Since the explosion of Instagram into social media ten years ago, the world of food photography has grown exponentially. Go into any restaurant at any time of day and you will see a multitude of customers snapping away with their iPhones. It has become abundantly clear that the right filter and perfect angle is more important than the taste and temperature of what's plated in front of them. From this low level foodography, the higher end has taken it upon themselves to create masterpieces for instagram and social media, helping to flood customers to luxurious restaurants. This is where tabletop tripods have seen their sales soar in the past decade, and this is an area that Gearing has expanded into.
At Gearing, we are very proud of the tripod kit that we have created. Our full size tripod that doubles as trekking poles, ski poles and even a tent frame is the dream addition to the adventure photographers kit. However, we created the Gearing tripod to be modular and customisable, as we were aware we didn't want to close ourselves off to just one market. Our mini legs function beautifully with the Gearing head and heart, creating a product that works incredibly well with food photography. The tabletop tripod packs a real punch - mini but mighty - with all the strength and stability of Gearing engineering, just more compact and lightweight.
When looking for a food photography tripod, there are certainly some features that your tripod must have in order to get those money shots. Arguably, the most important attribute is that your gear is extremely adjustable. You need to give yourself the fullest range of height possible to get the most impressive selection of images. Adjustable legs, as well as an adjustable centre column, will provide this. At Gearing, not only do we have a large range in movement for the legs, but we also have also created a centre column extender which is set to launch soon for those super close up shots. The centre column also gives you the freedom to choose between an overhead shot or the classic 45 degree angle which we see so often in food photography.
In order to excel in food photography, you really need gear that you can put all of your trust in. Stability is paramount, as you need a super slow shutter speed to enhance the quality of your images. For this, you want to be able to hold some serious weight onto your tripod to keep it steady. Our tripod has a hook attached to the centre column to take hold of your chosen weight. This, coupled with a payload of at least 15kg gives you comfort that your tripod will stay strong throughout your shoot with a large weight attached.
To further the stability of your images, you need to make sure the feet of your tripod are suitable for the surface they will be on. The integral strength of the tripod is crucial, but if your feet will slip then it is redundant. Food photography is usually shot indoors, meaning that rubber feet would be the best choice to stop slipping, as they create a good amount of resistance on smooth surfaces. If you choose to venture outdoors for a more rustic feel to your photos, then spikes might be a better option. Gearing provides rubber capped boots, as well as a super strong alloy foot fitted with replaceable tungsten tips for more difficult outdoor shots.
Don’t just take our word for it though - check out both the full-sized tripod and the tabletop tripod in action. It has been thoroughly tried and tested by the lovely Charlotte Beswick from @rudenudefood, a full-time vegetarian, part-time vegan chef from the West of England. Check out her instagram to see some of the stunning shots she has taken with her Gearing tripod and for all her recipes too!