The best food photographers know that equipment and technique are vitally important. Below are photography resources that I use and love and hope will help you as well. I will keep this list updated with my latest and best finds and recommendations.
Disclaimer: Please note that many of the links below are affiliate links and I will earn a commission if you purchase these links. I use and love all of the products and services listed and found them to be helpful and high quality. Please let me know if you have any questions!
Food Photography Tools-
Nikon D5100 – this is the camera I have been using for several years. Great for those just starting out as well as for the experienced photographer. The latest model, Nikon D5500 looks wonderful as well.
Nikon 50mm, 1.4G– my favorite lens for food photography. I love the drool-worthy photos this lens consistently produces. The Nikon 50mm, 1.8G is a little less expensive and almost as good.
Nikon 35mm, 1.8G– the first lens I started using for food photography. I use this often and it is particularly useful for overhead shots.
San Disk 32 GB Extreme 90 Memory Card– this high-quality memory card is a great all-purpose card that holds a lot of photos. I purchase two and keep one as a spare. I prefer buying two smaller cards versus one larger card because in the event the card isn’t reading (e.g. not working), I have a spare.
StudioPRO Triple Translucent Umbrella Continuous Bright Lighting Kit– While I love natural light for food photography, it is not always possible, especially in New England. I have found such freedom with these lights because I can plan my food shots around my schedule and not the weather.
StudioPRO Single 225 Watt Beginner Photography Photo Kit– Ditto from the above lighting kit description. This is the same kit, but with just one light. One light works perfectly in many situations and may be all you need. Or if you want to try out the lights, this is a good one to try. Many food bloggers use the Lowell EGO Lights, so it may be a good option as well, but I have not used it, and it comes with a higher price tag. I found this blog post about artificial lighting very helpful.
10 Surprisingly Easy Food Photography Tips For Great Results – Be sure to check out this informative post by moi for some great food photography tips as well as must-read books and resources.
Lighting for Food Photography –
Here is the lighting I use when natural light is unavailable. You can purchase the one light set or the three light set (I have both). These reasonably priced sets come with a stand and diffusing umbrella. Having so many more options than with a tabletop light, I can easily move the light up or down by adjusting via the stand. I spent considerable time researching quality lights that were reasonably priced. I know there are other more popular and expensive brands, but this has been delivering results for me.
The Paleo Double Chocolate Chip Muffins were photographed using these lights and appeared on Foodgawker, top row, third photo. When shooting this photo, I used one light, to the left of the muffin. Be sure to check out this post also titled 10 Food Photography Tips for New Bloggers.
Link to Lights:
The BEST Food Photography Book to improve your photos!
Link to Paleo Double Chocolate Chip recipe!
Recommended Food Photography Reading –
Foodgawker Guide to Food Photography – I like this page because it provides common problems with photos, example photos, and solutions.
Food Styling – Delores Custer
Food photography video tutorials via Youtube>>> The Bite Shot.
