I wanted to create a resource page for other food bloggers so I could share information about products and services that keep my blog running and looking good. I'll update the page as I add or change the resources that I use, so be sure to check back periodically.
Please note that some of the links below are affiliate links and I will earn a small commission if you purchase through those links. I use, or have used, all of the products listed below and recommend them because they are products/services that I've found to be very useful and valuable in my blogging endeavors.
Blog Set-Up
Siteground - Setting up a self-hosted blog is key to giving yourself flexibility and Siteground is a good choice for newer bloggers. The annual cost is still really reasonable and it's very user-friendly. They provide an easy way to get set up with WordPress, and if you have an existing WordPress site it's fairly easy to transfer to Siteground. Their customer service is very good and they are able to resolve any issues that arise fairly quickly.
WordPress - While I've not tried any of the other blogging platforms, I'm a big fan of WordPress. I started my blog with a WordPress.com site, and after a while when I wanted the ability for more customization, I switched to a self-hosted WordPress site. The platform is easy to use and does not require a ton of technical skill if you need to make minor updates.
Genesis Framework - Since I knew I wanted to use the FoodiePro theme, I had to go with the Genesis framework from Studiopress. The framework provides the basic template for your website, however the child theme is where the customization really comes in. The combination of FoodiePro and Genesis is very popular, however there are tons of options when it comes to themes and frameworks. It also has lots of great features that help make your life easier and improve your blog's SEO.
FoodiePro Theme - FoodiePro is one of the most popular themes for food bloggers. I find the design to be very clean and easy to read, and the theme is also very easy to work with.
Vaultpress is the company I use to back up my blog's WordPress account. While you don't want to think about it, sometimes bad things happen, so VaultPress ensures I'm able to recover everything. Thankfully I've never had to use it, but you really don't want to find out the hard way!
Food Photography
Nikon D3300 - I started out using my Nikon Coolpix L820 and my iPhone for photos. While they were not terrible from an actual photo standpoint, making the decision to invest in a DSLR made a huge difference for me. The camera body is less important than the lenses so make sure to take all into account when thinking about your budget. I have since upgraded to the Nikon D7500 which is still a crop frame camera but gives you lots of the functionality of a full frame at a more reasonable price.
Nikon Nikkor F1.8 35mm lens - I ordered this lens at the same time I purchased my camera and I think it's a great food photography lens. I think this is a perfect starter lens and for the first 6 months or I shot nearly 100% of my blog photos with it.
Nikon Nikkor 105mm f2.8 macro lens - I was lucky enough to get this lens as a birthday gift and would say that it's well worth the investment is you are serious about food photography. It's a prime macro lens so it allows you to get really close up and detailed with your shots.
Lowel Indoor photography light - Since I work full-time and live in Chicago, having the ability to photograph at night is really important to me. I started out using one Lowel light, and just recently ordered a second. While we'd all love to be able to take all of our photos in natural light, this light provides a good alternative when that's not an option!
Plate to Pixel is an excellent resource for photography tips, including basic photography and food styling tips. I highly recommend picking up a copy as this is a book I refer to over and over again.
Tasty Food Photography - Lindsay from Pinch of Yum wrote this book and it is full of great tips. It is one of the first resources I purchased after I started my blog and I still refer to it from time to time.
The Food Photography Book - This is a fairly new book from Nagi at Recipe Tin Eats and I think it's fantastic. Her easy to follow tips have really helped me to improve my food photography and learn some new things. Her no-nonsense approach makes it really easy to understand and practice what she is describing. I'd consider this a must-have book for any food blogger!
Adobe Creative Cloud Photography Plan - The monthly subscription to this plan gives you Lightroom and Photoshop, which I think are essential for food blogging. I edit all my photos in Lightroom, and then use Photoshop to create long pins, photo collages and other graphics for my blog. While there are other tools out there, I feel that the monthly investment of about $11 for these two tools is well worth it.
My Favorite WordPress Plugins
Cookbook Plugin - As a food blogger you definitely need a great recipe plugin. While there are a number of options that will help you improve your SEO and showcase beautiful recipes I'm a fan of the Cookbook plugin. It's got a reasonable annual cost and it looks great on any blog. It's super easy to use and flexible in terms of how you set up your recipes.
Askimet - All bloggers get spam comments, so you really need some type of spam protection. Askiment blocks the vast majority of spam.