I love your photos (same as your videos). I'm rubbish at still photography simply because I'm too lazy to setup everything I need, but what I find the trick is all about composition, composition, composition. and in order to get a good composition the texture of the table or the wall is key. then the details around it, the napkin, the flour around, whatever works for the shot. and as you said, natural light is the best way to go :)
This is extremely interesting and helpful video! I don't take food pictures for a job, but just of the food that I eat and cook, but I would love love love if you do more series on this! such as more detailed tips on 'editing the foodtogrphy' 'tips on getting great compositions' or 'how to decorate food for photography!!'
Brilliant! I'm so glad you did this! Great insight and fantastic set of steps. It's so true. If you set up your shots right (after a little bit of practise through trial and error) you don't need to take too many shots to get the ones that are right. Theres some excellent books out there too for people wanting to learn more about the basics, and lots of tutorials on youtube. Editing should only be used to enhance your photos if you've used the correct settings, planned out things like composition and picked out a spot with good lighting when taking photographs (as you explained in your video) :0) I'm self taught too! Anyone can learn to take great food photographs, and you don't have to have a fancy camera. You can start off with your point and shoot or phone and go from there. My first camera was a little point and shoot that cost me $100. As my love of food photography and skills grew I began investing in equipment that allowed me to have greater control over my shots. :0) I have two canons that I couldn't live without haha. Your photography work is amazing Donal! Great video :0)
hey Donal, any tips you would give for those who take their foodshots with their iPhone or any camera phone? or would you say the tips could be generalized to camera phone users for food photography?
Donal, this was an amazing and very helpful video. Over the past few years I've absolutely fallen in love with food photography, but there's always something new to learn. Can't wait for more videos!
Excellent tips! My favorite tip was to always be sure to take a landscape photo for use in your videos! Thank you, thank you, thank you, Donal! I think it is always more preferable and aesthetically pleasing to fill up the entire screen with an image rather than have a narrow little blip in the middle of a big, empty, black frame. Drives me crazy with photos and videos. It's really easy to remember the aspect ratio of your televisions and computer screens are LANDSCAPE and that's the same way to hold your cameras and mobile phones!! Thanks again for mentioning such an important tip!
This was really Helpful .. I am a photographer and I love to cook but just recently started experimenting with food photography and I really like your work (The food & the photos ) .. So thank you and can't wait for more.
I like this as a video. A different video to the norm, it's nice to see behind the scenes as what makes your channel stand out is your thumbnail each time Dónal
This is the best food photography video I have seen by far! And I myself am a food blogger so I was really wanting to know if I'm doing it right enough thank you so much for this video
Does someone else cook your food and you take the pictures? Do you ever use a tripod to take your pictures? I am looking forward to more of your food photography tips and tricks!!
+Cooking Lessons for Dad if we're doing a few shots I usually cook it but if it's for a shoot day with like 8 -9 recipes someone else will do it so we can all focus on one thing. Use the tripod a lot too :)
The tricky thing for me when it comes to food photography is not eating it before taking a shot! I can stand for hours in nature, in a city setting or a museum but when food arrives, I admire it as it goes into my mouth. I have managed to take some during the holidays since I set the table and everything just shouts special occasion. I admire anyone who does well in this area, it is my most challenging section of photography ;) Love the video, looking forward to more because it has great tips!
I've been thinking for like 3 weeks about starting a food photography project, but I didn't know /how/ to start! (actually is sad bc as an Art student I've been stuck for months :( ) Now me and my little canon sl1 with my 50mm 1.8 will start doing it as soon as possible! thank you, Donal (:
one of the best video i watched on food photography ,how to make that coloured effect in video 0:29 and text effect 0:30 in this video, please make the video editing video with same effect thanks again
Great video, Donal! I love your photography and recipes. Do you have any tips for amateur photography lovers on a budget (i.e. no need for expensive equipment/cameras) such as using an iPhone to take food photography, free photo-editing applications, or some general tips about lighting etc?
That was super HELPFUL..!!!!!!!!!!!!! i did watch other videos on food photography but this was the best one... you literally explained it in simple terms......
Did you only use the "canon ef 24-105mm f/4l is usm" lens for all these shots? Would you say that's your go to lens for the majority of your food photography?
Wow! This is really helpful!! I just started my own food blog and trying to make my food looks better in the photo! And then I see your video!! Love your recipes and photos!! Thanks
Donal first let me say that i really love your videos and that i hope you make more food photography videos and now a question: i've seen people do food photography mostly with the 100mm f2.8 macro and 35mm f1.4...i'm a beginner and i have a 50mm f1.8, do you think i should invest in one of those options or should i upgrade to the 50mm f1.4 for food photography? :)
This is great! How do you make sure that the composition works for when you crop it to a square for Instagram? Or do you advise not to do that and stick to the original dimensions? :)
Thanks Donal! Loved seeing this.. As a home photographer for my baked goods I'm keen to learn more and more about this. Would love to see more videos about this.
Hi Donal Skehan, have u any tip for me? I have canon 60D and i want to go in macro or food photography. What lense is the best bcs it's crop-frame, now i have sigma 17-50mm 2.8. Thank u again, your cannal is awsome!!! :)
Hey Donal! Big fan of your videos and your photos!! I was just wondering if you have an alternative for your 5D markIII? Thanks!! Keep up the good work!!
If you don't mind telling me, what is the name of the ball head or gimbal holder that is attached to your camera. It's not in the list of gear you posted. Thx, Pete
Excellent video Donal, thank you so much for these great tips. I often take photos of food that I prepare, and I am NO WAY close to your expertise, but I will take into consideration what you say here........thanks :)
This is extremely interesting and helpful video!!! Great tips! I love cooking, baking, eating, and I love taking pictures of the dishes I cooked! And I also love to take pictures of nature, sunset, animals. But I don't have a super camera... I using my phone to take pictures. I really want to win that camera to take more pictures of food and nature.
Hey Donal, Great video, love the tips! Do you happen to have a link (or just the brand and name) of the poles you are using to hold up your black sheet? Thank you!
Thank you so much for this video! Reminds me I need to save up to buy a good zoom lens hahah. I have one question though. What do you do when your environment doesn't allow you to set up your table against a wall? I shoot at my friend's restaurant regularly and by the window/doors where there is plenty of light, there isn't really a wall against which I can snap the photos. It's just an open space and sometimes the background can look messy even with the blurred background with smaller f-stop. Any tips would be really appreciated. Thanks a lot for this awesome video again!
+Jee Hee Lim you could ask someone to hold up fabric as a sort of wall or get someone to sit on the other side of the table to block it off a bit more maybe.
Thanks so much for sharing this Donal! As a fellow Dublin foodie/blogger are there any courses you'd recommend in food photography/styling? Or are you fully self taught?
Any advice for anyone who doesn't have a window facing north to have that even light all day? I have one facing west so I have a really bad orange light due to the sun setting.
Wow, I had no idea you did your own photography! Your pics are absolutely flawless. This video tutorial was really helpful. I'm pretty good with shooting outdoors, but my indoor food shots could use some improvement to say the least. 😉 Would you consider doing a video on composition? Thanks! Really enjoy your videos and recipes, Donal!
Great tips, Donal! I started taking food shots with my food blog too, and Thank God I've been improving so much since then! Still need more to be counted as a professional food photographer though! Is this competition open for all countries and any number of photos? Any rules or what?!
Thank you for sharing your best tips! I am trying my best to learn more and more about food photography. But I have one very important question for you, where can I get those nice backgrounds, like the "tree plank pieces of wood." Maybe a weird question but the styling of the picture is like the most important thing for a great result. I would be very happy to have an answer from you, you are a role model to me when it comes to food. Have a great day Donal! Greetings from Sweden! :)
+Madeleine Åberg I usually get the wood/boards from a salvage yard or a skip. some of them I just got the wood in the shop and painting with whatever colour I want.
Just curious, but what do people do with their food photos? Post on blogs, facebook, instagram, or just keep them? I have a Samsung Galaxy S4, but I can hardly ever keep my hands steady when I'm taking a photo, any advice? And anybody else have this problem? I don't want advice like new hands or a new phone XD Any better camera apps to use?
I always tought you used a professional photographer in your shots due to their high quality, but I'm not surprised now after seing the video, because you work like a professional photographer. Very good!
Donal Skehan In January I'll start the professional photography route and I'll be self employed, I'm also considering to start a youtube channel about photography. Will you be interested in some international collaboration?
I love your photos (same as your videos). I'm rubbish at still photography simply because I'm too lazy to setup everything I need, but what I find the trick is all about composition, composition, composition. and in order to get a good composition the texture of the table or the wall is key. then the details around it, the napkin, the flour around, whatever works for the shot. and as you said, natural light is the best way to go :)
Great to learn how your get those awesome shots Donal! Thanks for sharing with us.
This is extremely interesting and helpful video! I don't take food pictures for a job, but just of the food that I eat and cook, but I would love love love if you do more series on this! such as more detailed tips on 'editing the foodtogrphy' 'tips on getting great compositions' or 'how to decorate food for photography!!'
Will see what we can do :)
Brilliant! I'm so glad you did this! Great insight and fantastic set of steps. It's so true. If you set up your shots right (after a little bit of practise through trial and error) you don't need to take too many shots to get the ones that are right. Theres some excellent books out there too for people wanting to learn more about the basics, and lots of tutorials on youtube. Editing should only be used to enhance your photos if you've used the correct settings, planned out things like composition and picked out a spot with good lighting when taking photographs (as you explained in your video) :0) I'm self taught too! Anyone can learn to take great food photographs, and you don't have to have a fancy camera. You can start off with your point and shoot or phone and go from there. My first camera was a little point and shoot that cost me $100. As my love of food photography and skills grew I began investing in equipment that allowed me to have greater control over my shots. :0) I have two canons that I couldn't live without haha. Your photography work is amazing Donal! Great video :0)
Wow. Hi Nick!
hey Donal, any tips you would give for those who take their foodshots with their iPhone or any camera phone? or would you say the tips could be generalized to camera phone users for food photography?
My hubby uses his Canon Eos 6D ,with several to take our food pics , we ask the kids to hold the boards or fabrics , it's almost like a family work :)
+heghineh we're the same here sometimes :)
This is a special video -- it's Donal without the exclamation points.
Bravo for having the courage to show us this side of yourself.
Great tips thanks! I'm off to get a black sheet to see what I can do with it 😊
I already picked my dish. It's not typically a photogenic one so I look forward to the challenge!
Donal, this was an amazing and very helpful video. Over the past few years I've absolutely fallen in love with food photography, but there's always something new to learn. Can't wait for more videos!
Excellent tips! My favorite tip was to always be sure to take a landscape photo for use in your videos! Thank you, thank you, thank you, Donal! I think it is always more preferable and aesthetically pleasing to fill up the entire screen with an image rather than have a narrow little blip in the middle of a big, empty, black frame. Drives me crazy with photos and videos. It's really easy to remember the aspect ratio of your televisions and computer screens are LANDSCAPE and that's the same way to hold your cameras and mobile phones!! Thanks again for mentioning such an important tip!
This was really Helpful .. I am a photographer and I love to cook but just recently started experimenting with food photography and I really like your work (The food & the photos ) .. So thank you and can't wait for more.
I'm a food blogger and am always looking for tips and tricks for improving. Thanks, Donal!
I like this as a video. A different video to the norm, it's nice to see behind the scenes as what makes your channel stand out is your thumbnail each time Dónal
Nice video Donal, I really need a good camera haha I still take my pics on my phone. It's on the list.
+How To Cook That Oh thanks a million Ann :) phones takes such good photos now though!
OMG Hi Ann!
This is the best food photography video I have seen by far! And I myself am a food blogger so I was really wanting to know if I'm doing it right enough thank you so much for this video
I just watched your travel video and this one is even more useful for me because I take most of my food photos at home. Thanks so much for this! ❤️
Thanks for the tips Donal! Looking forward for more videos on food photography
Thank you Donal! Looking forward to more of these kinds of videos.
This was so interesting, and like usual it made me SO hungry hahaha.
-A,x
+Mandeville Sisters i see you commenting on just about every video i watch! I gotta check out your videos now, i think it's fate.
Does someone else cook your food and you take the pictures? Do you ever use a tripod to take your pictures? I am looking forward to more of your food photography tips and tricks!!
+Cooking Lessons for Dad if we're doing a few shots I usually cook it but if it's for a shoot day with like 8 -9 recipes someone else will do it so we can all focus on one thing. Use the tripod a lot too :)
I can imagine 8 or 9 recipes would take very, very long. It is good you have some help. Your food photography is great!
The tricky thing for me when it comes to food photography is not eating it before taking a shot! I can stand for hours in nature, in a city setting or a museum but when food arrives, I admire it as it goes into my mouth. I have managed to take some during the holidays since I set the table and everything just shouts special occasion. I admire anyone who does well in this area, it is my most challenging section of photography ;) Love the video, looking forward to more because it has great tips!
+msyin9 LOL it can be very tempting sometimes!
Interesting video, especially the poles, we know evrythimng we need except who's are they as they aren'y listed on your kiy list
I've been thinking for like 3 weeks about starting a food photography project, but I didn't know /how/ to start! (actually is sad bc as an Art student I've been stuck for months :( )
Now me and my little canon sl1 with my 50mm 1.8 will start doing it as soon as possible!
thank you, Donal (:
one of the best video i watched on food photography ,how to make that coloured effect in video 0:29 and text effect 0:30 in this video, please make the video editing video with same effect thanks again
Great video, Donal! I love your photography and recipes. Do you have any tips for amateur photography lovers on a budget (i.e. no need for expensive equipment/cameras) such as using an iPhone to take food photography, free photo-editing applications, or some general tips about lighting etc?
That was super HELPFUL..!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i did watch other videos on food photography but this was the best one...
you literally explained it in simple terms......
tried to make it straight forward :)
and you successfully did it... :D ;)
very helpful video and awesome too.. love from Singapore..
Nice tips! I really like the black sheet tip! Thanks!
Excellent video Donal. Thank you!
Did you only use the "canon ef 24-105mm f/4l is usm" lens for all these shots? Would you say that's your go to lens for the majority of your food photography?
Thank you! This was helpful.
But, what equipment would you use to give you natural lighting?
Thank you soo much for Your fantastic tips!!
Thanks for the tips, its good to see the other side to food blogging not just here's the pic of my food and recipe.
Wow! This is really helpful!! I just started my own food blog and trying to make my food looks better in the photo! And then I see your video!! Love your recipes and photos!! Thanks
+Zhu Chen ah good timing :) More to come on sunday!
awesome great tips I'm definitely gonna try cause I also shoot my own food photos for my Instagram
Donal first let me say that i really love your videos and that i hope you make more food photography videos and now a question: i've seen people do food photography mostly with the 100mm f2.8 macro and 35mm f1.4...i'm a beginner and i have a 50mm f1.8, do you think i should invest in one of those options or should i upgrade to the 50mm f1.4 for food photography? :)
Quick question - what lens is that you are using? Is it your preferred one for food photography?
Great tips though you mentioned at the beginning the 24-105 f4 and you used the wonderful bokehlicious 50mm f1.4 in your shots 😊
+Linda Enfield yeah I swap between the two a lot!
This is great! How do you make sure that the composition works for when you crop it to a square for Instagram? Or do you advise not to do that and stick to the original dimensions? :)
Thanks Donal! Loved seeing this.. As a home photographer for my baked goods I'm keen to learn more and more about this. Would love to see more videos about this.
+Moudie90 will see what we can do :)
Hi Donal Skehan, have u any tip for me? I have canon 60D and i want to go in macro or food photography. What lense is the best bcs it's crop-frame, now i have sigma 17-50mm 2.8. Thank u again, your cannal is awsome!!! :)
Thanks for sharing Donal
I love cooking and photography! Great video!
Hey Donal! Big fan of your videos and your photos!! I was just wondering if you have an alternative for your 5D markIII? Thanks!! Keep up the good work!!
This is EXTREMELY helpful! This along with you video of pretty tins and presenting plates are what I really needed, thank you so much :)
thanks a lot) very useful! maybe you can make a video about taking great photos for instagram etc. not just food but also nature
If you don't mind telling me, what is the name of the ball head or gimbal holder that is attached to your camera. It's not in the list of gear you posted. Thx, Pete
I have that Green Apple mixer too!
Excellent video Donal, thank you so much for these great tips. I often take photos of food that I prepare, and I am NO WAY close to your expertise, but I will take into consideration what you say here........thanks :)
This is extremely interesting and helpful video!!! Great tips! I love cooking, baking, eating, and I love taking pictures of the dishes I cooked! And I also love to take pictures of nature, sunset, animals. But I don't have a super camera... I using my phone to take pictures. I really want to win that camera to take more pictures of food and nature.
Very helpful, amazing tips, thank you!!
Hey Donal, Great video, love the tips! Do you happen to have a link (or just the brand and name) of the poles you are using to hold up your black sheet?
Thank you!
+Lauren Caris Cooks the brand is manfrotto, might be these:www.manfrotto.com/alternative-supports-autopoles
Thanks so much!
thanks man....for all those wonderful tips
Could you tell about the extendable poles you use, brand or link for them, TIA.
THANK YOU FOR DOING THIS!!
I have been waiting for this video for a very long time haha! Thank you so much Donal!!! :)
+sofiajh96 glad you enjoyed it!
this was an interesting video.
Just out of curiosity, how many hours do you put into developing and fine tuning each video/recipe?
+Rachael Riddle the videos takes a couple of hours to edit.
Looking like such a professional!
Thank you so much for this video 💖💖really love it!!
Any phone brand/model that you may suggest that produces photo comparable (or close to) with DSLR-captured photos?
thanks Donal for sharing this video with us ♡♡♡i love u :)
Gracias por el tips excelente video.
Thanks Donal I learn a lot,Your a great chef and photographer!!!
+anaya singh thank you!
Thank you so much for this video! Reminds me I need to save up to buy a good zoom lens hahah. I have one question though. What do you do when your environment doesn't allow you to set up your table against a wall? I shoot at my friend's restaurant regularly and by the window/doors where there is plenty of light, there isn't really a wall against which I can snap the photos. It's just an open space and sometimes the background can look messy even with the blurred background with smaller f-stop. Any tips would be really appreciated. Thanks a lot for this awesome video again!
+Jee Hee Lim you could ask someone to hold up fabric as a sort of wall or get someone to sit on the other side of the table to block it off a bit more maybe.
Donal Skehan Thank you so much for your reply! Really appreciate it. Hope you have a great day :)
If you have the option, shoot Raw + JPEG. Raw will give you more leeway while editing if your lighting environment is less than perfect.
+ToxicHorsePucky yeah always shoot raw!
Thanks so much for sharing this Donal! As a fellow Dublin foodie/blogger are there any courses you'd recommend in food photography/styling? Or are you fully self taught?
I'm self taught but I'm sure there's plenty of courses out there.
Fantastic ! :) I really want to get better at food photography !!
Hello, What camera and lens did you use to film yourself in this video it's very crisp quality, thank you.
It's a canon G7X
Well Donal, once again I find your talents are endless. Great video. Any tips for taking great food pix with a cell phone, if no camera is available?
+night ankh thank you kindly! snapseed is a great app for editing photos on the phone!
+Donal Skehan Thank you Sir, I will look into that!
Any advice for anyone who doesn't have a window facing north to have that even light all day? I have one facing west so I have a really bad orange light due to the sun setting.
Sorry but I was too distracted by how beautiful and light your kitchen looks lol. Replay coming up.
Same
Wow, I had no idea you did your own photography! Your pics are absolutely flawless. This video tutorial was really helpful. I'm pretty good with shooting outdoors, but my indoor food shots could use some improvement to say the least. 😉 Would you consider doing a video on composition? Thanks! Really enjoy your videos and recipes, Donal!
+Yoshiko Yeto I love the photography side to what I do and am self-taught so best advice is to keep at it too :)
Thanks so much for this video! I gotta try these tips ^.^ !
Great tips, Donal! I started taking food shots with my food blog too, and Thank God I've been improving so much since then! Still need more to be counted as a professional food photographer though! Is this competition open for all countries and any number of photos? Any rules or what?!
+Food Lover Kitchen مطبخ جوليا العرب yes go for it :) anyone can enter!
thank you.I'm really enjoyed this video
Thank you for sharing your best tips! I am trying my best to learn more and more about food photography. But I have one very important question for you, where can I get those nice backgrounds, like the "tree plank pieces of wood." Maybe a weird question but the styling of the picture is like the most important thing for a great result. I would be very happy to have an answer from you, you are a role model to me when it comes to food. Have a great day Donal! Greetings from Sweden! :)
+Madeleine Åberg I usually get the wood/boards from a salvage yard or a skip. some of them I just got the wood in the shop and painting with whatever colour I want.
Thanks, Donal!!! I find your photos very inspiring and worth learning from...;)
That is a very useful video! Thanks a lot!!
Brilliant! Can't wait to see more videos like this :)
Thank you for that, very helpful information. Love your work!
+Verettes Kitchen thank you kindly and glad you like this kind of video!
Hi Donal, thanks for your tips! May I know what is the editing software you mentioned? Is it livestream?
Lightroom!
+Donal Skehan alright thank you :)
will try these
thank you for the good tips!
Wow this is an amazing video. Great work Donal. Would love to see more tips & tricks out of your hat😊
+azra khan ah thank you! Will see what we can do :)
This was really informative, thanks Donal. Lee xx
To the point and very informative. Thanks!
Just curious, but what do people do with their food photos? Post on blogs, facebook, instagram, or just keep them? I have a Samsung Galaxy S4, but I can hardly ever keep my hands steady when I'm taking a photo, any advice? And anybody else have this problem? I don't want advice like new hands or a new phone XD Any better camera apps to use?
Спасибо за видео!
beautiful cake.
Oh brilliant, some great handy tips there. Thanks Donal. Off to try and find a black sheet now! ;)
+Caitríona Redmond glad you liked it!
yeeee, super nice video!
Hi! where can I find the extend poles? thanks :)
I always tought you used a professional photographer in your shots due to their high quality, but I'm not surprised now after seing the video, because you work like a professional photographer.
Very good!
+Andrea Tani Thank you! love the photography side to what I do :)
Donal Skehan In January I'll start the professional photography route and I'll be self employed, I'm also considering to start a youtube channel about photography. Will you be interested in some international collaboration?
This is awesome, thanks :)
Thank you for the video, donal.
+Sachin Gadakh glad you liked it!
Thank you so much for the tips !! :)
was watching one of your old vids from 2011 n hoping for a new vid and when i refreshed the youtube page, LOOK WHAT I FOUND! NEW VID! heheh ((:
Thank you so much donal for this amazing tips its really nice and easy. I learn more from you sure :) all my greatings to you (Y)
+Omar Elkady glad you liked the video :)
Amazing and very helpful video! :)