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KuAlla · Joined: 18 Dec 2012 Posts: 57 Location: Moscow-Melbourne

I've got some questions about focus.. I was shooting muffins today and had a problem with focus. If I zoomed in, the focus was too shallow and I couldn't get whole muffin sharp. If I didn't zoom in and then cropped everything was sharp, but the picture became too small. I watched a video about shooting food and a guy shot from 5-10 cm from the food without zooming in. I tried to shoot like him and my camera couldn't focus in such small distance.. I've got Canon 24-105 lens... What lens do I need to shoot closer? Or maybe I just don't know how to use my lens???
And there are some shots )) I don't post crops, because I'd rather need critique about composition and lighting for now ) Thank you!

matthi · Joined: 30 Sep 2010 Posts: 484

KuAlla · Joined: 18 Dec 2012 Posts: 57 Location: Moscow-Melbourne

Thank you for explanations ))

marcusvdt · Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2013 7:10 am

To focus from close, you can also use a macro lens without extension tubes.

For longer DOF, use smaller aperture, but don't go above F11 for this types of subject.

Notice that shooting from too close, the depth of field usually gets shorter and shorter and depending on the focal distance you are using, the angle of view will introduce distortions.

I don't own a 24-105, but if I was you, I would put it at 70mm F11 and would then get as close as I can get so the resultant DOF is enough to cover the interesting part of the subject. If you are able to get the right DOF and simultaneously you are able to get close enough to have your desired composition, that's great! If not, step back until you have the right DOF. This means your composition/framing will not be what you wanted, so you will need to crop in post processing.
This is how it is.

hhltdave5 · Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2013 8:40 am

Close ups of food is something that I do on a regular basis. Having an understanding of DOF is vital if you are going to get it right.

DOF is dependent on three basic things. The type of lens, the aperture and the distance from camera to the object. All three of these have a relationship to each other. If you change one the others may need to be adjusted as well.

As mentioned there are certain minimum focusing distances a specific lens will give you. If you want to shooting something closer than that lens allows then you need to go to a different lens.

My go to lens for my food work is my Tamron 90mm 2.8 macro and I can get pretty much as close as I want to what I am shooting. But remember that with that lens you will also have to be aware of the distance from the lens to the object. The slightest movement closer or further away from the object after you focus will make a big difference.

Here are some shots of mine that were done from just inches away.

http://www.shutterstock.com/cat.mhtml?prev_sort_method=popular&sort_method=newest&gallery_id=66695&page=1&images_per_page=150&thumb_size=small&show_descriptions=off&image_previews=on&safesearch=1#id=57109360

http://www.shutterstock.com/cat.mhtml?prev_sort_method=popular&sort_method=newest&gallery_id=66695&page=1&images_per_page=150&thumb_size=small&show_descriptions=off&image_previews=on&safesearch=1#id=61179310

http://www.shutterstock.com/cat.mhtml?prev_sort_method=popular&sort_method=newest&gallery_id=66695&page=1&images_per_page=150&thumb_size=small&show_descriptions=off&image_previews=on&safesearch=1#id=22863907

As for your composition, not bad. Image 4084 has some problems because the white bowl in the right front foreground is much larger than the muffin and because of the DOF it being OOF draws the eye of the viewer away from where you want it to go. If you use DOF properly you can use it to put the eye of the viewer where you want it to go.

The scattered chocolate chips is OK but make sure that you also get a shot without them. It is what I call building the shot. Get the overall shot then add things to the image to get other shots. You can combine this with the shot within the shot to get even more images from a set up. Just look closer into the overall setup to find other shots.

Showing ingredients in a shot is fine if used properly and remember that a buyer may also want the shot without the ingredients in the background.

If you want to add other elements such as the fruit you may also want to show that differently as well. Keep the muffin on the plate but add a bowl of fruit in the background. This will increase the value of the shot by showing more of what can be looked on as a healthier breakfast and the the fruit becomes more than just a garnish.

cpaulfell · Joined: 07 Dec 2011 Posts: 2419

KuAlla · Joined: 18 Dec 2012 Posts: 57 Location: Moscow-Melbourne

Thank you guys!
Dave, thank you for your examples ) What light do you usually use? I'd like to buy something but don't know what I need.. Now I've got speed light for Canon and reflector ) and the problem is I don't have enough light to shoot at f11

KuAlla · Joined: 18 Dec 2012 Posts: 57 Location: Moscow-Melbourne

rinder99 · Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2013 5:09 pm

Dave uses Large 600W strobes and softboxes.Speedlight is not for this kind of work without a lot of unnecessary effort. Also. I disagree with Paul on a 60MM focal length for macro.It hurts my neck. 90MM is perfect and also better aspect ratio/Perspective for portrait.Even on Crop cameras.But both will work. For product work I now prefer a wide Lens 24-70 and with a D800 at 36 MP I can get 3/5 shots by taking One and cropping.and better dof control and less distortion.

hhltdave5 · Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2013 5:09 pm

KuAlla · Joined: 18 Dec 2012 Posts: 57 Location: Moscow-Melbourne

Thank you! And what about continue lighting light? What is it for?

hhltdave5 · Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2013 6:26 pm

KuAlla · Joined: 18 Dec 2012 Posts: 57 Location: Moscow-Melbourne

Thank you Dave! That's helpful ) And one more question... Who holds spoons and forks on your photos? Is it a person or it's like a holder or something?

hhltdave5 · Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2013 7:10 pm

greenfield54 · Joined: 21 Jun 2009 Posts: 2616 Location: Philippines

As the others have pointed out already, the DOF depends on the aperture,subject to lens distance and focal length. The link below can help you ascertain the limitations.

http://www.dofmaster.com/dofjs.html