Teaching day reflections

A great day of teaching on another workshop at http://www.foodphotographytraining.com/ on Saturday. As ever, a friendly and enthusiastic group of students hungry to learn how to photograph food. We looked at using studio lighting, creating different effects using simple techniques to get the best out of the food, raw and cooked. A fun day that went all too quickly, thanks to those taking part. New courses planned for the New Year.

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Pro Tip Series #2 The best Lens for Food Photography

Many people on my courses ask what is the best lens for food. For cropped sensor cameras with the ability to change lenses- the DX Nikon range and the APS-C for Canon I recommend this Sigma lens- Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4 DC Macro OS HSM https://www.sigma-imaging-uk.com/lens-item/17-70mm-f2-8-4-dc-macro-os-hsm/ I am not affiliated or employed by Sigma so my advice is un biased and accept that many have their favourite “got to” lens. Please check lens fit and compatibility when buying any lens for your camera. For full frame cameras- FX Nikon, EOS Canon I advise a lens with as similar focal length range as possible to the Sigma with the widest aperture you can afford. For example the full frame Nikon- 24mm-70mm f 2.8 is priced around £1300- ouch! A cheaper 24mm-70mm f 3.5/ f 4.5 is only £489...umm so why the big price difference for a similar focal length lens? I can hear some of you shouting at me- the difference is in the f number! The smaller the f number the ...

Pro Tip series #1

Pro Tip series #1 Which is the best camera for food Photography? I get asked by many of those attending my courses or contacting me through my website, which is the best camera for food, or advice on a first camera to start shooting food projects. I will come back to that question but first a trip down my camera memory lane.... queue “twilight Zone” music I have not owned many cameras and have tried to upgrade as finances and opportunities allow. My first camera as a Professional was a Sinar 5x4 camera I bought it second hand for £300 ! Lens not included and remember travelling on the bus in some London suburb to pay cash for it. The lens took another year to buy. I hired lenses as needed. It is a camera definitely not for the faint hearted. It needs a sturdy tripod, the image is projected on the back screen upside down and the flipped left to right and sheet film is used measuring 5x4inches. It seems ancient now, but at the time delivered high quality images ...

photographing indoors

On my courses I get many questions about taking photographing food indoors using ambient light in the evening. I teach how the best way to take pictures of food, controlling the light either in the studio or in your home. This week at home my wife said to me " I am making marmalade do you want to take some pictures?" It was in the evening, and I had just settled down on the sofa. I reluctantly followed her into the kitchen and recognised the problem that many people have when photographing their food at home, in the kitchen at night. Lots of bright and harsh kitchen lights. I reduced the lighting so only a single oven hood light illuminated the kitchen work top. The scene was dramatic and created lots of good deep shadows. Next I set my smart phone camera to a high ISO setting to try and avoid camera shake, and took some photos Photo 1 Photo 1, The marmalade was boiling merrily away in the preserving pan, but my problem was that steam...

William Reavell

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