Blog to Business: 9 Food Photography Tips

Welcome back to my series on Blog to Business! We’ve already talked about Blog Design and Finding a Blog Community. Today we’re moving on to something I love and struggle with every day: Food Photography.

When we talked about blog design, I mentioned that the first thing people see when they get to your site is very important. It’s the first impression of YOU. After they take in the top half of your site design, visitors to your site most often will notice the photographs next. Remember, people eat with their eyes first. If something doesn’t look good it doesn’t matter how it tastes, or how your writing is, or how your site looks. You want your food photos to be the best they can be.

Not only do good photos get people to stay on your site and drool, but they are often what get people to your site. Think about it: Facebook, Pinterest, Google , Instagram – all of those social media sites are visual. Sure, there’s text and descriptions of things, but the photos are what really pop. If your photo doesn’t catch someone’s eye, no one is going to click on it.

I don’t consider myself an expert on food photography. I actually feel like I have a lot to learn (don’t we all?), but I do feel like I’ve learned a lot over the past 4 years. I started with an ancient point and shoot and have worked my way through more expensive P&S cameras and a DSLR with a variety of lenses. I’ve gone from not editing any photos to using online software to using Lightroom. Hopefully I can share a little of what I’ve learned with you.

1. Your Camera

Obviously you need some sort of a camera for food photography. A point and shoot (P&S), a cell phone, a DSLR. Most likely you’re using one of those things already.

{If you’re not, um, you need to start. Food blogs need food photos. The end.}

For 2 years I used a P&S camera. I started off with a Cannon Powershot that was about 5 years old. About 6 months into my blog I bought a higher-end Cannon P&S (with super zoom). I shudder at the thought that for only $100 more I would have had a DSLR.

2 years ago, I purchased my DLSR: a Nikon D3100, which is an entry-level crop-body camera. It’s the one I use today and it’s the one I shot my cookbook with. I started off using the “stock” lens, which is an 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G. It’s the one that comes with the camera.

Shot with stock lens, 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G.

In January of 2013 I started shooting with a 35mm 1:1.8G prime lens.

Shot with 35mm 1:1.8G prime lens.

And, finally, in December of 2013 I started shooting with my current lens, the 17-55mm 1:2.8G which is made to fit my Nikon’s crop body camera. This is the lens I shot my cookbook with.

Shot with a 17-55mm 1:2.8G lens.

That kind of gives you an overview of my photography over the last 4 years. I’m going to get into specifics in a minute, but I want to talk about the elephant in the room first.

Do you have to have a DSLR to make it as a food blogger?

My answer? I don’t know. But I’ll tell you what I do know. When I used a P&S camera, I think I learned a lot as a photographer. I knew my photos weren’t as good as bloggers with DSLRs so I had to work three times as hard to make a difference. I learned about light and photo editing and reflectors and all of that. And I think I took some pretty good pictures with my P&S. Some of those posts did pretty well. I think you can definitely get good page views and “make it” using a point and shoot camera.

BUT. And yes, that is a very big but.

Continue reading and get the recipe: Blog to Business: 9 Food Photography Tips

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