Lens creep is a really annoying issue that happens with a lot of lenses. Many times you don't even know your lenses are doing it until you notice your framing on your image just changed, and it cropped into your shot. As food photographers, we need to use a few different types of lenses. We have prime lenses, and zoom lenses. For those of you starting out, here are some lens basics. Before we go into what lens creep is, you need to understand how lenses physically work. Prime lenses have one focal length, like the 100mm lens or the 50mm lens, for example. That number, the 100 or the 50, is the focal length of that lens. And because there is just that one number, that’s what tells you it’s a prime lens or fixed lens (same thing). Zoom lenses have a range of focal lengths. One of my favorite zoom lenses is a 24-105mm zoom lens. So this lens can be a focal length of 24mm ...
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Myth: Never Use The Color Blue In Food Photography; Wrong!
I've been shooting for a long time. There are all kinds of weird photography "rules" that have been around and keep resurfacing that really don't make much sense. One of the most common myths is this rule that you should never use the color blue in your food photography. What Is The Origin Of This "Rule"? I believe this rule started in the 1970's when food stylists were called Home Economists. I think this became a rule from that era, when food photography had, shall we say, much to be desired! Just have a look at this post where I featured some hideous images from that time. Let's be honest, there's a lot of things from the 70's that should have never happened, and this rule was certainly one of them. There IS a lot of talk about this with the psychology of color in general however. When people talk about the best colors for restaurants and food packaging, over and ...
Here’s Why You NEED Photography Business Insurance!
I get panicked messages from junior photographers all the time. They just got their first paid photo shoot! Yippee! But wait, the client is asking for a Certificate Of Insurance to prove they have business insurance, but guess what? The photographer doesn't have any. Now what? This particular photographer messaged me at 4:30pm on a Friday afternoon and her shoot was that Monday. So now she had to scramble to find insurance or turn down the job. We are continuing our conversation about the business of photography. One of the most important things when setting up your business properly is getting photography business insurance. I know, I know, it's not sexy, but it's very important. You've gotta spend time on this and do your research. This post will teach you how to do that. In my post about the business of photography, we talked about what you need to consider ...
Why You Need A Photography Portfolio Website
If you are a photographer, you MUST have a photography portfolio website! This is not an option these days. Sooo many photographers only have an Instagram account or a Facebook page and think that's enough, or they say that's all they need. Then they tell me they are having a hard time getting clients! Here's the deal, you need both a website presence, and a social media presence. You must think of your website as an online portfolio and brochure for a prospective client to learn more about you, and to determine if they think you might be a good fit for their next project. Use Your Social Media To Drive Traffic To Your Website! You use your social media channels to drive traffic to your website. It's Yin and Yang, cookies and cream, fillet mignon with a lovely red wine sauce, lobster with some awesome melted, unpasteurized butter. Ok, I got carried away there but you get the ...
How To Hire A Photo Assistant – The Right Way
You're the lone wolf. You've been going at this photo thing all by yourself and doing just fine. Then you take a new job, a client you've been dying to work with and in the middle of it you realize, you need help. There's just too much to do, too much going on and you're not going to get all your shots done on time. Sound familiar? You need a photo assistant my friend, and the good news is that there are plenty of great assistants out there, you just need to find one AND do this the right way. Disclaimer: I am not an attorney. The content in this article is NOT legal advice but simply suggestions for things to consider for running your business. Please speak with your attorney for what is right for you and your business. What Is A Photo Assistant? There are two types of photo assistants actually. There are the pro assistants, and then there are the people who are just starting ...
How To Photograph Food With A Tripod
This post is a follow up post for taking pictures with a tripod. The first post was about how to photograph food without a tripod. Using a tripod is my preferred method to guarantee you get nice and sharp (in focus) images. If you don't have a tripod yet, check out my Tripod Buying Guide. Not all tripods are created equally! Please do NOT put your $500, $1200, or $3000 camera on a $100 (or less) tripod! Do the math on that please. Small, cheap tripods are not stable, and you can easily have your camera crash to the ground as soon as you bump that tripod - and you WILL bump your tripod. It's human nature. You're going to have to spend at least $200-$250 to get a decent tripod. The entire reason you are using a tripod is to SAFELY hold your camera in position without it moving. So a tiny cheap tripod will not do the job. Also see my post about how to set up your ...
