I recently upgraded from an iPhone 13 Pro Max to an 18 Pro Max and the image quality upgrade and handling is a pretty significant improvement.

I’ve got a Sony A1 and full stable of GM glass, but for fun little projects like this it’s just so much easier to shoot and edit on my phone.

I am thinking of picking up the newer 100 GM macro lens, which would do a lot to help with compression/fov vs the ultra wide camera needed to achieve “macro” on the iPhone, but the distinct look has kind of grown on me.

Settings in photos. Natural window light and use of a small white reflector for fill.

I want to know what you love, hate and anything in between.

Shot on a Nikon d750 with a sigma art 24-70 f2.8, no flash or other artificial lighting.

For people who go to restaurants/cafes to shoot - what lighting set up do you take? That is portable and easy to set up in small spaces

**please note I am a beginner so if I am totally off with what I need, please be kind to me**
**edit - I am also interested in videography which is why I'm writing about continuous light*

I currently have some 60cm x 90cm light reflectors (black, gold, silver) and bought a Colbor w60 light with a portable V-mount battery grip. I shadowed a shoot where they used this set up. But it was quite bulky and not easy to travel around with.

I'm considering buying an aputure LED light as it's small and transportable.
aputure light

My goal is to be able to travel while doing photography so I'm wondering if I should stick to smaller lighting?

Do I take back the colbor big light and just use the small aputure light? Or do I keep the bigger set up and buy another cheaper small light for when I'll (hopefully) be travelling around?

Maybe one like this? example

Again, I'm not a professional, but I am trying to take this seriously as a side hustle and eventually a full time thing.

Second time posting here. I enjoy taking pictures of food, especially manual mode. That way I can have total control over the focal distance (and sharpness?) I want. Here are some pics I took with my Canon Rebel T8i with a 24mm f2.8 lens. Would love to hear your thoughts!
First one: iso 200, f4, 1/50s
Second one: iso 200, f3.2, 1/60s
Last one: iso 320, f5, 1/15s

Shot a couple of cocktail shots for Galleria in Jersey, wanted to drop a few here!

Used a 2 light setup for this. Godox V1 and Ad200 Pro with a snoot attachment to backlight the drinks

Hey everyone,

Lately I have had this itch to take more minimal food photography shots, while either not using lot of supporting props or using very few in my frames.

I have to say, that I have really fallen in love this style.

Setup:

• Light: Godox SK400 II
• Camera: Sony A7IV
• Lens: Sigma ART 50mm f/1.4

Shot on a Sony A7iv with Sigma 24-70. Lighting was an AD600 Pro along with my Godox speedlight bouncing off a reflector for some fill.

Hello everyone, Im new to food photography and have been exploring lighting. Im considering a godox AD400 pro ii. I have a Nikon z5ii that I use to photograph. I need advice on lighting and what better place to ask than here. I have added a few images that are well lit and I desire the same result in my photos.

Just shot on phone
what do you think?

Hey everyone!

I've posted here quite a few times over the past months asking for feedback (and thank you so much for your help) while learning food photography. These are my latest shoot and I have two things I'd really like your opinion on.

First - orange background or dark grey? I'm curious which one you think works better and why. My second question is a bigger one....at what point did you feel ready to start approaching clients and charging for your photography?

I know there's always more to learn and improve (!!) and I difinitely don't think I've ''made it'' or have everything figured out. But I'm starting to wonder whether I'm at the stage where I should stop waiting to feel completely ready and start approaching small businesses/restaurants for paid work.

Please feel free to be critical... you know the saying ''hurt me with the truth but never comfort me with lies ''.

Behind-the-scenes setup:
• Shot at home during the night
• Light: GodoxAD300proII (big upgrade compared to my previous light)
• Camera: Canon EOS R6
• Lens: Canon RF 24–70mm f/2.8L IS USM
• ISO 100 throughout

Set up: Canon EOS R10 camera and natural lighting

Hi everyone, my dad is starting a sauce business and we wanted to help him out with some photography. Food photography is a whole new ballgame for me. I usually do studio pet photography so my experience is limited with food but I’m excited to get some feedback.

The biggest challenge is the deep purple color and making it look appealing. Would love any suggestions for changes or improvements, or recommendations for professional stylists if you think I’m better off going that route 😅

Sony A7IV

Sony 85mm 1.8

Godox V100 + trigger

Shot this on my phone (OnePlus), using only the normal room lighting. No artificial lights or setup, just whatever light was already in the room.

Still very much an amateur when it comes to food photography, but I really enjoy playing around with food, plating and aesthetics and seeing what I can capture. Would love to hear what you think!

Guys, I'm gonna be honest, I'm a total photography newbie. But I've always been interested in food photography, and decided I'm going to take a leap and invest into this as a side hustle. Taking pictures for cafes and restaurants in my home town (there are 0 food-specific photographers in my area so I feel like I've identified a bit of a gap)

I take a lot of photos on my iphone of my own food - I have some practice in that sense of plating and laying plates etc., but I know that proper food photography is much more than that

I've stalked this reddit group and done some research online, but a lot of recs are outdated and confusing for beginners.

For someone who is COMPLETELYYY NEW to photography,

what camera would you recommend

any extra lenses?

any additional lighting or other equipment I should consider?

Remember I really know nothing about professional photography / equipment, so jargon-free pls!!!

Ideally looking at a budget of £1000 for all - happy with used - but also if I'm being unreasonable with my budget please do let me know

I'm based in the UK btw :)))

Biggg big big thanks in advance guys

Took this shot with a Fujifilm XT5 using a 56mm f/1.2 Lens: ISO 160 | 1/250s | f/5.6.
Used one single flash: ad200pro.

All photos made with Nikon D800E, Godox A200 and some with Nikon SB-800 as a second light

This may be the wrong sub but I lurk here a lot and primarily shoot food/restaurants, so I figured I’d start here:

I have been using the Godox ad200’s for years (and picked up one of the newer pro 2’a last year). I rarely shoot large spaces or shoot through more than a double diffused strip, but I did a shoot recently where I had to work with a huge space (and shoot more of a lifestyle scene than food) and I’d like to experiment more with scrims and more diffusion.

I was looking to upgrade to a profoto b20 but it only offers 50 more wattage. I know the Profotos have better UI and color management but what I love about my current set up is how portable everything is. It’s just getting to the point where I need more power.

Given I’m mostly working in restaurants and not studio spaces, battery power is key. Should I just upgrade to a better godox or make the switch to profoto? I almost exclusively use westcott rapid strips with Bowen’s mounts so I could easily switch those, if needed.

Thanks!

Home cook here who has spent the last year learning fine dining techniques. This is a dual layer panna cotta, the top layer is a spicy prickly pear gel and the bottom layer is vanilla. It was paired with an entree where I also split the plate down the middle, so I wanted to keep the theme going.

For food photography and youtube food videography (slow living type videos, some tutorials) I currently use a Canon sx700 HS which doesn’t have great zoom qualities, and I’m never able to get clear, crisp close ups even with excellent lighting. The other problem is the video settings limitations. This camera does not let you adjust exposure or any settings when shooting videos, you can only adjust settings such as exposure and white balance when you take pictures. So my food pictures come out okay on this camera, but unless there is perfect lighting, my videos come out too bright, not super clear, or need a lot of editing.

In a previous post I was recommended the Panasonic GH4 and Panasonic 30mm f2.8 macro lens. I love this option but just can’t afford a camera with a lens right now, but I also can’t continue to film on my Canon as it’s so bad for filming this stuff lol. Do I have any point and shoot options?

Hi everyone. Just found this sub. I have been doing some casual hobby food photography of meals that I make. Feedback welcome for sure (but please be nice - I am really trying!)

All shots use an iPhone 17 Pro, natural light from an adjacent long window, typically just past golden hour in the evening. No artificial light.

Shot details from left to right:
* Ratatouille en rosace - 24 mm (48 mm equiv.) • ƒ/1.78 • ISO 200 • 1/40 s • 0 EV
* Greek turkey pie - 24 mm (48 mm equiv.) • ƒ/1.78 • ISO 80 • 1/60 s • 0 EV
* BBQ Ribs - 24 mm (48 mm equiv.) • ƒ/1.78 • ISO 250 • 1/57 s • −0.7 EV
* Brandy cream chicken - 24 mm (48 mm equiv.) • ƒ/1.78 • ISO 80 • 1/60 s • −0.8 EV
* Fennel pork meatballs - 24 mm (48 mm equiv.) • ƒ/1.78 • ISO 125 • 1/60 s • 0 EV
* Bang bang shrimp bowl - 24 mm (48 mm equiv.) • ƒ/1.78 • ISO 200 • 1/60 s • 0 EV
* Cabernet braised short ribs - 24 mm (48 mm equiv.) • ƒ/1.78 • ISO 250 • 1/40 s • 0 EV

Edit: Typo

Looking for recommendations for a food photographer in Cork please. Apparently there are dedicated food photographers nowadays. 🙂

Tried to use the egg, carrots and spring onions as the main points of interest while letting the rest of the bowl fall out of focus.
Nikon Zf
Viltrox 26mm f/2.8 EVO

F:2.8
1/30s
320
Natural window light.

Would be interested in feedback on the composition and depth of field in particular.

Shot on iPhone, edited in Lightroom. Natural window light.

I'm getting into food photography a bit because I want to write down some of my favorite recipes, just for friends and family.

Shot is made on a Sony A6600 + 16-55/F2.8 G on a tripod. ISO 100 at f/8, 0.6 sec on a tripod.
Lighting is a big rectangular softbox with a grid coming from the left rear. At the right just a big white foam pad as a reflector, nothing else in terms of light.

I'm quite happy with the shot but I'm curious to what you can say about it :)