What Camera Do I Use & How Do I Edit My Photo

Hi everyone!

Photography is a recent passion of mine so I'm super excited to share which camera I use, how I edit my photos, and all other FAQ's I've received on this topic!

I got my camera back in December 2015 as an impromptu Christmas present to myself. I was obsessed with it and took it everywhere with me to shoot but was annoyed that I didn’t have WIFI built into my camera. I had to wait until I got home, plug my memory card into my computer, wait for the photo to upload, then email it to myself before I could post it to Instagram. It took a lot of effort and time and because of that, I stopped using it for a couple of months. That is until I took it into the camera shop to solve the issue. They recommended a wifi SD Card, which meant any photo I took using that memory card, could be uploaded instantly to my phone. This changed everything!!! Now my camera doesn't leave my side and I use it every single day. Will list all the gear including this memory card below!

Below my answer to the questions I received on Snapchat on this topic, if I didn’t cover something you’d like to know, please leave me a comment : )

How do I take my photos?

I use my Canon 5D Mark III with Sigma f 1.4 / 50mm lens. I bought the camera body and lens separately and this combo is a beast!! This was the first time I owned a DSLR camera so I had to learn it from scratch. It wasn’t too bad with the help of my blogger and photographer friends though ;P

How did you know which camera to get?

I asked fashion blogger @Mikutas and her boyfriend because they are both professional photographers and take the most amazing photos. Her feed is #SeriousGoals. She was super nice enough to share what camera she uses for all her photos, and I ended it up buying the same set, literally the night of. It was $$$$ but I thought it would be worth the investment especially since I would be using it everyday.

What is a modified version of your equipment in case we can't afford the pro?

Hands down the iPhone with a few editing apps mentioned below! I used to take all my photos on my iPhone 6 plus (& still do at times) because the quality is amazing. The iPhone 7 is going to kill it too. The biggest trick is to take all your photos in natural/shaded lighting. The best kind of lighting for photos is on overcast days, it makes every color of the photo pop and appear closest to it’s actual color. If it's super sunny outside, find some even lit shaded areas- or if you are shooting inside, I recommend turning off all artificial inside lighting so that it doesn't mess with color of the natural light.

How do you edit your photos? on Photoshop?

I edit all my photos via my phone...it's the most efficient way especially because I'm usually out and about without a computer or laptop when I post. My favorite apps to edit in are Afterlight + Facetune. I use Facetune to brighten, whiten and patch (if needed, Bye random trash on the street) and Afterlight to desaturate, clarify, and contrast.

My biggest tip for editing is using a photo that was taken in good lighting to make YOUR job easier. Because if you’re starting with a bad quality photo, no matter how much you edit, it’s going to come out looking bad and probably more grainy.

Example of how I edit my oatmeal bowl:

Photo #1 (first) : Original photo taken on my camera on settings: 1/200 shutter speed, 4.0 Aperture, ISO 1250 (all kitchen lights off, curtains open in kitchen on a bright sunny morning)

Photo #2 (second): Edited on Afterlight:

Brightness +50

Contrast +40

Temperature -10

Clarify +30

Photo #3 (third): Edited on FaceTune:

Whitened the marble to be a true white vs. shaded grey color

Brightened it a touch more +7

Photo #1 (First) : Original photo taken on my iPhone in natural light on patio

Photo #2 (Second): Edited on Afterlight:

Brightness +40

Contrast +45

Temperature -5

Clarify +3

Photo #3 (Third): Edited on FaceTune:

Whitened the table to get rid of the yellow tones

What camera settings do you use on your canon?

This depends on the lighting I'm working with. For example if I was in a kitchen shooting with a lot of natural light, I will increase the shutter speed and aperture so less light comes into the lens. But if I was shooting in a darker room, I would use a lower shutter speed and aperture, so more light comes into the lens to brighten the image. For food I'm usually at a 3.5 aperture or more, this allows me to focus on the dish and give a nice blur in the back but not too blurry ; P. The lower the aperture number, the blurrier the background. So if you like blurry backgrounds, set a low aperture and adjust the shutter speed to compensate for the extra light coming in. I recommend "Pinch of Yum" Tasty Food Photography Guide, to get familiar with shutter speed, aperture, and ISO.

What Instagram filters do you use?

After I finish editing on Afterlight + Facetune, I do final touches on Instagram. The most I’ll do on Instagram is brighten it a touch, add a bit more contrast and then call it a day. I don't mess with the filters on the Instagram app just because I don't use 'filters' in general and sometimes I find it lowers the quality of the photo.

How do you organize your Instagram feed?

I use an app called 'SNUG', I think it was .99 cents but it's a lifesaver especially if you're a bit of an aesthetic freak like me hehe. This app loads your current IG feed, and you are able to add potential photos next to it , to either a. plan out in advance which photos you want next to each other or b. to see if you're next photo matches the rest of the feed and looks good next to the last photo. ; P

Hope this blog post was helpful and if you have any other specific questions on this, feel free to pop a comment below:)

love ya lots