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Food Post Challenge - Getting Technical

I get asked ALL THE TIME what kind of camera I use. Well.....let me take you back a bit before I answer that. The reason? I didn't start out with the camera I have now and don't want people to stress about not being able to purchase a DSLR. 

As a professional blogger, it is important for me to have NICE pictures. I need them to be clear, crisp, and I need them to stand out from the rest. When I first started, I had two cameras. The camera on my phone and a Point and Shoot. That's it. I also did not have ANY money to buy a nice camera, not even a semi-nice camera. I did the best I could with what I had.
The picture above was taken with my phone. Looking back there are a few things I would do different but, it is more to do with the styling of the food on my plate. I actually did not plan this picture when I took it. It was just a quick snap so I could share it quickly on Facebook. I don't think the picture is bad. Yes, it would be MUCH better if I had a nicer camera but, I did not at the time.

When taking a picture with your phone you need to follow a few of the same rules that you would when taking pictures with a DSLR. 
1) Make sure your lens is clean.
2) Do NOT use the flash.
3) Use as much natural light as possible.
4) Most phone cameras also have settings you can change just like on a DSLR, play with your settings and see the difference it can make. If you are not sure how to change the settings on your phone, I am sure a quick Google search will net you millions of tutorials.
The picture above was shot with a Point and Shoot camera. Again, the shot is really good but, it is not as good as it would have been had I had a DSLR at the time. The same rules apply when using a P&S as they do when using a DSLR, just like your phone.
1) Make sure your lens is clean.
2) Do NOT use the flash.
3) Use as much natural light as possible.
4) Most P&S cameras also have settings you can change just like on a DSLR, play with your settings and see the difference it can make. If you are not sure how to change the settings, Google will be your best friend.
The picture above was taken with my DSLR. I currently use a Sony Nex (I think it is a 3). I absolutely LOVE my camera! No, it is not in any way the best camera out there. I think it is a GREAT camera to start with though.

Now, the part of this post that will make a lot of your cringe.....I have no idea about White Balance or ISO or really about any of the settings on my camera. Sure, I have played around but, I don't take it out of automatic often. Yep. I said it. Automatic is my crutch and I use it daily. I have a friend that is REALLY good at photography, she even taught a class on it at SoFabCon, she encourages me to use manual. I don't. It makes me cringe to think about it. 
The biggest thing that helped me was to stop using my flash and to start using natural light. You will see my setup next week and my little "studio", if you even want to call it that. I have also attended a few very BASIC photography classes that taught me how to take better shots. There are a ton on the web. I stumbled upon a post from Averie Cooks on Pinterest a while ago and it is GREAT! She attended a class taught by Diane Cu and offers a few tips she took away from the class. Seriously, you need to check it out!
I am still in the learning process myself. It can be VERY overwhelming at times to remember everything. One of my best tips I can offer you is to focus on one or two things and become REALLY good at them. Be it food styling, lighting, etc, pick a few and learn them well. After you have those down, move on to a few other things. In no time, you will be a pro.
Remember, to keep up with all of the other great posts, be sure to follow #SoFabFoodie on Twitter!



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