Food photography is all about capturing those savory, taste worthy images. It is a niche that is creative, captivating and allows you to bring an audience together. If you are creating food photography, you know how important it is to have the right food photography equipment for your images. The tools you use can help you craft visual displays that highlight a chef’s masterpiece or tell a brand’s story.

In fact, if you are interested in learning more and looking to jump into food photography – we have your photographic needs covered. Luckily for you, to take high quality food photographs, you will just need a few key pieces of equipment.

Here is our complete food photographer’s gear list to help you start crafting mouth-watering images.

Food Photography Gear List

Camera & Lens

The first tool you need for your food photography is a quality camera and lens. There are many options for cameras these days, so much so that it can be overwhelming.

Yet, for food photography – you have the ability to stick to a simple set up that will create high quality images. As long as you have a camera that can create detailed photographs, paired with a lens that has both wide angle and close up capabilities – then you are one step closer to getting started.

Our Recommendation // Sony Alpha a7II Mirrorless Digital Camera with 28-70mm Lens

For captivating food photography images, we recommend the Sony Alpha a7IIK Mirrorless Digital Camera with the 28-70mm lens. 

This camera offers high quality, 24 megapixel resolution and is equipped with a wide angle lens with zoom capability. Considering that it is mirrorless, it will be lighter and more manageable than a traditional SLR set up.

This will allow you to photograph your food setup at multiple angles, such as the overhead bird’s eye table view.

It is a great option for creating your images and is a neccessary addition to your food photography equipment list.

You can check out more about this camera here. 

Tripod

The second tool that should be added to your food photography gear list is a tripod. Now, you can use any tripod you prefer, but we think it’s best to use one with a lateral arm.

This will allow you to rotate and adjust your camera as needed to achieve a variety of angles. The lateral arm allows you to set up your camera to be angled downward for overhead shots.

Finally, your tripod needs to be heavy duty and stable. The last thing you want is for your camera to be off balance or fall off during shooting.

Our Recommendation // The Beschoi Tripod

Our recommendation for tripods with a lateral arm is the Beschoi Tripod. 

This tripod is heavy duty and well built for your food photography shoots. It has the ability to be extended from 18.5″ to 67″. It is flexible, easy to break down for traveling and has 4 legs that offer incredible stability.

This tripod is compatible with multiple DSLR cameras as long as they have the 1/4″ screw mount. Easy to use, place your camera on the mount, choose your desired angle and begin shooting.

For more details on this tripod, you can check out the full spec guide here.

Lighting Setup

The third tool to add to your food photography equipment list is a proper lighting setup.

While natural lighting can be beneficial for capturing food, you can also be creative by setting up your own food photography studio.

A lighting kit for food photography can be fairly simple since the size of your setup is relatively small.

Our Recommendation // Emart Table Top Photography LED Lighting Kit

For food photography lighting, we recommend the Emart Table Top Photography LED Lighting Kit. 

This kit comes with 2 lights, a light stand tripod, color gel filters and an adjustable light head with reflectors.

This setup is easy to carry, use and is perfect for the table top shooting that takes place with food photography. Plus, it’s super affordable.

For more details on this kit, check out its full capabilities here. 

Reflectors

The fourth tool that you can add to your food photography list is a reflector. Now, this may not be a necessity for some photographers, but it is worth mentioning if you like to have the ability to maintain complete control of your lighting situation.

For reflectors, keep it simple. In fact, you don’t need a fancy setup to aid your images.

Our Recommendation // Etekcity 24″ 5-in-1 Reflector

We recommend the Etekcity 5-in-1 reflector. Not only is it affordable, it has the neccessary color sides for creating various lighting effects – gold, silver, white, black and translucent.

It is collapsible for ease of travel and storage.

For more details on this reflector, check it out here. 

Tethering Chord

Lastly, the fifth tool for your food photography is a tethering chord.

A tethering chord allows you to connect your camera to your computer for live access shooting. This way, you are able to see the images appear on your screen as you capture them.

The tethering chord is a great way to capture an interactive experience and if you are on set with a client, it gives them a piece of mind to see how the images are turning out.

Our Recommendation // Tether Pro Super Speed Cable 

For tethering, we recommend the Tether Pro Super Speed Cable.

It measures at 15 feet, giving you ample room for shooting. It has power efficiency and connects to your camera with a micro B connector.

This chord is easy to use and effective for your live-capture shoots.

For more information, view the complete specs here. 

So, these are our recommended tools for your food photography equipment. With a camera, lens, tripod, lighting setup, reflector and tethering chord – you can create high quality images.

Plus, be sure to add any type of creative props, elements or backgrounds to add creativity to your shoot. Food photography can be unique and captivating to create, so make the images you capture truly unique.