How I Film FOOD Videos for INSTAGRAM Reels | Food Photography

[@JAB_Dani]

This video was perfect. Short and to the point but full of useful information. I too have a Nikon Z6. Got it as a Christmas gift. It’s a relief to see someone using the same camera as me providing lens information and camera settings! I am a portrait photographer who is ready to venture into the world of food shorts/vlogging. Thank you!

[@ChristopherCina]

Thanks for watching and glad it was helpful! This Nikon Z6 is awesome for photos but even better for video, you'll be able to get some great footage. Would love to see your food shorts when you get them up so please share... Cheers!

[@teouratadze]

The first ever video with the whole process described in such details but also without the unnecessary information. Everything that I ever asked for !!! Thanks !

[@ChristopherCina]

Thank you for the wonderful comment, I'm glad you got something out of it! Best of luck shooting your videos!! Would love it if you came back and shared them so I could see!

[@sbe8621]

this was so helpful i coulnt figure out how to fim with ease thankyou for showing this x

[@ChristopherCina]

Glad it helped and thanks for watching!

[@dilaraapa8754]

Thank you so much! I am trying to create more food videos now and it is not easy! so this video is highly appreciated.

[@ChristopherCina]

Yeah, good food videos are a challenge, especially when you are doing it all on your own. Best of luck and thanks for watching!

[@philq01]

Thanks! This was one of the best tutorials Ive seen For Food Photography!

[@ChristopherCina]

Glad it was helpful, I did have fun making it. Thanks for watching!

[@Sal4Ro]

Great info; thanks for sharing. The end product is impressive, and the ribs look delicious. I'm definitely going to try making the Carolina Gold BBQ sauce recipe; I'm subscribed!

[@ChristopherCina]

Thanks for watching! Yeah, that sauce is yummy, and easy! The ribs and that sauce will be a topic on my other KZbin channel once I launch it, more focused on food and cooking. Cheers!

[@TaratheFoodie]

I'm trying to get more active in making reels myself, so thank you so much for this! I'm off to film!

[@ChristopherCina]

Thanks for watching and good luck! I've been a little lax in getting reels done myself but have a few planned for the upcoming weeks so I'm excited about that. Can't wait to see yours!

[@theJourneynfc]

Beautiful. Thank you!

[@ChristopherCina]

Thanks for watching!

[@incomeoverview]

Hi! Thanks for showing us your process of making food videos. I would like to know, why do you scale down the video size to 1080HD? If you shoot in 4K, why you don't use the 4K version of the video?

[@ChristopherCina]

Hey, thanks for watching the video! Mainly because none of the main vertical formats, IG Reels, TikTok and KZbin Shorts display in 4k. They all compress your video to 1080p, and to be honest, their compression isn't the greatest, especially Instagram, so I scale down to 1080p on my own for better quality when I upload, but I have the original footage in 4K if I ever want to use it later for a different project. Hope this helps!

[@SubodhKumar-m9k2m]

Great job bro!! How much distance did you keep between stove and the camera, for overhead cooking.

[@ChristopherCina]

Thanks for watching! The distance between the stove and the camera really depends on your camera lens, that's why I recommend a 24-70mm lens, it gives you lots of flexibility. For this shoot it was about 4 feet from lens to cooking stove.

[@neutralizethemamatrauma2907]

Yes interested in software info and you doing a video showing how you put it all together some of us not tech savvy 😂

[@ChristopherCina]

Ha! I get it, there is definitely a learning curve when it comes to making videos...I'll see what I can do by way of a video. Thanks for watching!

[@trishapreece9017]

Please show how you do the editing. What app or software do you use for that.

[@ChristopherCina]

I'll see what I can do about a video. I use Premier Pro for all my editing but I've dabbled with Capcut (not a fan for traditional video) and I hear the free version of davinci resolve is pretty good but I've never tried it. Thanks for watching!

[@suecook8379]

Nice vid. So you filmed in a vertical format for IG. But do you re-shoot horizontally for KZbin or can you change the format for a regular KZbin video? Thanks

[@ChristopherCina]

Thanks for watching! Yes, I filmed vertically specifically for reels, but I don't post recipe videos on my YT channel, so no need for me to reshoot. That said, if you were going to use for both landscape and vertical formats, you would want to shoot in landscape for regular KZbin format. You just need to be cognizant about about what can be seen in the video so that it fits into a vertical format when you go to crop in your video editing software. Hope this helps and thanks for watching!

[@suecook8379]

@@ChristopherCina Thank you

[@paulcookphotography]

Really cool look at how you film your top-down videos/reels. I might have missed it if you said it, but is there some kind of counterweight on that camera stand so it doesn't tip over or is it strong enough that it isn't a concern? I'll be honest, I never knew there was so much that goes into filming top-down videos, really interesting! That BBQ sauce looks absolutely amazing, definitely going to have to make some for myself. The slo-mo part of brushing the ribs was the best part of that reel for me, watching it drip down the sides looked so good! Great stuff as always Chris, really enjoyed it! Hope you are doing well!

[@ChristopherCina]

Thanks Paul! The base is pretty wide and I drop a sandbag on it to hold it down just in case. In this video, I did have a weight on the are that was holding the camera so there wasn't too much camera shake but I think that was out of frame. The sauce is easy, do need to give it a try! Thanks for watching, things are good here, hope you're doing well too!

[@varunivardhan1988]

Thanks Cinn you were helpful

[@ChristopherCina]

Glad it was helpful and thanks for watching!

[@tomaszjench-abusinesssideo4562]

Hi, thanks for the vid !! Great tutorial!! Just a quick question-isn’t steam a problem? Does it not fog up the lenses?

[@ChristopherCina]

Glad you enjoyed the video. Steam can be a problem if you are too close, most definitely. You'll notice I set the camera up quite high to make sure I avoided this, that's also why I recommend using the 24-70 mm lens, so you can adjust how close or how far away you need to be. If you are going to be doing something creating steam, I would also recommend you have a small fan going to help create a little airflow and move the steam away before it hits your lens. Cheers!

[@stevelewis6154]

Love this 👍

[@ChristopherCina]

Right on, hope it helped! Thanks for watching!

[@amakaonuoha6538]

thanks for the tips

[@ChristopherCina]

Hope they help!

[@jsn9532]

what iwatani stove is that? loved the video

[@ChristopherCina]

I'm pretty sure it's the 35FW, bought 2 of them about 10 years ago and they still work perfectly. Thanks for watching!!

[@simaocranmer2949]

Very good video!

[@ChristopherCina]

Thanks for watching!!

[@New-Hat-Gardening]

Nice work!

[@ChristopherCina]

Thanks for watching!!

[@prenotarecibo]

Can you tell me the brand of studio light and other illuminator you use? Please

[@ChristopherCina]

Sure, I use an Godox SL60 with a softbox (24"x36"), i also have 2 Neewer NL 480 bi color LED Panels that I use for fill light. They give me enough light to film the Reels in my kitchen.

[@Thespiceguyid]

How do you handle the hot came from the pan? It will effect the camera right?

[@ChristopherCina]

Thanks for watching! It depends on what you are making...you can see the recipe I used was thicker, there wasn't much water in any of those ingredients so the steam was minimal. The camera itself was far enough away that it wasn't affected by the heat. If I had set a pot of water to boil, it's possible the steam would have either affected the shot or maybe even condensed on the front of the lens, definitely something you want to pay attention to by testing a hot liquid below the camera. Good luck!

[@Thespiceguyid]

@@ChristopherCina i’m thinking to put direct fan to the camera or may be a mirror bellow the camera. But didn’t find any video about this.

[@ChristopherCina]

If you’re worried about the steam, a fan blowing across the top of the pan out of frame may work. I wouldn’t worry about heat unless you plan on getting the camera really close.

[@Thespiceguyid]

@@ChristopherCina yes you are right about this. I will try. Thank you. May be you can make a special video about this specific topic😊

[@rasoiculturebyjayabakshe3756]

Superb....can u suggest a good budget camera for cooking videos... budget around 60k

[@ChristopherCina]

Sorry for the late reply, your comment was held for review so I was not notified. Thanks for watching...When you say a budget of 60k for a camera, , which currency are you referring to?

[@rasoiculturebyjayabakshe3756]

@@ChristopherCina in Indian rupees INR

[@ChristopherCina]

Probably the most important feature you want is a camera that can record in 1080p and lots of budget friendly cameras can do that. I like Nikon cameras and both the Z30 and D3500 will get you really good quality for both short form (vertical TikTok, Reels & KZbin Shorts) and long form (landscape KZbin). I took a look at your channel (it made me hungry :-) and since you do both those cameras would work well. If you like Sony cameras, the ZV E10 and A6100 are great. For Canon, the EOS M50 and the EOS Rebel T8i would also fit your budget. Personally, I would look to buy a used camera if you have a market for that in India, and put more of my money to the lens that will go on your camera. Every single one of the cameras I mentioned will do pretty much the exact same thing. Where the difference will be is in the lens you choose. My last video about choosing the right lens could help you answer some of those questions. Hope this helps and I've subscribed to your channel, the food looks amazing!

[@rasoiculturebyjayabakshe3756]

@@ChristopherCina thx a lot dear....u answered in so detailed...my query is resolved with ur ans...yes i am thinking of sony zv-e10....and tnx Lot for subscribing...loads of gud wishes fr Rasoi culture....

[@vatosgym]

Thank you so much for this! I run a sports channel and although I know how much YT promotes shorts, I truly hate creating them and keep procrastinating... Your way of shooting the food preparation gave me hope, I am a professional photographer and already have all the equipment, incl C-stands, etc. and will definitely give it a go. Once again, thank you, sub+ here 👊🏼🔥

[@ChristopherCina]

Glad the video helped. Now that KZbin is getting ready to pay for Shorts, I'm assuming there will be a big explosion that aren't just carted over from TikTok and IG. I'm actually going to try and simplify my setup in my next short with a video filmed with an action camera, see if that makes the set up any easier. Good luck with the shorts and thanks for watching!

[@guenstigkochen]

You shoud definately get yourself a field monitor ;-)

[@ChristopherCina]

Ha! I've actually made a video about wireless tethering... I may have mentioned it in the video, maybe not. Normally I tether wirelessly to an iPad for framing, this day I was filming, my daughter had taken the iPad to school. I do have a field monitor as well which I was actually using on the camera I was filming the video with, overall good advice. Thanks for watching, cheers!

[@truthseeker2047]

Which focal length is used for video shooting

[@ChristopherCina]

For the video itself (50mm) or for the food video? I used a 24-70mm lens for the food video, probably about 35mm.

[@courtneecox4583]

I am just starting out so this is a very beginner’s question. But, how do you make your hands not look completely washed out with all that bright light? I use an iPhone for filming and Lightroom for editing and I’m not sure how to have the food be well lit but not have my hands look like ghost hands.

[@ChristopherCina]

Thanks for watching! Without having seen your videos, a couple suggestions I would make are 1) If you are using artificial light, position the light lower so it shines more on the side of your hands than on top of them. 2) When filming and shooting, under expose just a little so you capture all the detail, when editing you can raise the exposure (brighten) and, more importantly, take the highlights slider way down. This way you are more able to control your bright spots. 3) Adjust your color temp (white balance) a little so the light isn't so white (cool), warming it up a little will give skin a little more color as well. Let me know if this helps, good luck!

[@Aline-Hans]

Thank you for your time

[@ChristopherCina]

Thanks for watching!

[@040kitchen]

How do You lock manual focus?

[@ChristopherCina]

Thanks for watching! It depends on the camera you are using…a dslr or Mirrorless camera will let you turn off the focus on the lens itself. If you are using a phone or a point and shoot, you can tap the focus point on the screen and as long as you don’t power off, it should hold that point. Hope this helps.

[@040kitchen]

@@ChristopherCina I use Canon Mirrorless EOS R yeah, i did not know the use of that button on the lens. thanks it is helpful!

[@shannonmccann7664]

Can you record this on video then upload as a reel?

[@ChristopherCina]

Not sure I understand the question...if you mean can you record on your phone and then upload as a Reel, then yes. When you go to post a Reel, you can hit the little icon on the bottom right of the screen and pull up your photos and videos, just select the clips you want and in the order you want. Hope this helps! If not, let me know if I misunderstood your question.

[@isaacfrerichs3305]

Can you please do a video on editing?

[@ChristopherCina]

Do you mean editing the actual video? Let me see what I can do, thanks for watching!

[@urbanvegsa1928]

Yes how to edit a video.

[@VivaLaVixster]

What do you use to hold your camera vertically?

[@ChristopherCina]

In the video, you should be able to see the camera is attached to a c-stand.

[@ewapodmokla1745]

How to add voice or written instructions in the actual video?

[@ChristopherCina]

You've got a few options here. If you're making any type of food video, you'll need to be able to stitch the clips together, either on your phone or on a computer using software like Filmora, DaVinci or Premier Pro. The easiest way to do this is compose your video and then record a spoken track following the video, which you can then import into your video, you can even do it on your phone. You can use a field recorder to accomplish the same thing or just a microphone into your computer, it all depends on your set up. For text, this is pretty easy to do both on your computer or in the Instagram app. Hope this helps.

[@SkyTech256]

What is your transition ? Kindly let me know thank you

[@ChristopherCina]

Sorry, not sure what you mean by transition, what are you referring to?

[@khalifhakim4693]

Nice

[@ChristopherCina]

Thanks for watching!

[@Cooking_education]

شرح رائع

[@ChristopherCina]

شكرا على المشاهدة ، آمل أن تكون مفيدة.

[@meninavinagre9670]

😀👏👏👏👏👏

[@ChristopherCina]

Thanks for watching!

[@Nehuu04_]

Wow yrrr superb reee 😊mast hai aap ke videos and please 1 time check karlo your channel nehuuu shorts 🙏🥰

[@ChristopherCina]

Will do!

[@foxbat2223]

🎉C you were talking too much... Instead of showing how it's done

[@ChristopherCina]

Ha! No one has ever accused me of talking to much but...I'll admit the first 3 minutes or so are a little wordy, but if you can get to 3:20, that's where all the magic happens!

[@kinopilot]

Welcome diabetes!

[@ChristopherCina]

Thanks for watching...

[@hridaimanav3620]

What about Iwatani Cassatte grill TATSUJIN Slim iii CB-SS-50 ? This looks good and my wife love's it a lot..I'm concerned about the safety and want to provide best for her..Thanks..By the way this stove even looks good..How is it and how long you have been using this one?

[@ChristopherCina]

That one looks good as well! I've been using mine for close to 12 years. They last forever, are easy to clean and the gas supply is pretty inexpensive, I highly recommend. Cheers!