What Camera Settings Should I Use for Food Photography?

Sep 8

7 min read

If you've ever wondered what camera settings professional food photographers use, you're not alone.

Your camera settings determine how sharp your image is, how much of the food is in focus, how natural the colours look and whether your image feels polished or amateur.

The good news is you don't need to know every button on your camera. Master these eight settings and you'll have a brilliant foundation for creating beautiful food photographs.

The first three settings are lumped together for a very good reason, they make up the exposure triangle when you are shooting.

Understanding the Exposure Triangle

Before we look at the individual settings, it's worth understanding one of the most important principles in photography.

The Exposure Triangle.

Not a button on your camera, simply the relationship between Aperture, Shutter Speed and ISO.

These three settings on your camera work together to control not only the exposure of your photograph, but they also each have their own individual job to do.

Aperture controls depth of field.
Shutter Speed controls movement.
ISO controls image quality.
All 3 control the relationship with light.

Change one, and you'll usually need to adjust one or both of the others to keep your exposure balanced.

Once you understand that relationship, your camera settings start making much more sense.

1. Aperture

If there was one setting I'd tell you to master first, it would be Aperture.

It controls two things:

How much of your photograph is in focus (depth of field).
How much light enters the camera.

The lower the number, the wider the aperture opens.

What that means in 'normal language' is the more light enters the camera (your image is brighter), but less of your image is in focus.

That's perfect for 45-degree/eye level photographs where you want the hero super sharp and the background to be soft and melt away.

Increase the aperture to around f/8-f/11 and more of the scene stays sharp, making it ideal for overhead flat lays.

However..... because you've changed the amount of light entering the camera, you'll usually need to adjust your shutter speed or ISO to correct this.

That's the Exposure Triangle at work.

2. Shutter Speed

Shutter speed controls movement.

Food doesn't usually move...

...but you do.

If you're photographing pouring sauces, sprinklage or splashes, you'll need a faster shutter speed to freeze the action.

If you're hand-holding your camera, a faster shutter speed also helps prevent camera shake.

If your camera is on a tripod (which, wherever possible, it should be for food & drink), you can slow the shutter speed right down because nothing is moving.

3. ISO

ISO controls image quality.

The lower the ISO, the cleaner your photograph will be.

I keep mine as low as possible. On artificial light I'm usually around ISO 100-200, but on a dark winter's day using natural light I have no problem taking it up to ISO 5000 if that's what the photograph needs.

Now, before you all shout at me...

Ten years ago, taking your camera above ISO 800 would have been a photography sin! But camera technology has come on enormously. Modern cameras handle much higher ISO settings with very little visible grain or noise.

I tried to photograph a high ISO so you could see the noise, but it just didn't happen!

The important thing isn't what ISO someone else uses.

It's understanding the limitations of your camera.

Every camera is different, so spend some time testing yours.

Before increasing your ISO, I'd always recommend putting your camera on a tripod (wherever possible) and adjusting your aperture or shutter speed first.

Trust your camera, test its limits and use the setting that gives you the photograph you want.

4. White Balance

White Balance controls the colour of your photograph.

One of the biggest mistakes I see photographers make is warming their food up far too much because they think warm food looks more appetising.

It doesn't.

Chicken shouldn't be orange.

Rice shouldn't be yellow.

Cream shouldn't look beige.

Aim for natural colours so your food looks exactly as it did in front of you.

Don't use Auto White Balance (AWB). As the light changes throughout the day, your camera will continually change the colour of your images.

Instead, set your White Balance manually using the Kelvin (K) scale.

I usually start at around 5600K, which takes just a little warmth out of the image without making it feel cold. From there, I'll adjust it depending on the light.

Consistency is the key.

This show you from one extreme to the other, how the Kelvin number affects your food....

5. Focus Mode

Focus Mode tells your camera how to focus.

Most cameras have two autofocus modes you’ll use most often:

AF-S (Single Servo) and AF-C (Continuous Servo).

I never take my camera off AF-S.

The reason is simple. Food doesn’t move.

When I half-press the shutter button, AF-S focuses on my chosen point and locks it there until I take the photograph. Once it’s locked, I know exactly what’s going to be sharp.

AF-C works differently. It constantly adjusts focus, assuming your subject is moving. It’s brilliant for photographing wildlife, sport, children running around the garden or anything that’s changing position.

But a slice of cake isn’t going anywhere.

If your camera is continually trying to refocus on something that’s already sitting still, it’s simply doing a job that doesn’t need doing.

That’s why my camera stays on AF-S all the time.

Focus Mode and Focus Point are often confused, but they’re two completely different settings.

Focus Mode tells your camera how to focus. Focus Point tells it where to focus.

Let’s look at 'where' next.

6. Focus Points

Now you’ve told your camera how to focus, it’s time to tell it where to focus.

Most cameras offer several Focus Point options, including Pinpoint AF, Single Point AF, Dynamic Area AF, Wide Area AF and Auto Area AF.

Each one has its place, but for food photography I almost always use Single Point AF.

Why?

Because I don’t want my camera deciding what’s important in the scene.

I want to decide.

Whether it’s the front raspberry on a cake, the edge of a burger, the branding on a bottle or the sprinkle of herbs on a bowl of pasta, the hero of the photograph should always be the sharpest part of the image.

The beauty of using Single Point AF is that you can move the focus point exactly where you need it. Half-press the shutter button to activate autofocus, then use your camera’s multi-selector or joystick to move the focus point around the frame until it’s sitting over your hero. Once it’s in position, press the shutter to take the photograph.

If you leave your camera on Auto Area AF, it chooses the focus point for you. Sometimes it’ll get it right, but sometimes it’ll focus on the edge of the plate, a garnish in the background or something else entirely.

Your camera is clever, but it doesn’t know your story. It doesn’t know what the hero of your image is. That’s your journey.

7. Self Timer

This is one of the most underrated settings on the camera.

I actually use it in two different ways.

1. The first is a 2-second timer.

Even if your camera is on a tripod, pressing the shutter button can introduce a tiny amount of camera movement. By using a 2-second timer, your hands are off the camera before the photograph is taken, giving everything a chance to settle and helping you achieve the sharpest image possible. Yes, you can tether instead, but today is about camera settings, not extra kit.

2. The second is a 10-second timer, and I use this all the time for action shots.

If I’m pouring a sauce, sprinkling herbs, dusting icing sugar or adding the final touch to a dish, I simply press the shutter, step into position and let the timer do the work.

After all, I haven’t got three hands!

The timer gives me enough time to get into place, concentrate on creating a natural movement and let the camera capture the moment without me having to rush back to it.

It’s such a simple setting, but once you start using both timers, you’ll wonder how you ever managed without them.

Think of your self timer as your extra pair of hands.

8. Image Size & File Format

I always shoot the largest image size my camera offers and always in RAW.

Think of it like this…

Imagine a JPEG has 10 layers of colour.

A RAW file has 50.

That’s not technically how the camera stores the information, but it’s a good way to picture what’s happening. A RAW file contains far more information, colour and detail for you to work with later.

A JPEG is simply a compressed version of that RAW file.

The important thing is this…

When you shoot JPEG, your camera decides what information to throw away to make the file smaller.

When you shoot RAW, you make that decision later

I’d much rather be in control than let my camera make those editing decisions for me before I’ve even seen the photograph.

That extra information means you can brighten shadows, recover highlights, adjust the white balance and make much bigger editing changes whilst maintaining image quality.

Storage is relatively inexpensive these days, so I’d rather keep everything my camera captured than wish I’d had it later.

You can always make a large file smaller. You can never make a small file larger.

So now lets have a recap of those settings....

My Food Photography Camera Settings Checklist

The Food Photography Show: Ultimate FAQ

What camera settings should I use for food photography?

Master the Exposure Triangle first, then set your White Balance manually, use AF-S, Single Point AF, a 2-second timer and always shoot RAW.

What aperture should I use for food photography?

Around f/2.8-f/5.6 for 45-degree photographs and f/8-f/11 for overhead flat lays.

What ISO should I use?

Keep it as low as possible, but don't be afraid to increase it if your camera can handle it. Learn the limits of your own camera.

Should I use Auto White Balance?

No. Manual Kelvin settings will give you much more consistent colour throughout your shoot.

Should I shoot RAW or JPEG?

RAW gives you far more flexibility when editing and is always my recommendation.

Manual Mode or Aperture Priority?

Manual Mode gives you complete control, but Aperture Priority is a great stepping stone whilst you're learning.

Why are my food photos blurry?

Usually because of camera shake, an incorrect focus point or a shutter speed that's too slow. A tripod and a 2-second timer will make a huge difference.

Whether you're photographing your first cupcake or shooting a commercial campaign, understanding these eight camera settings will give you far more confidence behind the camera. Learn what each one does, practise using them together and you'll quickly find your camera becomes a creative tool rather than something that gets in the way. Then subscribe to The Food Photography Show on YouTube for more practical food photography tips and tutorials.