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TOOLS I USE EVERYDAY AS A FOOD PHOTOGRAPHER/BLOGGER

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

PHOTOGRAPHY/VIDEO GEAR

CAMERA BODIES

CAMERA LENSES

ADDITIONAL CAMERA GEAR

LIGHTING

BLOGGING TOOLS

EDITING SOFWARE

BACKDROPS & PROPS

ONLINE COURSES

YOUTUBE LEARNING

INTRODUCTION

It is not a requirement to have the most expensive tools and gear to be a great photographer or content creator. I am not currently a working professional, as my blog is 100% a hobby, but something that I genuinely enjoy and hope to do as a profession one day. Most of the gear I originally purchased and still use daily is used or refurbished.

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Lastly, remember that the person behind the camera is more important than the gear.
Use this list as a guide to help you figure out what is best for your photography.

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If you want to look for used gear, you can get up to $30 when you start on Mercari. Use code EPZDKA when you sign up with my code via the link here.

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Please feel free to leave a comment and ask me any questions that you may have. I welcome questions and also do not mind feedback.
So here are the tools and gear I use daily as a food photographer/Blogger!

PHOTOGRAPHY/VIDEO GEAR

CAMERA BODIES

CANON 5D MARK IV
I use Canon primarily because my first DSLR was a Canon 60D, which I loved, but was not a full-frame camera, so I decided to upgrade. What I love the most about this camera are the built-in WiFi and Bluetooth capabilities. I can transfer photos directly to my phone and use my phone to capture photos. It provides the best images and videos that my little budget can buy. I purchased my camera from a dental office via Mercari and have had no issues with it.

CAMERA LENSES

Before you purchase a new lens outside of the lens that standardly comes within your kit, I suggest renting the lens through the company Lensrentals. I have personally used them for over seven years. Their website provides details on each lens as well. Before I made any lens purchase, I rented the lens a few times. A lens is an investment, and it is best to ensure that it will provide the capabilities required for your photoshoots.
The company Lensrentals requires a signature upon delivery to ensure that items are delivered soundly. You can also rent Cameras, Lenses, and other photo and video equipment.
Receive $25.00 off your first Lens rental using my discount link HERE.

CANON 50MM F/1.8

The 50mm f/1.8 lens was the first lens I purchased when I got my Canon 5D Mark IV, and I love it. The 50mm is my go-to lens for all my flat lay photos, and it does a great job of providing a sharp image quality. I love that I can also use this lens for portrait photography. It is lightweight and way better than carrying around my 27-70mm (I will discuss that lens next). If you are ready to spend your hard-earned dollars on the  Canon EF 50mm f/1.2 L USM, that option will also give you better-quality images. If you are looking for an affordable lens to start with, this is the lens you want to purchase, in my opinion.

CANON 24-70MM F/2.8

I recently purchased the Canon 24-70mm (used) to add to my photography gear, and I now see why everyone talks about this lens. The Canon 24-70mm gives you many options regarding the types of things you want to achieve. This lens is on the heavy side, so I tend to place my camera on my tripod when I am using this lens.

CANON 100MM F/2.8 IS USM MACRO  LENS

The Canon 100mm f/2.8 is one of my favorite lenses; I think it provides excellent quality macro photos. I honestly try to use this lens at times when I really should be using another one, but I love the detail it provides.

ADDITIONAL CAMERA GEAR

128GB SanDisk Extreme Pro card‍‍

TRIPOD 

CAMERA MICROPHONE

EXTERNAL MICROPHONE

‍TETHER CABLE‍

CAMERA BAG

WATER-RESISTANT LENS BAGS

LIGHTING

I currently shoot in natural light; I will list a few items that I use that are not specific to photography and can assist. Most of my photography is done by a large window in my kitchen with a large diffuser placed in front to soften the light and remove any harsh shadows. I sometimes use an 18-inch Neewer Ring Light with Tripod stand when doing a story or reel in low-lighting that involves showing my face. I also purchased a Craftsman portable LED work light from Lowes that I use to light up my backdrops depending on the vibe I am going for in the shoot.

REFLECTORS, BOUNCE BOARDS, CLAMPS, LIGHT STANDS, ECT.

I do not use many tools to manipulate light outside off using my giant diffuser, but here is a list of items I have in my toolset that I have purchased. I do not use them in most shoots, but they are excellent. You can also use reflective craft paper or metallic gift bags as a cheaper option for purchasing reflectors and bounce boards.

Neewer 43 Inch/110 Centimeter Light Reflector 5-in-1 Collapsible

Neewer 2 PCS Photo Studio Heavy Duty Metal Clamp Holder with 5/8" Light Stand Attachment for Reflector

Light Reflector Cardboard 2 Pack 11x 16 Inch Photography Light Diffuser for Food Product Still Life Photo Shooting, Black/ Silver/ White Thick Paper Board

10 Packs of 3.5-inch Professional Plastic Small Spring Clamps Heavy Duty for Crafts or Plastic Clips and Backdrop Clips Clamps for Backdrop Stand, Photography, Home Improvement

*As a diffuser, you can also  use a white bed sheet and place it over your window with clamps*

BLOGGING TOOLS

WEBFLOW HOSTING

I attempted to start my blog on word-press but quickly realized I was in over my head on building a functional website by myself. I was so excited when Foodtography School offered read-made website templates that did the heavy lifting to jump-start my blog. While I love the 'OvenLovin' template, I recently decided to switch my blog. I decided to continue hosting my website on the Webflow platform since I have already used it for a year and am more familiar with it.

Webflow is not the cheapest option for web hosting if you are going with their premium CMS product (which allows you to add your custom domain). Webflow provides educational videos and on-demand assistance that help guide you through any issue or answer any question you may have requiring their platform. I stayed with Webflow to host my new blog, as I can learn and manage my website.

FIVERR

Fiverr is a marketplace that provides digital services for anyone who wants to buy or sell digital services. It is a digitally streamlined transactional platform.

I have known about Fiverr for a while but never used the App. I started with getting an audit done on my website to get approved for Google Ads. I hired a Professional SEO Expert that was able to get me approved and remove all the errors I had on my site. To monetize your site, doing an audit would be the first step.

CANVA

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I place Canva in the essentials category for blogging and creating social media content. Canva is an online graphic design tool where you can create presentations, logos, videos, and so on. Even though I am still learning how to leverage it better, I think it is so important to have this in your toolset to help you create

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ELFSIGHT

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Elfsight is a great tool to add your Instagram page to the bottom of your main page; it is so easy to use. It is much easier than manually adding your IG photos or using another tool. It is a free widget, but you must purchase the paid product to remove the added logo at the bottom.
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ZAPIER

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This free tool allows you to add automation to your website or project. I use it to publish comments that are made on the blog automatically. Still, there is so much more you can do with Zapier.

FLODESK

Out of all of the applications I use, this and Canva are my favorite. Please read my blog post about Flodesk here. I love this email marketing platform. Their websites and templates are so easy to use and worth it.

GOOGLE ANALYTICS

I use google analytics to track the traffic to my blog. It is something I would suggest you set up right away when you create your website.

IMAGE STORAGE

I use a dedicated 1 TB external drive to house all of my images.

APPLE MACBOOK PRO

I do not think I can use any other product but my MacBook Pro. I have always used Apple products for personal use and do not plan on using anything else. I love the seamless ability to transfer things directly from my phone to my laptop and vice versa. Apple products have many pros, but it is just my preference.

PLANNER/NOTEPAD

I love a good planner. I have too many to count around the house, but I will say the one I use the most is my Clever Fox Planner PRO – Weekly & Monthly. This planner helps keep me on task and planning out my photoshoots. I also use my notepad within my iPhone to list ideas or any inspiration I come across. I record voice memos as well when I am in the car. I think it is good to speak your plans into existence.

EDITING SOFWARE

ADOBE PHOTOGRAPHY SUITE (Lightroom & Photoshop)

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To edit simple edits on my photos, I use, I use Adobe Lightroom. Lightroom is great for simple and quick edits (tones, colors, sharpness, etc.). I pay for Adobe's Photography Suite every month. In addition to Lightroom, the suite provides Photoshop and Rush (for simple video edits). *If you are a teacher or student, they provide a discount on the suite price*

ADOBE RUSH

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Adobe Rush allows you to create videos on your phone and your computer. The great thing about this product is I can load my videos on the platform from my DSLR and edit thin on my phone, as it syncs all loaded content to your other devices.

*I edit videos on my phone with the premium subscription to SPLICE as well‍

BACKDROPS & PROPS

WOODVILLE WORKSHOP

Woodville Workshop has beautiful backdrops at a higher price point, so I recommend starting with a backdrop on sale or discontinued. When I made my first purchase, I just ordered any size and realized quickly that the dimensions were there for a reason. So make sure you know what you want to order. I purchased three wooden backdrops, and they now offer plastic backdrops.

CLUBS BACKDROPS

Combining different backdrops for product photography or when you need something that is not bulky, especially for shoots outside your studio (the kitchen). Club Backdrops has unique vinyl backdrops that are so lovely and easy to clean.

REPLICA SURFACES BACKDROPS

Starting with a replica surface backdrop is like the right of passage of food photography. You have at least to have a few of these in your collection. Replica surfaces backdrops photograph well, and I find myself constantly using them as they are so easy to use.

CERAMICS 

These are my favorite ceramic brands, in no particular order:

Suzanne Kumar Ceramics

Chunceramics

OguskyCeramics

Tubosara

PROPS 

from Etsy. Here is a list of places where you can find great options. 

Zara Home-silverware, glassware

CB2- glassware, napkins, plates

Crate and Barrel- glassware, napkins, plates 

West Elm-Serving Platters

ONLINE COURSES

FOODTOGRAPHY SCHOOL

Foodtography School I thought would be a course to help me learn the basics of food photography, but it was so much more. I am still going through the original course and plan to take more in the future. It teaches you not only about the photography aspect but really how to transform your hobby into a business. I have met most people who have inspired me through the Community built by this course. Melissa inspired me. Her IG handle is the_queenship (follow her), she had taken the course and posted about it several times, so I finally decided to invest. It has been more than worth it.
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Take 15% off your purchase with her code: Queenship

YOUTUBE LEARNING

Here are some of the content creators I follow on YouTube that assist me in learning more about videography and photography in general

List of my favorite educational YOUTUBE Channels:

The Bite Shot- food photography

Daniel Schieffer- videography (I love all his videos)

Michael Drowley- educational videos on photography

Roar Factory- food/product photography

Lauren Caris Short - food/drink photography

Lizzie Peirce - product photography

GRAMMARLY

Grammarly is an app that has helped me feel more confident in my writing. Blog posts, social media stories, or reels. Even for emails, I send out as well. It is so worth the monthly/yearly subscription. It catches all the grammatical errors you might not notice, which is essential when attempting to move your brand forward from a hobby to a profession. You want to ensure that everything is grammatically correct when you reach out to brands.

Thank you for taking the time to review this post! -Edie O.