7 Restaurant and Food Photography Tips from a Professional

Nothing paints a better picture of your restaurant than actual pictures! Alongside your menu, your restaurant and food photography is a major driver of table bookings, with the right enticing snaps having the power to turn hungry browsers into happy diners.

With so many prospective diners finding restaurants through visual platforms such as Instagram, quality photos of your delicious dishes and inviting atmosphere are essential to tempt the tastebuds of potential customers.

The good news is, anyone can take great food photos with enough practice. You don’t even need a fancy camera — a smartphone with a high-quality camera will do. Keep reading to discover our top food and restaurant photography tips you can easily implement yourself, no matter your skill level.

Smartphone photography done right

You don't need to be a professional photographer to snap a decent picture — although, of course, professional expertise does help. However, this article is all about how you can handle photography on your own without the need for a professional photographer or equipment. Most likely, you already carry a device in your pocket that's capable of capturing decent images. That's a great starting point for your new photo series, enabling you to enhance your restaurant's page on TheFork and boost the conversion rate of visitors to your restaurant page.

Crafting appealing photos of your dishes and restaurant using just your mobile phone is absolutely possible with the right techniques, which are equally applicable to those who happen to have access to a proper camera. Put together with the help of food photographer Jakub Bachleda-Wala from 6PM Studio, here are our 7 top tips for capturing irresistible photos that will grab diners’ attention.

1. Decide your aesthetic and plan photos accordingly

Before you take your first photo, you need a robust visual identity in place to guide your photography style. Strong branding is all about consistency, so you need your pictures to match your other visual assets.

Without this consistency, you could mislead people who will make assumptions about your restaurant based on your photos. Do you need dark, moody photos to match your dimly lit and sophisticated ambience? Or does your bright and welcoming brunch hotspot require equally vibrant snaps?

Choose an aesthetic that suits your restaurant and menu, and make sure you’re reflecting it in all your pictures. It’s also important to get a wider opinion on your style choices, according to Jakub, who says: “Take the opinions of the restaurant owners and chefs into consideration”.

Capturing shots of your interior design is a great way to show off your restaurant’s unique character and give diners a taste of what they’ll experience when stepping foot into your restaurant. As well as showing off dining areas, bars, and any outdoor space, consider snapping photos of one-of-a-kind elements like artwork, statues, or quirky building features.

2. Use lighting carefully

Natural light is your greatest ally in food photography. Find a well-lit spot near a window or take your dishes outdoors to capture your snaps in optimal lighting conditions. Often, you can adjust the lighting within the camera app on your phone by double-tapping, allowing you to choose the setting that showcases the dish best.

But, as we mentioned previously, you may have an aesthetic that warrants photography that’s a bit darker. “You want to be in a well-lit area unless you want to do an underexposed image,” Jakub tells us, “in which case you need a single point of light”.

3. Choose a simple background

When snapping food photos, opt for a clean, simple background that complements the dish without diverting attention. Solid-coloured surfaces or minimalistic table settings work well, while busy or cluttered backgrounds should be avoided. If you’re doing a full restaurant photoshoot, it’s a good idea to take pictures of your interiors before you serve up and photograph the food to avoid any mess.

“Pay attention to details,” Jakub says. “You need a clean environment with no spills or oils on the plates so the shots look nice and uniform.”

4. Compose with care

As for setting up the dishes, Jakub advises keeping it simple: “Don’t pose the food too much – leave that to the chef. It’s all about authenticity”.

Apply the rule of thirds by placing your main elements off-centre to achieve a balanced and dynamic shot. Experiment with angles: capture trendy overhead shots (also known as flatlay images) from a seat near a table, use 45-degree angles to present a dish as a guest would view it on their plate, and take close-ups to highlight intricate details. Use the phone's autofocus to lock onto the main subject, or tap the screen to set the focus manually.

“You need to consider every single angle for every single dish,” Jakub says. While an overhead shot might show off a mezze platter beautifully, a juicy burger will look far more tantalising in a side-on photo that shows off its layers.

5. Use props wisely

Sometimes, props like utensils, napkins, or ingredients can add context and interest to a shot. However, moderation is key – the dish or dining area should always remain the central focus. Before taking the shot, quickly check to ensure everything looks neat without distracting elements around the plate or within the frame.

“When I photograph the dishes,” Jakub shares, “I tend to use the props already available, such as cutlery, table decorations and spices. These must be lined up and adjusted for the composition to make it compelling and aesthetically pleasing. This way I keep it documentary-like, without adding too much to the pictures. Potential diners expect to get what they see and not be fooled by advertising.”

6. Don't rely on one perfect shot

Take multiple shots from different angles to increase your chances of capturing a fantastic image. This also allows for more versatile use of photos (such as reusing a dish in your Instagram feed at a later time). Remember, patience is crucial; hastily-taken photos may appear blurry or poorly lit.

This is the golden rule for Jakub, who says: “Take your time when taking a photo and pay attention, don’t rush it”.

After all, photography is an art. Review your shots, learning from what works and what doesn't. You'll quickly develop a sense of whether a photo is right or you need to retake it. Refine your approach to present your dishes in the most enticing manner possible. The more you practice and experiment, the better you'll become at crafting those mouthwatering visuals.

7. Edit your photos… carefully!

Even the best photos will look even better with a touch of editing. You can adjust brightness, contrast, saturation, or crop out irrelevant elements to make your photos stand out. Popular editing apps include Adobe Lightroom, Snapseed, and VSCO. Most smartphones will also include basic editing features in their standard photo gallery apps. Be cautious not to overdo it, as excessive editing can make your photos look unnatural or misleading. Strive for consistency and avoid heavy filters whenever possible.

“The most important thing to keep in mind while editing is to keep the natural colours,” Jakub says. “It is easy to over-saturate something.”

“Another thing would be to take the main focus, whether it’s a plate of food or a stunning chandelier, and isolate it from the background. While editing, you can do this by darkening or blurring the background and keeping the subject as the main focus by brightening it up.”

Sharing your photos

Now that you're content with your photos, it's time to get more eyes (and clicks!) on them. Your restaurant page on TheFork serves as the perfect platform to showcase your online business card to thousands of visitors.

Uploading photos is simple via TheFork Manager on desktop or the app. Additionally, you can directly link your photos to specific dishes on the menu, providing the most comprehensive and appealing experience possible on your page.

Transform good photos into more guests

Looking to attract more guests to your restaurant through your meticulously curated restaurant page with stunning photos? It's easily achievable. Share your contact info here, and let's work together to make it happen.