A Full-Frame Mirrorless camera
The ultimate in picture and video quality, although certainly not the most practical for everyday use & carrying.
I recently upgraded my D90 to a Sony Alpha 7 iii, which came with a variable aperture 24-70mm kit lens on sale. The difference compared to an older camera is remarkable, with lightning fast and accurate autofocus meaning much less shots are out of focus compared to the older camera. The Sony 50mm F1.8 Lens is quite affordable at around £159, and takes sharp images with some nice Bokeh and will allow you to get some more shots in low light.
It also take brilliant, stabilised video footage and some fantastic slow motion videos, as well as allowing an external microphone to record high quality audio over the video footage, so that's something I'm keen to learn more about over the coming months.
Buying a camera that's a few years old is a great way to save some money, especially while you're building up a lens collection over time. Buying into a system like Sony means you'll be able to rent some phenomenal lenses if you don't have the spare cash to buy them, or just don't want to outlay such a large amount for a single item.
iPhone or Android Smartphone
Smartphone cameras have come along so far in 2024 that for a lot of photos, they are more than good enough.
The video quality is also outstanding and being able to quickly capture, edit & post to your blog, social media & LinkedIn etc. is really convenient, especially when busy cooking for clients.
I currently use an iPhone 13 Pro Max, which has outstanding 4K video capabilities and takes some great shots. The cinematic video mode is fantastic, and you can create some fast (artificial) bokeh effects quite nicely.
I previously had great experience with my Google Pixel 4a, which took fantastic photos, especially in Low Light conditions. I still use this as a travel camera as it is so light and portable and has little value if lost or damaged.
A Used DSLR Camera
While technology has moved onto mirrorless cameras, a DSLR from 10-15 years ago will take pictures that are more than adequate for most chef's needs of building an image portfolio & for posting to your website, blog & social media.
Having interchangeable lenses means you can achieve some more stylistic effects and work and a range of different heights and distances with a zoom lens.
A 50mm prime lens will allow you to create blurry backgrounds while the subject or dish remains in focus while remaining relatively inexpensive.
A used DSLR can be picked up in 2024 for under £200 with a kit lens or 50mm prime lens, a fraction of the cost of when it was new, and probably more than enough for anyone just starting out in food photography. It's a great way to learn.
I use a Nikon D90 with a Nikon AF-S 50mm Prime Lens for about 80% of my photography at the moment as it gives a tack sharp image and the fast aperture allows for handheld shooting in mid to low light levels.
It doesn't work great for video, but my compact travel zoom makes great video so be sure to check that if before you buy any camera body if you want to get into video production later.
Using a flash will greatly enhance your ability to capture sharp pictures, especially with an older camera which doesn't have the level of low light performance that modern cameras have. I'd reccommend buying a 3rd party flash trigger like a Godox TT600 unit, which will allow you to change to a different system later without having to replace both your trigger and flash.
A Tripod & L Bracket
Using a tripod can help you take better pictures in low light conditions where you will need a longer exposure that might be too long for handheld.
If shooting on a tripod, I'd recommend getting an L Bracket, which will allow you to quickly switch between shooting in vertical format for stories & social posts and landscape for blog & website content.
A Compact Travel Zoom
Easy to pack and carry with you everywhere, but a noticeable upgrade in quality to a phone camera, a mirrorless travel zoom camera will take great photos and videos yet remain portable enough to carry everyday and shoot handheld in the kitchen.
I used a Panasonic TZ-100 for years, which works great as a travel camera due to its long range zoom in such a small size.
Spare batteries are small and light so you can carry a spare when abroad or doing a lot of battery intensive tasks.
Summary
If you're interested in having some food photography shots taken, then let us know. We've got a wide range of backdrops & photography equipment and are able to do this at a discounted rate as we're still building experience in this field when compared with a full-time professional photographer.
Just drop a note into the booking request form and we'll see if we can arrange something.
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