Elisa De Cecchi (@eli_and_co) is a food photographer and food stylist as well as a full-time architect so her everyday life revolves around art and design. This has trained her eyes to aesthetically pleasing compositions, color combinations, lines and perspectives. De Cecchi loves capturing food and telling the stories and memories it evokes. She mainly shoots in her home studio for both personal and client projects and works solely with natural light. We sat down with De Cecchi to find out how she uses a Sony Alpha APS-C camera, a few basic lenses and some essential accessories and props to make mouthwatering visual stories.
Food stylist and photographer Elisa De Cecchi gives us a look in her camera bag to learn about the gear that helps her tell mouthwatering stories.
Cameras
Sony Alpha 6000: This is the only camera I own (so far). I bought it almost nine years ago mainly because it was a great quality camera but light and compact enough for traveling. Since then I have used it predominantly for my food photography and I just love how versatile it is. Despite being a crop sensor the sharpness and noise handling straight out of the camera are excellent so is the AF.
Photo by Elisa De Cecchi. Sony Alpha 6000. Sony 16-70mm f/4. 1/60-sec., f/5, ISO 160
Photo by Elisa De Cecchi. Sony Alpha 6000. Sony 35mm f/1.8. 1/1000-sec., f/3.2, ISO 100
Lenses
Sony 35mm f/1.8: This is my go-to lens so it's definitely something I carry everywhere I go. Every food photographer has a 50mm in their kit and for years I exclusively shot with this one. Great for straight up and “bigger” scenes.
Photo by Elisa De Cecchi. Sony Alpha 6000. Sony 35mm f/1.8. 1/640-sec., f/3.5, ISO 320
Sony 16-70mm f/4: I don’t use it as often but I love this one mounted on the tripod for overhead shots as the zoom allows me to include as much or as little I need in the scene.
Photo by Elisa De Cecchi. Sony Alpha 6000. Sony 16-70mm f/4. 1/250-sec., f/4.5, ISO 100
Sony 55-210mm f/4.5-6.3: I have only recently started to play with this telephoto zoom lens but I haven’t used it for food photography as yet. However, I love having the versatility of going to 210mm. I know this lens will help expand my creativity!
Accessories
Vanguard Alta Pro Tripod: This is an inseparable tool. Compact, reliable and strong enough. Absolutely necessary for action shots and blurred movements.
Neewer Reflectors: I work exclusively with natural light so having two sets of reflectors is a must when wanting to block or diffuse the light as needed.
Extra Camera Batteries: Essential for whole day shoots - I can’t be running out of power midday!
Photo by Elisa De Cecchi. Sony Alpha 6000. Sony 35mm f/1.8. 1/1000-sec., f/4, ISO 200
Air/Dust Blower: Having a Sony mirrorless body means an exposed sensor which is more likely to get dust in when changing lenses; the air blower helps prevent that as much as possible.
Sony Carrying Case & Lens Case: Compact but sturdy and protective.
Being a food photographer as well as a stylist means I always carry some props around with me. Handmade ceramics, vintage cutlery and linen napkins are amongst my favorite things.
See more of Elisa De Cecchi’s work on Instagram @eli_and_co.
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