Food photography

[Lolliepie]

Hi everyone, am new to this forum and would like to seek advice from experts here. Recently received a panasonic gm1 as a gift and would like to ask what would be a good lens for food photography. The lens that came with it isnt great for taking macro shots i feel. Any suggestions bros? Thanks

 

[ElCarnicero]

Why would you use a macro lens for food

it is not an insect, you do not need to go so close

in the end it is all lighting

good food photography is not easy

you should look at the videos where they add in smoke, the light setup and many more

 

[undergrd]

Hi everyone, am new to this forum and would like to seek advice from experts here. Recently received a panasonic gm1 as a gift and would like to ask what would be a good lens for food photography. The lens that came with it isnt great for taking macro shots i feel. Any suggestions bros? Thanks

I use the panasonic 20mm f1.7 to shoot food and i think its good. This is just for casual food photography.

If you want to do pro food photography, den have to ask the pros liao.

 

[Lolliepie]

I use the panasonic 20mm f1.7 to shoot food and i think its good. This is just for casual food photography.

If you want to do pro food photography, den have to ask the pros liao.

Thanks v much, appreciate it!

 

[blueskye168]

Hi everyone, am new to this forum and would like to seek advice from experts here. Recently received a panasonic gm1 as a gift and would like to ask what would be a good lens for food photography. The lens that came with it isnt great for taking macro shots i feel. Any suggestions bros? Thanks

Well, what I'd like to highlight to you about Food photography is ...it depends on what's the result you'd like to achieve...should come first into ones mind rather than go straight to pick a/the lens to shoot food...let alone just mount a marco lens straight:nono:...simply just because going to do/shoot Food photography...:bsmilie:

Furthermore, what's wrong with kit lens or your kit lens...that fail to take food shots...? (in fact, almost any lens ranging from compact P&S, mirrorless, dslr or even make do with hand phone...so long as you're not using a headphone or microphone to do it...good enough already.....hahaha...!!

Moreover, :light:'bokeh' is not all that should be applied &/or presents in a food shots...'bokeh' in food photography should just apply a fair bit only as simply because viewers want to see what's on the food rather than seeing so much of "Blurriness"...applied 'bokeh' to the extend that unless the whole subject is basically of the same ingredients/colors/types...than yes would be much more appropriate to induced more 'bokeh' in the sense of playing/control with good amount of DOF...!!


Btw, photography is a form of 'Light-painting'...be it natural and/or artificial...!!

Well, I hope my above mentioning / highlighting helps...

 

[jouste]

There are some factors to consider:

1. Low light capability: In some restaurants, the light is very dim so you would want a fast lens with a wide maximum aperture.

2. Minimum focusing distance: You need a lens that has a reasonable minimum focusing distance so that you can comfortably take photos without looking ridiculous.

3. Portability: This factor is not important for everyone but it is good to have a lens that is reasonably compact so you don't draw unnecessary attention. It will also be easier to carry with you.

I second undergrd's recommendation. The Panasonic 20mm f1.7 is my go-to lens for food photography and meets the 3 criteria I listed above.

Beyond equipment, food photography is also about taking photos from the right angle. 2 photos from 2 different angles can vary by a lot.

Rendering the background out of focus is useful in some circumstances but it is not a kill all solution.

Also, sometimes if the plating is uninteresting, don't be afraid to do some creative rearrangement. You will get more mileage out of it.