If you are a food photographer or just want to take stunning pictures of food, then you have to learn how to set your camera correctly. When shooting food, you have to play with light, to do this you should choose a precise mode that eases its handling.
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Quick setting for food Photography
- Aperture- f/2.8
- Focal length- 70/1
- ISO- 200
- Shutter speed- 1/125
- Mode- S
- White balance- Auto
Choose the setting that plays with lights
Whether you are shooting with natural or artificial light, mastering the link between the light and your camera will improve your food photography. It is your starting point to choose the camera setting.
The best setting for mastering the light is choosing the S mode, which takes control of the Shutter Speed. This setting gives you a range of 11 choices of speed. It starts from 1’ to 1/1000’ and can get higher in some recent cameras. The lower the Shutter speed is, the more light penetrates your lens. You can try each speed to choose the right one for your food photography project.
If you use a 1’ Shutter speed, your picture will be very bright, choose this speed if you are in a very low-light environment. Choosing the 1/100 speed may be the right choice for you if you are a beginner. This speed will let enough light penetrate your lens, so it is a “standard” shutter speed. It doesn’t always work, it depends on the light that is available at the moment.
For stunning photographs, you can use a lighting kit like a light box that is available in the market. They help you to have more control of your subject and help you to play with light and shadows.
You can use the 1/1000 Shutter speed if you are in a very bright place or when the sun is in its zenith, this shutter speed number can be reduced as you check the result on your camera screen.
Learn to use this setting and you will see how it can improve your food photography.
Having good control of Shutter speed is one thing, let’s learn more about ISO now.
Adjust the ISO
ISO is a sensitivity adjuster of your camera’s sensor. The higher it is, the more sensitive to light your camera becomes.
You can access it with a button on your camera. When changing ISO, be sure that you are using the ISO that is right for the food photography project Photographers often use ISO 100 because the light is correct and the picture stays sharp and clean.
When you use a higher ISO like 800, you add brightness and noise to your photographs. The food may look too bright and not good to see. So if you want sharp pictures, you should adjust and balance Shutter Speed, ISO, and Aperture.
For a better result, try to change the white balance of the camera while shooting. It shapes the tone, warmth, and coldness of the final photographs. Let’s dig a little deeper into it.
White balance
You have to set white balance each time you do food photography. Colors are very important in food photography. That’s why setting the white balance of your camera is necessary. It will balance the temperature of the color in the picture.
White balance settings can be accessed through a shortcut button on your camera or by entering your camera’s menu.
You can choose from a panoply of tones that goes from cold to warm:
- AUTO
- Incandescent
- Direct sunlight
- Flash
- Cloudy
- Shade
The choice always depends on the light that is available or used for the food photography project.
By switching between these different white balances, you can see which one suits the most to the food you’re about to shoot. Now you have an idea of what basic setting to use on your camera, so is there a “best setting for food photography?”
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The best setting for food photography
There is no best setting for food photography. You should use the setting that is suitable for your goal, the one that will give the best of the food you are about to shoot.
Use a lighting kit to get pro-like results. Practice on every occasion, Only practice will help you to understand the function of your camera and lead you to the perfect food shot.
Create harmony with the food you’re about to shoot, the light, and your camera. Learn to master your camera. Once you master it, your creativity will do the rest.