How does a good product photographer shoot products such as food, drinks, or e-commerce items?

Answer:

When I photograph food, drinks, or products for restaurants and businesses, the key technical factor is aperture. You must shoot with a very closed-down aperture—something like f8 or f10. That ensures the entire product stays sharp and in focus from front to back. When you shoot close to a plate of food, depth of field becomes very shallow. If you don’t close down the aperture, the front of the dish might be sharp while the back is blurry. That’s why many cell phone photos struggle—when you get too close, the autofocus locks onto one area and the rest falls out of focus.

Using a closed aperture blocks a lot of light, so you need at least one light, preferably two, to properly illuminate the subject. That lighting ensures the product is evenly lit and crisp while maintaining full focus across the plate. A controllable camera setup allows you to adjust aperture and lighting in ways that phones simply can’t. That’s how you achieve those clean, professional-looking product images that look sharp from edge to edge.

Summary:

Watkins Photography emphasized that professional product and food photography requires technical control, especially over aperture. Using a closed aperture such as f8 or f10 ensures the entire product remains sharp and fully in focus. Because a closed aperture reduces available light, at least one, and ideally two, lights are needed to maintain proper exposure and clarity. This approach differs significantly from cell phone photography, where shallow depth of field often causes parts of the product to appear blurry. Proper lighting combined with controlled aperture settings produces clean, sharp, and professional results suitable for e-commerce and marketing use.