Must-Have Food Photography Gear: Cameras, Lenses, Backdrops, and More

When it comes to Food Photography, having solid gear can make a huge difference. Today we’ll be going over my current equipment for my camera setup, lighting, backdrops, editing software, and more. “What gear do you use?” is one of the most frequent questions I receive so I figured it was time to make a resource!

Disclaimer: Something I’ve always tried to be is budget conscious. However, some key things are definitely worth investing in, so today we’ll also be discussing which items are worth spending more, and which ones you can get away with diy or lower cost options!

Also another important note before we begin, your gear is important but will only take you so far. Even more crucial is practicing and gaining an understanding of light, composition, and editing. But, that’s a blog post for another day! Let’s get into the gear.

This post may contain affiliate links which I may earn a small commission from with no additional cost to you.

1. Camera Body

First and foremost, let’s go over the camera itself! When I was just starting out, one of my good friends who’s been in the photography business for a long time advised me that it was better to buy a used nicer camera body vs a newer but less quality one, and to also prioritize purchasing solid lenses.

Canon EOS 6D

Currently, I use a Canon EOS 6D! This camera may be an older model, but it is a workhorse that has a ton of great features for both photo and video. If you’re looking for a detailed review on the specs, check out the Amazon link below.

Canon EOS 6D DSLR Camera (Body Only) (8035B002) + EOS Bag + Sandisk Ultra 64GB Card + Cleaning Set and More (International Model) (Renewed)

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P.S. That same good friend I mentioned earlier was crazy generous and gave me this camera body after she had purchased a different one. So incredibly grateful for her!

A question that beginners will ask often, is how important is it to have a camera vs just using a phone? To answer that, I think you need to ask what your primary purpose and goals are with your photos and videos!

If your goal is to get into the food photography business, I think it’s important to have an actual camera. There is a substantial difference in the quality. HOWEVER, if you’re planning on making UGC style videos and photos for more social media type use, you may be fine with a high quality phone camera. A common thing I see a ton of big name baking content creators doing is sticking to their phone for video, but using their cameras for photo.

Either way, your understanding of lighting, composition, and editing will make the biggest difference in the outcome of your photos.

2. Camera Lenses

Canon 50mm Lens

The 50mm lens is one the vast majority of food photographers (including myself) would say is their MUST have and most versatile camera lens. A nickname it has in the industry is the “Nifty 50” due to it’s versatility and wide range of uses and approachable price point.

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM Lens

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Canon 100mm Lens

This lens is a showstopper when it comes to capturing detail shots and close ups! I love this one for shooting those fine textures and details.

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Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM Macro Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras (Renewed)

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This lens is a bit more pricey but you can also purchase it “renewed” to save a substantial amount! That’s the route I went and the lens hasn’t had any issues whatsoever.

3. Camera Strap

Camera straps are one of those simple but important things to help keep your gear safe! Heres the one I use, the cute little camera charm is a nice touch.

WANBY Camera Strap Black Canvas Neck Shoulder Strap with Quick Release Buckles for DSLR SLR

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3. Backdrops

Tiles

When I first started, I used an extremely simple setup using Home Depot Tiles for my backdrops. The tiles are super inexpensive and a great way to practice before investing into backdrops (like under $10 inexpensive!). However, they are heavy to move around and limited in size if you’re looking for wider shots.

Choose a tile with a matte finish to avoid glare in your photos, in size 18″x18″ or larger. Here’s a few photos using the tiles I’ve linked below.

Home Depot Lifeproof Carrara 18in x 18in Glazed Porcelain Floor and Wall Tile

Vinyl Backdrops

Vinyl backdrops are durable, easy to store, and come in a massive variety of options! I’ve been using backdrops from Dropawall for the past few years and have been super happy with the quality. They clean well after spills and are resistant to staining as well! Dropawall hosts consistent sales so you can catch them at a solid discount if you’re patient.

Here’s my top 2 backdrops from Dropawall! I ordered large 36″x48″ so they were large enough to be the upright and flat base backdrop at the same time. However, if you want a sharp corner/line in the corner where your backdrops meet, I’d recommend something other than vinyl for the upright.

Dropawall Marble Vinyl Backdrop

Dropawall Pale Concrete Vinyl Backdrop

There are mounts and T-stands you can purchase to hang your vinyl backdrops from, but I’ve found it easiest to just pop up a bench on my dining table and tape it up! This is an easy way to use what you have on hand and not have to purchase and store more equipment.

4. Tripods and Mounts

Camera Tripod

To use a tripod, or to freehand? I started out freehand but ended up switching to almost exclusively using a tripod. This is a matter of preference, but I find just as much creative freedom in using a tripod and prefer the ease of getting crisper images and shots with the steadiness it provides.

Another advantage to using a tripod is you can adjust your scene in between shots without having to find the right angle to shoot the photo/video from again. It’s also much easier to get shots with a human element to them such as pour shots, picking things up, etc.

Here’s the tripod I’ve been using for the last few years! It comes in at a middle ground price point but has held up extremely well. Tripods are one of those camera gear items where it’s better to not get the lowest price point option because it won’t last well and you’ll have to buy another one anyways.

NEEWER 79 inch Camera Tripod Monopod with Center Column and Ball Head Aluminum, Arca Type QR Plate, Bag, Horizontal Tripod Overhead Camera Mount for DSLR Camera, Video Camcorder, Max Load: 33lb

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Phone Mount

If you use your phone to shoot video, I highly recommend this overhead mount from Viozen! I used it for a few years before switching to shooting with my camera, and it’s SOLID.

It’s heavy enough to not tip over and has adjustable joints that are easily tightened. I’ve found it’s also great for shooting overhead shots when teaching online baking classes.

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Viozon Tablet Phone Overhead Stand, Height & 360 Degree Angle Adjustable, Aluminum Desktop Stand, Compatible with 3.5-11″ Cellphone or Tablet Such as iPhone iPad Pro Air Mini, Samsung, Nexus(AP-4P-B)

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5. Reflectors and Bounce Boards

Real talk, this is an item of gear where I think the “budget” route is the best route. Bounce boards/reflectors are used to bounce more light back onto your subject to brighten up the shadows.

I purchased a pop up reflector (which I’ll link and let you make the choice for yourself), but I honestly still find myself reaching for my original reflector which is just a plain white foam board purchased from the dollar store or Walmart! I prefer the rigidity and light weight of the foam board vs. the pop up one.

However, the pop up one is much more compact for storage and transporting which is something to consider, and comes with different colors to create different effects.

Konseen Collapsible Photography Reflector 24x35inch (60x90cm) 5-in-1 Multi Light Diffuser Panel Studio Photo Portable Light Reflectors for Product Photography Accessories Props with Carrying Bag

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6. Artificial Lighting

Artificial lighting has big advantages when it comes to consistency, and light control. Although I’m a natural light girl first and foremost, it’s super helpful to have an artificial light setup for dark winter days, or days where I need more hours to be able to shoot than would naturally happen at my shooting location. There’s a peace of mind that comes from knowing you don’t have to rely on the sun and clouds to behave especially when you had a deadline coming up.

My husband is very knowledgable when it comes to tech, and researched long and hard to set me up with the following gear that gets the job done well without being at a crazy expensive price point.

Apurture Amaran 200x COB Led Video Light

Amaran 200X S COB Led Video Light Bi Color 2700K-6500K,250W,45400Lux @1M,CRI≥95,TLCI≥95,App Control,9 Pre-Programmed Lighting Effects

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Here’s a few things I love about this light.

• It has enough power to fill the scenes I usually work with, even if there’s no other light in the room
• It’s continuous (instead of a flash or strobe) so it can be used for video
• It has adjustable kelvins to give you precise control over the warmth/coolness of the light
• It connects to my phone to adjust the brightness and warmth

Aputure Light Dome SE 33.5inch Softbox

When using artificial light, it’s important to have a softbox to give you control over how “diffused” the light is. Think about it in the sense that without a softbox, the lighting would look like harsh, direct, afternoon sun. With a softbox, it’s more like a cloudy day where the light and shadows are softer.

Here’s the one I use! It’s a bit of an ordeal to get it setup, but I do like that it’s collapsible for storage. I find myself only using the white fabric diffuser.

Aputure Light Dome SE 33.5inch Softbox Bowens Mount with Honeycomb Grid for Aputure Light 600d,300x,Amaran 100/200/300c/150c

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Neewer Pro Heavy Duty C-Stand

A stand for an artificial light is another item I do NOT recommend skimping on. Choosing something sturdy that will safely hold your light and soft box is worth investing in.

Here’s what I use.

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NEEWER Pro 100% Stainless Steel Heavy Duty C Stand with Boom Arm, Max Height 10.5ft/320cm Photography Light Stand with 4.2ft/128cm Holding Arm, 2 Grip Head for Studio Monolight, Softbox, Reflector

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Counter Weights

If you want to be a responsible human being, you should use some type of counter weight on your C Stand so it doesn’t tip over from the weight of your light and softbox.

…I may or may not skip this step a lot of the time much to my techie husbands dismay. But just to be clear, I can’t responsibly recommend following my example.

If you choose to do the responsible thing, here are the sand bag weights I (sometimes) use…

Neewer 4-Pack Photography Sandbag Sand Bags Saddlebag Design 4 Weight Bags for Photo Video Studio Stand Backyard Outdoor Patio Sports, Transparent PP Bag and Clips Included (Black)

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7. Camera Bag

It’s no secret that cameras and lenses are an investment, so it’s important to have storage for them to keep them secure and safe. I opted for a camera backpack and have zero regrets! Here’s why I love this backpack I’ve linked below.

• Stylish leather strap accents and multiple color options
• Customizable organizing inserts to adjust to your personal gear
• Holds a laptop
• Accessory pockets with cord straps
• Water resistant
• Cute enough if you want to use it for travel here and there without it “obviously” being a camera bag

BAGSMART Camera Backpack, DSLR Camera Bag, Waterproof Camera Bag Backpack for Photographers, Fit up to 15″ Laptop with Rain Cover and Tripod Holder, Ivory White

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8. Editing Software and Programs

Adobe Lightroom Photo Editing

When it comes to editing photos, Lightroom is an MVP amongst professionals and hobby photographers for a reason. There are excellent tool options for editing, storage in the cloud and syncing across devices, preset creation capability and bulk editing for speed and efficiency, and more.

The one downside in my opinion is that it’s a subscription based program vs a one time cost. I used the free version on my phone when I first started and was editing small batches of photos before committing to the subscription, and let me just say, save yourself the trouble and do NOT waste your time editing on your phone. The features and ease of use in the paid version on a computer are definitely worth paying monthly.

Check out Adobe Lightroom Classic Here

Davinci Resolve Video Editing

Once again, shout out to my tech wise husband for introducing me to this gem, Davinci Resolve Video Editing. It’s FREE…yes, FREE, and has so many tools to edit your videos to your personal style. There’s a bit of a learning curve, but it’s also a super popular program and it’s very easy to find youtube tutorials and such on the internet when you’re learning.

Davinci Resolve has everything from color grading, lighting edits, effects and transitions, audio eq, movement and zoom, and honestly plenty more options that I haven’t even explored yet.

Check out Davinci Resolve Here

InShot Mobile

Sometimes you just need a quick edit with some easy text on it when it comes to video. Here’s the app I recommend when you just want something simple!

Check out InShot Video Editor and Maker Here

8. Photography Learning Resources

While technically not “gear”, resources to learn and grow are incredibly valuable! Here’s a few that have been super helpful in my photography journey.

First up, even though this course is no longer available, I have to give credit to the biggest resource I’ve used along the way, The Foodtography School Program! This course was a comprehensive walk through taught by the owner of Broma Bakery. Unfortunately, the founder of this course recently decided to move on to other pursuits, but all of her students including me wish her the best!

The Bite Shot

Joannie Simon is a GOLD MINE of food photography learning! She is a seasoned food photographer that offers tons of free info through her youtube channel, and also has some paid courses as well for deeper dives. I’ve combed through many of her youtube videos and am so appreciative of her knowledge that she shares.

Food Photography Corner

Food Photography Corner is a fabulous source for food photography tips over on their instagram.

Sam Adler Photography

Sam Adler is another food photographer who has a lot to offer when it comes to learning and growing your skills! I recently took her course on pricing (not sure it’s currently available) and felt like it was just what I needed to hear from someone killing it in the industry on how to run a profitable business and price yourself fairly. I’ve also heard great things about her Mastermind course from friends in the industry.

I hope this gear guide of recommendations was helpful and informative if you’re looking to add to your arsenal of food photography equipment! Feel to email me or DM me on Instagram if you have any questions about the products mentioned.