Solli Kanani on how to keep your viewers hungry for more – plus food photography camera settings for beginners

Seek inspiration from food markets

“Outdoor food markets offer a different approach to composition,” Solli says. “Instead of photographing food in a studio, I’m documenting the moment I meet the person preparing the food. Often, it’s early in the morning when the vendors are setting up and the light is gentler.

“I love to visit Sicily’s fruit, vegetable and fish markets. It feels like travelling back in time, almost like a theatre scene. I can spend hours at a stretch just observing and watching the fishermen selling their fish and the catch of the day. I find it fascinating.”

Reflect on past photos to get better at composition

“I love to learn new things,” Solli adds. “I’ll often go back and reflect on my past photos. I try to find areas to improve on and often think about how I could have captured it this way or set up the table differently.”

Enhance textures in Adobe Lightroom

In post-production, highlights, shadows, texture and clarity are key items to watch out for. For macro shots, highlights and the shadow often remain untouched, but the texture and clarity are often elevated to stress the details of the vegetables, fruits and other food subjects. “I work on the colours and, if needed, I manipulate the light in addition to the shadows even more,” says Solli.

Think outside the box

On one trip to the French capital, Solli was inspired to add a bouquet of chrysanthemums to her Pierre Hermé Paris macarons. “I bought a couple of macarons matching the colours of my flowers,” she explains. “It was quite challenging to keep them in place because they were too heavy for the flowers – they kept falling through! In the end, I found frames I liked to hold it together and produce this fun piece below.”

Kit up

“The Z 7II and Z 8 are my go-to for food and travel photography because of their lightweight nature, but I also use my D850 for landscape photography,” Solli says. “For macro and food photoshoots, I love the NIKKOR Z MC 105mm f/2.8 VR S and AF-S NIKKOR 85mm f/1.4G (with a Mount Adapter FTZ II). I use the NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.8 S for portraits.”

Getting started with food photography: a beginner’s guide

Whether you’re photographing for Instagram, for your blog or commercially, Nikon magazine’s top food photography tips will help you get started.

Choosing the right settings 

ISO, shutter speed, and aperture work together to control exposure, and their combination changes depending on available light. The settings below are a good starting point but remember to balance them for the right exposure.

ISO

• ISO controls the sensitivity of your camera’s sensor to light.
• Use a low ISO setting (100-400) to avoid grain and maintain image clarity.
• Only increase the ISO if you’re taking pictures in low light or without a tripod and avoid exceeding ISO 1600.

Shutter speed

• Shutter speed determines how long your camera’s sensor is exposed to light.
• If you’re working handheld, stick with a shutter speed of at least 1/125 or faster (like 1/250–1/1000) to avoid blur from camera shake.
• With a tripod, you can go as low as 1/30 or 1/60.

Aperture

• Aperture affects how much of the image is sharp or blurred. A smaller f-number (f/2.8 or f/4) blurs the background while keeping the subject sharp – perfect for close-ups.
• Conversely, a larger f-number such as f/8 or f/11 ensures more of the scene is sharp, which is great for flat lays and group shots of multiple items.

AF modes

• Auto-focus (AF) modes can simplify your process.
• For static shots, use Single-Point AF (AF-S) to precisely focus the main food element or the garnish on a dish.
• If you’re capturing action shots such as pouring or sprinkling, use Continuous AF (AF-C) to keep moving subjects sharp.

White Balance

• White Balance ensures that the colours in your photos appear natural. Choose the settings based on your light source.
• Use ‘Daylight’ if you’re photographing with light from a window.
• If you’re photographing in your kitchen or a restaurant with warm light, use the ‘Tungsten’.
• For mixed lighting, use ‘Auto’ so your camera can set the best White Balance for your light conditions.

RAW or JPEG

• Photographing in RAW format gives you greater flexibility in post-processing, allowing you to adjust exposure, White Balance and other settings without losing image quality.
• JPEG files are smaller and easier to share but offer less editing latitude.
• Always work with RAW for best result.

Setting up your light

Natural light

• The light from a north-facing window is perfect for food photography. Take pictures near the window, with the light coming from the side of the subject.

Flash setting modes

• If natural light isn’t available, use an external, off-camera flash with a diffuser (such as a soft box) to soften the light. Avoid the built-in flash, as it will create dark shadows and harsh highlights.

Framing techniques 

Rule of thirds

Place your main subject off-centre and on the grid lines of your screen to create a more dynamic image.

45-degree angle

This works great with most subjects and provides a familiar dining perspective.

Overhead

For a more creative angle, try overhead for subjects that are flat, such as pizza or a decorated fruit tart.

By keeping these tips in mind and practising regularly, you’ll create mouth-watering food photos in no time.