are amazing, your food looks delicious, and the blog itself is nice and clean. I’m glad I stumbled upon it! Thank you. *bookmark*
212. wallflour camille | October 26th, 2008 at 2:40 pm

This post is incredibly informative. Thanks for taking the time to share all your “secret chef “info on food and photography.
213. Bloggers are SO helpful! &hellip | October 27th, 2008 at 4:40 am

[...] particular, I was pleased at all the information that I gleaned from this helpful blogger: http://veganyumyum.com/2008/09/food-photography-for-bloggers/. After reading her helpful hints, my photos went from looking like [...]
214. cheritycall | October 27th, 2008 at 6:08 am

hi, Give something for help the hungry people in Africa or India,
I created this blog about that subject:
at http://tinyurl.com/5qlbzs
215. shibani | November 1st, 2008 at 3:22 am

Thanks for the tip, setting in Raw format is great idea, the pictures are awesome.
216. Andy | November 1st, 2008 at 1:27 pm

This Recipe site looks great! all these recipes are great!

Andy
217. yun | November 4th, 2008 at 12:07 am

What a nice tutorial you post here. Thanks alot for sharing your knowledge with us. I agree with your last sentence of this post. “But if you’re going to get really into food photography, be ready to eat a lot of your meals cold.” Maybe I should learn to eat cold meals….But, I am still unsure if I can do this.
TFS though
218. Samantha | November 7th, 2008 at 12:14 am

What an awesome post, very easy to understand & great tips! You can amazing work! I still can’t believe that Coconut Blood Orange Bundt Cake photo was taken at night, crazy!
219. Katelyn | November 7th, 2008 at 4:22 pm

WOWOWOWOW.
i have been doing photography for about 2 years now and i learned so much in the last 15 minutes of reading that its really not even funny.

the questions i always wanted to ask… answered before i even got the chance. your food photography is amazing.. as well as your ability to make it!!!

thank you SOOOO Much
220. Selba | November 17th, 2008 at 4:53 am

This is really great!!! I’m still learning on how to take good food pictures. Thanks for sharing the tips.
221. messenger | November 18th, 2008 at 5:33 pm

Jordan - HTFU. It’s not about the camera, it’s about the brains behind it. You can get excellent photos with a digital point & shoot camera. I got a second hand camera phone (Sony Ericsson k800i) handed down to me by a workmate. It would normally cost £60 in a second hand shop, and it’s able to produce really nice photos if you have decent light, use macro mode, and compose your shot thoughtfully.
222. John | November 18th, 2008 at 9:44 pm

Thanx! Great! Im looking into buying the EF 60 2.8 macro…and now I will…
223. Christina | November 19th, 2008 at 4:58 pm

Thank you so much for sharing what you know!
224. Carolina COKROPRAYITNO | November 19th, 2008 at 8:34 pm

I really get a lot of information from your post, I like to do macro photography and kind of confused what kind of lens I want to buy, thx to you, you gave me a lot of information. And i love your photos they are great
225. Chef Bertha | November 26th, 2008 at 4:19 pm

my name is Chef Bertha and i LOVE your blog photos. You have a wonderful site. My photos are a little different from yours and i think your photos are also more to the point than the ones on my blog.
226. Vegan Yum Yum - Blogs Mik&hellip | November 30th, 2008 at 6:18 pm

[...] posted a great how to on food photography here. A few recipes on my to-do list are the Asparagus and white bean pesto tart, and the Gnocchi with [...]
227. doidaloidoi | December 5th, 2008 at 5:31 am

I feel so hungry seeing the photos of this nice foods.

doi
http://wahp.me
228. evi | December 5th, 2008 at 6:46 pm

wow what a great post and wonderful photos. It really usefull for me. Make me want to buy 50mm/1.4 :). can I link your website to mine?
229. Pesquisa de Perfil PratoF&hellip | December 7th, 2008 at 10:00 pm

[...] E quem saber, algumas dicas de como tirar foto de comida, nesse meio tempo leia: “Food Photography for Bloggers” melhor artigo sobre o tema que já [...]
230. ernie | December 11th, 2008 at 4:06 pm

wow, now thats what i call “eating with your eyes first” great post!!!
231. Michelle | December 12th, 2008 at 8:39 pm

Thank you sooo much! I just started a food blog and this was perfect for what I was seeking!
232. Zahra | December 14th, 2008 at 1:11 pm

Hi there! Thanks SO much for sharing all your wisdom!

I’ve been meaning to buy a SLR for a while now, and this certainly pointed me in the right direction!

But I have a few questions I was wondering you could give your opinion on? (dont worry I wont hold you accountable for anything It’s just that those retailers just wanna sell items to you :P)

I really want to buy either a Canon Rebel Xs or Canon Rebel Xsi…I’ve used SLR’s before, but im very much a beginner, do you know anything about whether the bodys are all THAT much diffrent? As well, in regards to the lenses, I really liked the Canon 50mm 1.4 $325 , but its a tad pricey….I also liked the
Canon 50mm 1.8 , but it broke? hoe do lenses break? lol

I basically want my camera for “every day ” pictures, a little bit of landscaping, but MOSTLY for food photography, and macro shots like flowers and such…..

Would you recommend getting the “basic lense” that comes with SLR’s and then buying another lense just for my food photography? OR something else? and does the base matter as much in your opinion? or not?

lol omg…I just realized what a big post this is….I appreciate any help you could give me…:/

Thanks so Much!
Zahra
233. jenny | December 17th, 2008 at 1:57 am

really WONDERFUL post! glad i found it! really really helpful for such a newbie like me. thanks a LOT! :))
234. irwin | December 18th, 2008 at 8:49 am

what a fantastic post, so clear and concise! brilliant!
235. Irwin | December 18th, 2008 at 8:51 am

would you recommend getting a 100mm macro or 60mm? i have been tossing up between the two, do you think there is much of a difference (besides price)

// Irwin
http://www.appetise.com.au
236. Munerah | December 24th, 2008 at 4:42 pm

Beautifully writen…
Loved the pictures as well…
Keep up the good work… and waiting for ur new!!
Its really wonderful..gd job
237. Nikki | December 26th, 2008 at 11:17 pm

Thanks for all the helpful information!!! I can’t wait to get home from Christmas with the in-laws so I can start practicing with these tips!
238. sandrine | December 29th, 2008 at 6:41 pm

Thank you very much for sharing all this.
Your work is impressive, you are an inspiration.
I wish the world was full of amazing people like you!
239. Thabata | December 31st, 2008 at 3:42 pm

Great post! I’ve learned so much about food photography!!!
Thanks for sharing!
240. Sue | January 2nd, 2009 at 4:39 pm

This post is a perfect example of what is so great about food bloggers. You took so much time and tons of effort to share this wonderful information. Thank you so much. I know I will be referring to it A LOT.
241. Markew | January 6th, 2009 at 12:34 am

What a great post! The awesome number of comments shows how useful it is to many of us. Thanks heaps for taking the time to do this. My favourite lens is the Canon 100mm f2.8 macro. Though I break most of your rules and eat my food hot - which means I often have to photograph at night with the food on the kitchen bench using my general purpose 17-85mm lens. However I sometimes get a chance to do it properly - using principles similar to yours - with some reasonable results. Please have a look at a stolen kiss and the rest of my blog if anyone is interested.
242. Food Photography for Blog&hellip | January 7th, 2009 at 8:01 am

[...] Lolo’s photo advice for home food bloggers on VeganYumYum. [...]
243. There’s a photograp&hellip | January 8th, 2009 at 12:53 pm

[...] VeganYumYum’s post on Food Photography for Bloggers [...]
244. susan | January 15th, 2009 at 5:27 am

cool!
thank you soo much..
just what i need to know

\(::^u^::)/
245. Well Fed Network - »&hellip | January 20th, 2009 at 1:07 am

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246. Cookthink: Vote For Best &hellip | January 21st, 2009 at 1:28 pm

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247. zanim zjesz: zrób zdj?ci&hellip | January 21st, 2009 at 2:54 pm

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248. Joelle | January 22nd, 2009 at 5:02 pm

Beautiful pictures. I hope to use some of these ideas when I take pictures of my food next time!
249. Andrew | January 23rd, 2009 at 9:01 am

i was googling for “”ligthing for food photography” and found your site. what valuable tips you gave! thanks a lot.
250. Vanessa | January 25th, 2009 at 2:39 am

You should be a professor… I learned more from reading this than I did in 4 years of getting a bachelors degree in photography! Sad, but true.

Great blog.
251. Bengu | January 28th, 2009 at 3:51 am

Thank you for sharing all with us:)
252. Rookie Sahm | February 1st, 2009 at 3:33 pm

This is the most comprehensive and valuable article (or post) on food photography on the internet. Thank you for sharing all of these and even providing examples.
253. The Weekend Gourmet | February 4th, 2009 at 8:42 pm

I just wanted to say thank you for this great post. I am just getting started with my food blog and your advice has been incredibly helpful. I am still practicing and not very good with the photography yet, but like they say, practice makes perfect… Thanks again! Aloha! Yvonne
254. George | February 8th, 2009 at 6:51 am

Thank you, gave me some courage to start to photograph my own cooking. It was very helpful, I hope it comes out as good as it sounds as well!
255. Dave | February 8th, 2009 at 5:30 pm

Hi. This is by far the best post I’ve read about food photography, I think many others agree just look at all the comments. Most sites give some superficial info but I’m glad to learn about your step by step process. Everyone takes pictures a little differently but at least some people will now have a sold place to start. Great job!!!!
256. seya | February 10th, 2009 at 1:23 pm

this is very useful, thank you
257. Randi | February 11th, 2009 at 10:00 pm

I have never seen this explained so well! As a semi-professional photographer myself.. I STILL have problems with f-stops and isos! Thank you for making it so easy to understand!
258. Susan | February 15th, 2009 at 10:32 am

I have just started taking pictures of food for my website. Your information is extremely valuable and you have inspired me!!! Thanks so much for taking the time to do this.

Susan
259. From The Mailbox: my take&hellip | February 24th, 2009 at 7:08 am

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260. John | February 28th, 2009 at 5:33 pm

THanks so much for the great post!
261. Anna | March 3rd, 2009 at 12:51 pm

I’ve just started posting on my food blog and really appreciate the great information on this very thoughtful post. Thank you so much for sharing. I love your blog and find it very inspiring–always!
262. Food Woolf | March 4th, 2009 at 2:09 pm

Wow. What an incredible and thorough tutorial. Thanks for the hand holding and great ideas. I need to get myself some foam core, baby!
263. Meredith | March 6th, 2009 at 9:16 pm

So grateful for this clear and understandable guide! It’s an exciting challenge to see what I can squeeze from my point-and-shoot, and I know my photos will be better as a result of this.
264. Markt+Technik-Blog »&hellip | March 12th, 2009 at 3:04 am

[...] Oft läuft einem beim Anblick einer Mahlzeit bereits das “Wasser im Munde zusammen”, weil es so gut riecht - nur das kann bisher niemand in einem Foto transportieren. Wie Sie jedoch schmackhafte Fotos von Gerichten und Co. gestalten und aufnehmen können, zeigt dieser Blog: http://veganyumyum.com/2008/09/food-photography-for-bloggers/ [...]
265. Photo Friday: Shutter Spe&hellip | March 13th, 2009 at 6:22 am

[...] excellent information on photography at Pioneer Woman Photography and a recent article I found on Vegan Yum Yum, I was thinking any information I offered up would be quite redundant. Then, I decided that these [...]
266. Rebeca | March 16th, 2009 at 7:43 pm

you are awesome!!! that’s great! thanks a lot.
Rebeca
267. Chef Bradley | March 17th, 2009 at 12:18 am

WOW! Thank you SO much for this info. I’ve learned tons of great stuff for my blog. Can’t wait to test this stuff out!
268. Rosa | March 30th, 2009 at 2:32 am

Thank you for this wonderful post! Excellent and useful information!!!!
269. Miriam | March 30th, 2009 at 1:32 pm

A really great introduction. Thank you!
270. This Week’s Assignm&hellip | April 21st, 2009 at 11:06 am

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271. Mid Term: Snack Time: Res&hellip | April 22nd, 2009 at 1:58 pm

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272. Oscar Lopez | April 24th, 2009 at 9:35 pm

Terrific. It was very helpful. Thanks very much.
273. Hugging the Coast | April 25th, 2009 at 9:57 pm

This is easily the best food photography overview I’ve ever seen. Great post!
274. VeganYumYum » Food Photo&hellip | April 27th, 2009 at 4:49 pm

[...] See the original post here: VeganYumYum » Food Photography for Bloggers [...]
275. Gavin | May 5th, 2009 at 12:05 am

Hi Lolo, fantastic post! Provided me lots of great point of idea.
I’ve been planning to do some vegan food photography but learning to cook is a challenge for me I have been a vegan for more than 6 years now and just started photography. Macro lens is definitely a must for closeup here, looks yummy.
276. 6 REALLY Helpful Articles&hellip | May 6th, 2009 at 8:07 am

[...] Food Photography for Bloggers | Vegan Yum Yum [...]
277. Juan | May 9th, 2009 at 1:26 pm

High, what a fantastic post, very helpful, greetings from vienna!
278. Tiffiny Felix | May 12th, 2009 at 3:20 pm

I wanted to thank you for such great information. I’m still learning, but I get better every time I take some pictures. Better yet, when a picture doesn’t turn out great, most of the time I know what I did wrong and don’t repeat the mistake the next time.

I want to include a list of websites and blogs that helped me in my research for my book, “The Bake-Off Flunkie”. Would you mind if I included your blog?

Thanks, again, Tiffiny Felix
279. Adrian Teemor | May 13th, 2009 at 7:56 am

I have come to this quite late in the day, but so glad I found it. I relate to a lot of the information and tips - presented in a clear, succinct manner and very user-friendly. Armed with my 30d and 50mm 1.8 i was inspired to have a go at recreating some of the shots, with natural light of course. NOT SO SIMPLE! You mentioned in the blog about not being able to focus close in…I found that the problem all the time. I really wanted to create shots with food filling the frame, but the autofocus wouldnt work (i was looking for an edge, but it just wasnt sufficient) and the manual was even worse. I feared it was the lens, but I had the same problem with my fixed 100m 2.4. Can anybody help?
280. Photo 135 May 15, 2009 &l&hellip | May 15th, 2009 at 8:04 pm

[...] playing around with the camera today ~ trying to change some settings after I read this article about photography on the Vegan Yum Yum blog. The only thing I did was change the ISO [...]
281. TRPK | May 18th, 2009 at 6:32 pm

Bravo! Thank you for your post.
282. Rick | May 20th, 2009 at 6:26 pm

This was very interesting. I only use a camera phone and was able to use your information to improve my settings.

Thanks.
283. Farmer’s Market and&hellip | May 23rd, 2009 at 10:46 am

[...] has a number of tutorials in Food Photo 101 Smitten Kitchen’s post on approach to food photos Vegan Yum Yum’s food photography post What’s Cooking’s photography tag has lots of useful [...]
284. koki | May 27th, 2009 at 8:53 am

Wow, what an informative post! I can’t wait to try all those tips. Thank you!
285. mackenzie | June 3rd, 2009 at 4:54 pm

hey i have a few questions do you mind answering them?

1) how and why did you become involved with this photographic career?
2) what do you consider to be the hardest part of your job?The most fun?
3) what advice would you give someone interested in your career?
286. Kelcey | June 5th, 2009 at 1:37 pm

Great post! Thanks for all the helpful tips!
287. Fernando | June 8th, 2009 at 2:20 pm

Smart, clear, concise, kind and helpful. Congratulations, young master!
288. thecornerbooth | June 11th, 2009 at 3:25 pm

This is exactly the non-jargon explanation that i was looking for. I have been looking for a way to effectively photograph the recipes on my blog, and this will help me out a lot.
289. Cindy | June 15th, 2009 at 11:04 am

I am a relatively new blogger and your post was a fantastic primer. DSo much useful info. Thanks so much for taking the time to do this!!
290. azalaïs | June 16th, 2009 at 1:33 am

Hi!I love your blog, I’m all the time stupefact by english’ photos, moreover you’ve a vivid imagination!I’m 15 ans I’m French, I’m vegetarian and I wanna be vegan but my parents don’t wan now but I cook a lot, and near always vegan.I’dwant to correspond with you, can you write me on my electronic mail, thanks.
Azalaïs
291. EatingRD | June 16th, 2009 at 12:56 pm

This was such a helpful post! This is so very interesting to me as a beginning food blogger/stylist. I don’t know if I can quite afford an SLR right now, but are there really any point and shoots out there around $300-350 that are worthwhile? I was looking at the new canon powershot SX200IS? thanks!

-kristen
292. Série 101: Fotografia de&hellip | June 23rd, 2009 at 7:02 am

[...] alguns blogs para complementar a leitura: - Food Photography for Bloggers: o “must read”, a ideia do artigo veio depois que ele foi publicado - Food Photography: [...]
293. Bia Lombardi »&hellip | June 23rd, 2009 at 9:17 am

[...] http://veganyumyum.com/2008/09/food-photography-for-bloggers/ [...]
294. Olga | June 26th, 2009 at 11:05 am

Hi! What a great, informative post!
May I translate it into russian? And publish with Your credits?

Thank You!
295. Rebecca Weger | June 28th, 2009 at 9:38 pm

Thank you so much for documenting and sharing your process. I incorporated one of your ideas tonight and it has been helpful already.
296. Boot Camp II: Assignment &hellip | July 3rd, 2009 at 4:50 pm

[...] DPS: Food Photography — An IntroductionStill Life With: Food Photography BlogVegan Yum Yum: Food Photography for Bloggers [...]

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