Tip for good pics of food?

I've been inspired by the beautiful pictures of food on this forum. As I near my departure to Hong Kong, I would like to keep a photo journal of restaurants and food. Any tips from the experts? I apologize if this topic has come up already, but I only found a link to another article. (FYI I'll be using a Canon A80 if that helps)

Much appreciated!

Hi,

In my case, I have a slight tremor in my hands due to heredity. If I use flash, almost always I have a clear picture but the flash makes the food look plastic. Sometimes the lighting is so bad, you have to use flash but I'd avoid it for food photography whenever possible.

More often than not, I turn off the flash, always have the 'close up' indicator on and auto-focus on. I also take more pictures than anyone else because of my tremor. I discard a lot of pictures though I always find a few goods ones.

I do close ups, I do overhead, I try different angles. No matter what, our food photos are taken from such a close position that really they are all close-ups.

Erik M recently posted a link to an article on food photography. Mike G has provided tips. There was lots of information in a thread where someone was buying a camera and seeking advice. Search the index or Useful Stuff where most of this stuff resides.

(Edit to correct location of information)

Regards,

Actually I think the main tutorial is in Useful Stuff.

One thing I noticed, long after I got it, about my Canon was that when looking at the pictures I'd shot, I could actually zoom in on details in the display, which enabled me to see if they were actually in focus. My learning curve would have been a lot faster if I'd known that, as I'd have been able to correct in the field rather than shoot lots and then try to remember afterwards how I'd shot the good ones.

That said, there's no substitute for coverage, that is, shooting a lot from different angles and settings, with and without flash, etc. It's so disappointing when you shoot only one or two and they turn out to be out of focus or lousy. Go get yourself one of those 1GB memory cards so storage space isn't an issue on your trip, and just shoot shoot shoot, that's the main thing.

Go get yourself one of those 1GB memory cards so storage space isn't an issue on your trip, and just shoot shoot shoot, that's the main thing.

Get a high speed memory card. I have a 1 GB with 80X speed.

I went to a CAD-CAM software demo, where while they were waiting for someone to show up the conversation drifted to digital photography. I learned the slow recovery between shots, which was an issue with my old camera, was both a function of the camera and memory card. He said often people bought cheap slow speed memory cards, so the limiting factor was not the camera but the card. I probably bought a memory card faster than my camera, which is fine with me.

Another point, I have a similar Canon to Mike ... maybe it is the same, I'm not quite sure. The instruction book advises memory cards up to 500 Meg. I called CAnon and talked to a technical specialist, he said the only reason a 1 Gig card was not listed because it was not officially tested. However, he saw no reason why it would not work.

So far the most photos I have made between downloads was approximately 400. I ran out of battery, which I now have a recharged spare with me always, before I ran out of photos.

The battery recharger for my camera is good for traveling abroad 110/220, you only need an adapter for the American-standard plug for whatever plug style used in HK.

Regards,

Tips for Using a Digital Camera to Photograph Mushrooms

Cathy's tips are right-on. Basically, you want to look for good light (window light is always good, being diffused and directional). Learn to use the macro mode, and learn to keep steady. Keeping steady, especially with the small happy-snappy cameras, often requires improvising with nearby objects. If the amount of light available is marginal, I often place my camera against a steady surface: the top of a glass, the table, the side of a bottle, anything to minimize movement in at least one direction. Otherwise, for me it's both elbows on the table, doing my best to keep steady, and taking many frames of the same subject.

I work as a photographer professionally, so let me tell you it's not just you if you're having trouble keeping those cameras steady and images tack-sharp. It does take practice and getting used to it, since those things are so light.

However, a table near a window with natural light is your best bet for good food pix. Also, learn to use your Macro mode (as pointed out by Cathy) to get close-up details of your food. When shooting very close, keeping steady is of utmost importance, as any movement is much more visible at such a distance.

Food photography deconstructed, ChicagoTribune.com

This is a short video following a how a food section photograph of a grilled prawn was produced.

Regards,

If unsteadiness is an issue, you could try a small tripod. I got one of these (the GP1) and it's easy to use and small/flexible enough to pack and use anywhere. On Amazon, some colors are cheaper than others for some reason.

Those are very convenient little tripods. Another alternative is to go old school and get a Super Clamp with either a flexible arm or a small tripod head.

12 Things That Have Helped my Food Photography

While the first four tips are geared toward dslr or people who use RAW, the remaining are useful for just about anyone.

Regards,