How to Prepare for Your Restaurant Photo Shoot?
It is commonly said that a picture speaks a thousand words, and there is a lot of truth to the statement. When you try to promote your restaurant, the challenge is to draw people who haven't tasted your food to your restaurant. This is where food photography comes in.
Taking food photos and featuring multiple dishes with the restaurant's location will entice the audience to try your inviting and gorgeous food. You can use these photos on your website and social media platforms to promote your restaurant.
Not just that, but to bring more and more customers to your restaurant, you also need to give them a glimpse of the ambiance they can expect with the help of amazing restaurant photography.
If you are planning a restaurant shoot day, here are some tips to help you take great food images and take your food business to the top.
Restaurant Food Photography Tips
Follow these restaurant food photography tips and take amazing interior shots and food images.
Hire a Good Food Photographer
Keep in mind that not every photographer is a food photographer or knows how to take gorgeous food photos. You first need to go through a list of the top food photographers and choose the best option you can find that matches closest to your style.
A professional food photo shoot includes many aspects, such as lighting, certain angles, food placement, and focus on certain elements or ingredients (like fresh herbs) to depict all the magic that takes place inside restaurants.
Before you decide on a photographer, you can ask them different questions to gauge their skills and knowledge about restaurant photography, such as whether they use artificial light or white background for close ups and other factors.
If you have some knowledge about photography, you may also ask which camera they use; most importantly, look at their portfolio, especially food shots, so you can determine whether they are the right choice for your restaurant photography.
Food photography is usually done in natural light, but if your restaurant doesn't have any natural light flowing in, it makes sense to use artificial light and get great photos.
Food photography requires your input as much as the food photographer. Therefore, you need to be physically present and chime in with your ideas and thoughts. Provide artistic guidance and approve images to use as an example. This way, you can get done with the restaurant photography much quicker, and it will also save the photographers' time during editing and finalizing the images after the photo shoot.
The photographers may not come back and cater to your feedback or ask why you do not like the photos. At this point, you cannot request new images or shots. There are provisions about this in the contract you sign with them for food photography.
Once the food photographer delivers the final images to you, nothing can be done if you want any changes. This means you will end up losing money on a photo shoot that didn't serve its purpose. Therefore, It is important to include a professional photographer for your restaurant photo shoot.
Take Help From a Food Stylist
It is very handy to have a food stylist on your team. Food stylists can spruce up your food with all the toppings and every stray ingredient that makes it look appetizing and aesthetically pleasing - which is the main focus of amazing photography.
Food styling can help you create appealing pictures and pull in new customers. Having a food stylist on site for the restaurant shoots can ensure beautiful photos.
Food styling uses many tips, such as presenting the food on wood planks to increase the aesthetic appeal. This is why you must also get a food stylist along with a food photography expert.
Coordinate Your Food Photography Expectations
You need to work with your food photographer to get the best photos. Before you get on with the photography, sit down with your photographer and discuss your goals so that you are on the same page.
You can discuss all sorts of things, such as the styles of the food shots, which dishes to capture, the right shutter speed for food shots, the background to use, and much more. You can also ask them whether it would be a good idea to include the menu in the photo shoot. Discussing all the elements equally can help improve the results significantly.
Why Should You Involve the Client and Chef in the Food Shoots?
There are several reasons why clients and chefs should be involved in the restaurant photography process. Good communication is essential to get the desired results. Clients can even come up with different aesthetic options and tools, such as a moodboard or Pinterest, to show photographers what they expect from the shot list.
This also gives the photographers the direction they need for restaurant photography. With the joint effort, you can feature your dishes in the best light.
Before the day of the shoot, ensure everything is present, and you won't have to run here and there at the 11th hour. Keep all the ingredients ready and ensure that the photographers have all their equipment set up for the shoot day. With the photography brief you will be able to have an action plan right in your hand and you can direct the food photographers and food stylists effectively on the shoot day.
This brings us to the end of our guide on preparing for your restaurant photo shoot. Following these tips will surely get the aesthetic and mouth-watering images you need to promote your restaurant.
If you’re looking to partner with a photographer for your restaurant’s needs, hit the button below to contact us! Let’s chat and talk about how we can help make your food look as good as it tastes.
