What I Get Asked Most Being a Food Photographer - FAQ
So you’re curious about what I get asked a lot about being a food photographer. Fair enough, the profession of being a food photographer can be shrouded in mystery and clouded in social hype. Chances are you are here because you too have a question, but maybe you don’t know how to or what to ask…
Here are the top questions I get asked as a food photographer. I also get asked a lot about food blogging, so don’t be surprised if there’s a mixture of context in here too.
FAQ 1: What camera do you use?
Short Answer: Canon EOS R5; Canon DSLR 5D mark iv; Canon EOS M50.
I use THREE cameras to create my content.
Canon EOS R5
The camera I use for multi-purpose (stills and video) is the Canon EOS R5. I use this camera because at its most usefulness for me it has incredible focusing accuracy, it is very user-friendly, super smooth to operate and the video quality is unparalleled in comparison to my other camera gear. For a multi-purpose camera I am looking for these qualities because I want my working experience to be as easy as possible; I don’t want to be stressing about my gear when I have other aspects of the job to think about.
Below: Examples of the R5 in action, all shot with a Canon EF L series 24-70mm f2.8 or Canon RF 50mm f/1.8 STM Lens
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Canon DSLR 5D mark iv
I also use the Canon 5d miv but just for still photography. Why have a second camera to take stills when the R5 is better? Good question. The 5d miv is a fantastic camera, the quality is crisp, in fact if I were not transitioning into video I would have no reason to change at all. However, it is always handy to have a backup camera, or a camera to have a second lens attached to make workflow more efficient. For any clients I am not shooting video for, I will usually bring the 5d miv and leave the R5 at home.
Below: Examples of the 5d mark iv in action, all shot with a Canon EF L series 24-70mm f2.8 lens.
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Canon EOS M50
The third camera I use is the Canon M50. I use this camera for videos only. But similarly to the last question, why have another camera that captures video when the R5 captures video? Three reasons: back up video camera, lightweight blogging camera, and an overhead top-down video camera. Most of the videos on my Instagram “blogging” page is taken with the M50, as it is easy to carry and set up. Also, it’s safer to set up the lightweight camera overhead than it is to put a two kilo one.
It’s also important to note that the still photography quality on the M50 is quite good, and is reasonably suitable for hobbyist still photographers or travel vloggers.
Below: Examples of the M50 in action, all shot with a Canon EF-M 22mm f/2 STM lens.
FAQ 2: What lens do you use to take your photos?
Short answer: It depends what I’m shooting, but it’s usually the Canon L series 24-70mm f2.8 or Canon L series 100mm macro f2.8; the 24mm-70 for location shooting, and the 100mm macro for staggered style product shoots.
I get this question A LOT but it’s completely understandable… Having the right lens is very important next to having the adequate skill and the right camera. Having the right lens and knowing how to use it is important to achieving the look we want, and no two lenses are the same. Here are my lenses in the order of most used:
Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8 L
This lens is what I like to refer to as my ALL-ROUNDER lens. I use this the most because functionally it accomplishes a wider range of looks that my other lens may not be able to do. For example, at 24mm I can take photos of interiors and wide spaces, as well as fit a lot of product and detail in one frame. I will always use this lens when I’m shooting a variety of photos for a venue.
Here are some examples of how I use this lens for food venues:
Canon EF 100mm macro f/2.8 L
Arguably one of the best lenses for food photography, the 100mm macro f/2.8 L is my second most used lens, but overall it is my favourite. The best features about this lens is how quick it is to shoot with, and the compression that it produces makes the frame look fuller and bigger, so for food this is great because the more enticing the food looks the better.
Here are some examples of how I use this lens for food and food products:
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Canon EF 16-35mm f/4 L
I don’t use this lens often, but when I do I get exactly the results I need. This is what I call my "FLATLAY” lens, named so because I use this lens when I want to capture my flatlays that are larger than life. Having an ultra-wide lens comes in handy because in order for me to capture a frame with a lot of objects and products, I will need to be either using a drone/be quite high up.
Here are some examples of how I use this lens for food and flatlays:
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Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Lens
This lens I rarely use, but when I do it is purposeful. I use this lens for two purposes: portraits (usually people of food service) or when I want to create extreme background blur to make my subject stand out. While neither of these photos I am commonly commissioned for, it is useful to have a lightweight (and relatively inexpensive) lens that can create this effect when required.
Here are some examples of how I use this lens for food:
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Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L
Another lens I rarely use, but it does come in handy. A very powerful lens similar to the 100mm macro f/2.8 L but has more compression.
FAQ 3: What lighting do you use for your photos?
I shoot with a variety of ambient (natural) and artificial light; it depends on what I have available at the time and what effect I want to create. I use a mixture of Profoto B10 plus and A1x. The B10 plus is my go-to; it’s a very powerful continuous light and a flash so I can use it for photo and video. The A1x is a flash only, but still quite powerful and portable due to its weight and size.
FAQ 4: How did you turn your hobby into a career?
A good question, but the answer is a bit long for a blog like this.
The question of “how” is simple: I made the career myself. I started posting to Instagram about my food and my love of photography for fun, and although I was aware of potential business opportunities my focus was to develop a skill outside my normal field of work (at the time I was a barista). After doing both, it wasn’t long before I was getting paid for my work by a handful of clients, so I decided to stop barista work and took the plunge to do this full-time under an employer. The confidence to go full-time was a decision after I had had enough of having an employer. A few months of marketing myself online and networking, I developed enough clients to sustain myself very reasonably and on my own. So quite literally, I made the career myself.
There is another article about this with my collaboration with Squarespace, read more here.
FAQ 5: How do you get your hands in your flatlays?
As mentioned in the lens section, I use a wide lens to take most of my flatlays when I am on location. However, I also use an overhead set up where I place the camera on an arm that shoots straight down. I also have an arm attachment to my tripod so I can extend the camera over the table. Doing this I am then able to time the shot so I can insert my own hand into the frame.
FAQ 6: Do you have any tips for food photography?
This is a very common questions that often gets me stumped, because of how general it is. However, I have here 6 things to know if you’re planning to pursue this path.
1) Practice. Whether you do a course or you pick up a camera to start learning, you must practice. Better yet, practice with a friend. A course can only teach you so much, you must put the theory into practice. Also don’t forget to practice editing too; it is just as if not more important than taking the photo.
2) Network regularly and market yourself. Whether you do this on social media or at personal meet-and-greets, getting out there and meeting people is a great way to make valuable contacts and meet potential clients. Get yourself a presence on social media and engage with an audience you want to support your work.
3) Get to know and love food. For us, food is not just a means to an end, it’s a passion and lifestyle. Pick up a food magazine and start browsing, follow food pages on social media, cook from scratch more, and don’t be afraid to be “that person” taking photos of their food in restaurants. The closer you are to food the better.
4) Have a portfolio online where people can find your work, get to know more about you, and have a way to contact you. Not dissimilar to having a social media presence, having a portfolio makes it easier for potential clients to understand if your work is suitable for them.
5) Research; learn from others; copy others, but don’t plagarise; the best way to learn is to copy what others are doing and then applying it to your own work. Research is easy to do online: think educational content on Pinterest, Youtube, Instagram, Tiktok. Learn it, replicate it through practice, and then evolve your style.
6) Be prepared to spend money. Photography is not cheap, however if you want to make money you must be prepared to spend. I don’t mean buy the most expensive gear, but be prepared to evolve and to invest is gear as you grow. For example, natural light photographers may find will want to invest in artificial lighting; and a photographer with one lens may want to buy a different one to change up their shooting style.
See below how I was taking photos in 2017…
To 2021…
FAQ 7: What program do you use to edit photos?
Most of my work is edited in Lightroom Classic. The other small percentage is edited on my phone using Lightroom (app, paid version). I also a variety of apps to create content including InShot, Mojo, and VSCO.
FAQ 8: What much do you get paid?
It depends on the job and what is required within the client’s budget. Beginner photographers can expect to make 2-3 figures, and professionals should make 4-5 or even 6 figures.