Taking Pictures of Food – What I Have Learned (Part 1)

Out of all the comments that are written in this blog, there is one that humbles me. No, not the one where people say I am a b@$7@rd (to thick-skinned to even bother with those). Instead, it is the one of pictures of the food. I don’t meant (or want) to brag about my pictures but, when people tell me they look quite good, well… I think that sentiment is being overblown. I mean, has anybody seen Wilson’s pictures??? It certainly does not help when other fellow food bloggers *cough*Sherman*cough* tries to mimic what I have done and tell me I have certain gear and/or my skill is better than theirs. Reality is, the only thing I have over some of my fellow bloggers is years of experience using my camera but, otherwise, I am far from being a good photographer. For example, not even for my life, I can take a decent portrait picture. Of people, the only “good” pictures I can take are candid pictures (just ask Mijune!) and 99/100 are pictures with wacky faces and “not for public use, risk feeling the wrath of those in that picture”.

Having said all that, I do believe in sharing what I know with others. In no way, shape or form, this is intended as a replacement for a book, tutorial, class or workshop (like this one offered by Jackie Connelly). In fact, I expect people to contradict me or tell me I am wrong. After all, I do learn from my mistakes!

The topics for this multi-post series are:

• The Camera – this post!
• Camera Settings
• Composition Taking the Picture
• Post-processing

So, as mentioned, let’s start with the bare basics, the camera…

I do believe that digital cameras have gone a long way. My first digital camera was a Canon point and shoot (P&S from here on) I got ~8 years ago. I you asked me the exact model, I won’t able to tell. However, what I can tell you is the camera in my iPhone can take pictures as well as I could take with that camera. Partially the reason my pictures were really crappy was because I abused a feature of the camera, namely, the digital zoom. After about a year or so, I gave up and stashed it away.

Fast foward to summer 2007. At that time, I was willing to give photography another chance and, in a wacky Chinese way: I decided to spend some money in it. At that time, high end P&S were around $500 and low-end SLRs were about $700. I decided to fork that money and got a Nikon D40. The main reason I got that specific model was… Price! No, really! There has been for a long time war between Canon and Nikon for regular consumer cameras (I will leave the Leicas and Hasselblads to those who have money to burn) and, in the end, it was the price that sway me. I did a little bit of research but, for the most part, it was Greek to me (back then). And, that shows how I used tha camera during the first year or so: Almost as a P&S, i.e., use it mostly in Auto mode. It wasn’t until one day I attended a (free) photography workshop when I saw people with big gun cameras and what not when I started to realize its true potential (unfortunately, that section of the workshop was only 30 minutes, the rest was.. disappointing..).

When I went to Panama last year, I gave away that camera to my sister with the idea of getting a new one when I came back. And, in the end, I got another Nikon D40. Yes, that was despite I knew it was going to be discontinued, despite there was a better model (including the then recently released Nikon D90) and despite I have learned a lot of new things. I chose to go back to the same model for several reasons.

As mentioned above, digital cameras have gone a long way, despite the principle is basically the same. And, from that point, I want to set the record straight on one feature: megapixel count. Way back then, my digital camera was around 1 Megapixel; currently, most digital cameras are at least 10 MP (with the exception of smart devices, where it is usually between 1 and 4 MP). And guess what? The higher megapixels count does not necessarily mean a camera is any better. For the most part, once you go pass a certain threshold, it won’t matter how many megapixels it has – unless you are planning to print that picture into something larger than a mural. Don’t believe me? Check this article written a couple of years ago. Now, that does not mean having those additional megapixels won’t help, as the article mentions, if you know you might need to crop a lot, having those extra megapixels are definitely a plus. However, similar to what I mentioned above about digital zooming, cropping has its issues. But, in the case of taking pictures of food, since we usually take pictures at a distance of less than 1 metre (slightly over 1 yard), most likely that becomes a non-factor. And, when I go outside, to take picture of other things, there are other factors kicking in and megapixel count is not the top one. (On a note related to megapixels, my D40 is a 6MP camera. There is a more complicated technical reason why this 6MP can perform as well as a 10MP. Unfortunately, I won’t delve into that topic but feel free to drop an email if you want to know).

Does that mean any “modern” P&S digital camera, even the cheap ones, would work? After borrowing some P&S cameras and taking some random pictures, I feel that the answer will be yes, though, as usual, they will be circumstances where one or the other will have an upper hand. On one side, SLRs works better under harsh lightning situations (lightning being one of the most important factors, if not THE most important factor, when taking pictures), as there are settings you can adjust; on the other hand, unlike P&S, SLRs is a pain at times when you want to take a quick picture and move on. Now, in my case, since one of the reasons I got an SLR was to go out, take strolls and take pictures of almost anything, the SLR approach works better for me. Had that not being my intent, probably I would have ended up getting a middle-of-the-road P&S…

Now, somehow, I have that odd feeling that people will be telling me “under those harsh lightning situations, use a flash!”. Yes, that is indeed true, in fact, I use my flash when I feel it is necessary; however, there are reasons why at times they turned out wacky with P&S, not to mention flash simply does not work under those conditions. I am planning to address so, patience my friends!

Puting that aside, here are some characteristics of cameras I had in consideration before I went back for my second D40.

1) Video capabilities. Particularly in the case of P&S, this is a feature a lot of people like. I will admit, it is fun; however, in my case.. No.. But, if you like it, hey, go ahead!
2) Feel. Yes, believe or not, a lot of people overlook this. Since most electronic shops now have models in display, take your time to “feel” it, take a couple of pictures (if it is on) and so on. In my case, one of the major problems I experience with some P&S is that (aside I forget there are no viewers), I tend to put my hand in such a way that it sometimes blocks *something* when it is fired. And, for people considering an SLR, please, make sure you feel fine with such a bulky device. In my case, the D40 is light (specially when I use the 35mm lens) and I feel I have a good grip on it. In the future, I might (and probably will) move to a bulkier prosumer type camera but, until then, I am happy with what I have!
3) Controls. Again, this is a non-issue with most people, as they will set it up in full auto and go from there. OK, aside from the playback to check the output, that is about it. In my case, I found the controls of the D40 easily accessible, probably with the exception of the aperture setting (when using either manual or programmed mode, more about this in the next part) which I had to really dig down in the manual. When I tried the D90… Well, I had problems with some of the controls due tot he additional buttons (as there are more features). As for Canon, I struggled a little bit at first but, after playing it for a while, I think I was able to find how to change the settings (and, look, ma, no manuals!). Of course, that is because I knew what I was looking for. In the end, as long as it does not get into the way of taking a picture, that should do it.
4) Screen. Yes, the main reason I have no interest in going to film (digital roting, cost of film and similar issues aside). Once you take a picture, you can look at it for instant gratification. Do not like it? Delete it and take another one (*)! That screen is your friend so, make sure it has a decent size and displays the way you want it. Oddly, the screen of the D40 sucks royally but I am used to it…
(*) Actually, I seldom delete pictures, no matter how bad.
5) Cost. I will warn everybody right away: SLRs is a wallet sinkhole. As soon as you think that is enough, there is always that “need” to get some extra accessories. Hey, just ask Sherman! Even when you have the basic camera with the kits lens (and, in some cases, filters and camera bag), you will soon feel that “need” to buy an external flash, other lenses and so on. Believe me, that is a vicious circle! In my case, I have purchased five lenses plus other accessories, costing me over $2000 in three years. Did I mention I have been considering a really wide angle lens (10-24mm) which costs around $1000??? But, there is a reason I was able to soften this blow (more below).
6) P&S specific: Zoom.. Or a feature NOT to look for. If you really need major zooming, go for optical. Otherwise, take a couple of steps forward (assuming you can, that is) if you want to take a closer shot. Believe me, I have a prime lens (meaning it can’t zoom) and that method works great.

So, to finish this first post, here are the specific reasons I decided to buy my second D40 (at this point, I could have gotten any camera, specially consider I had more experience).

1) Since I have been using an SLR for over a year, getting a P&S would have been a step back. Believe me, once you are used to it, there is almost no going back.
2) I mentioned above that I was able to soften the expense issue of my SLR purchase. That is because, when I came back from Panama, I still had some left-over gear, namely, my current 35mm lens. Yes, that brings another point…
3) Again, cost. Since I already had some leftover gear, I only had to buy the camera body. Given that scenario, that meant that the D40 filled an interesting gap: same price as a high end P&S, yet it is being an SLR.
4) Gear flexibility (which, again is associated with cost). If I want to “move up” to a D90 (or any similar future models) in the (near?) future, all the lenses I purchased for the D40 will still work. The caveat, though, is that I couldn’t use them if I want to move up to the highest end models, which is a none issue as I am not planning to spend >$3000 for one camera body.
5) Experience. Having used that camera for a couple of years, switching to another model would mean I have to go through some re-learning process. Of course, in my case, it was more on the lines of learning where a specific control is located, rather than what to set. Regardless, I was in the mood of taking pictures, not re-learning. OK, I am just delaying the inevitable but, at least, by the time that happens, I am hoping the transition will be a smooth one.
6) A lot of “features” in P&S (and now SLRs), specifically that of video recording, is not something I am that interested. Probably in a couple of years but, until then, I am staying put.

So, here you go, my explanation as to why I went for a Nikon D40! Of course, these reasons might not be applicable to everybody. I have heard of people going for Canon SLRs because their friends suggested them Canon (oddly, so far nobody listen to me! ). In fact, if you are considering going to SLRs, don’t jump and go get one. Check with friends who have one and ask them if you can borrow them to test it (while you can do it in a store, it might not necessarily be the same due to lightning conditions). Regardless of your decision, one key detail you must keep in mind is that a camera is a tool and just like any tool, you must learn how to use it. That way, you will be able to bring out its full potential.

For the rest of this series, I will be writing it from an SLR perspective. Unfortunately, not all of them will be applicable to most P&S but, still, that can give you some perspective. So, please come back next week!

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