5 Tips to ensure you hire the right photographer for your restaurant
Restaurant photography can be challenging; however, it can be a good deal of fun for both the photographer and you, the restaurateur! The restaurant’s interiors, the hustle and bustle of a busy restaurant kitchen, the exhilaration of the diners and the gorgeously plated dishes are all images that restaurant owners’ dreams are made of!
Now, you can also be thinking how to take your restaurant images from novice iPhone photographs for your social media to high-quality expert images from a professional food photographer.
I’d love to share my top 5 tips to ensure you hire the right photographer for your restaurant. My intention is to empower you to step into your restaurant photoshoot with confidence and get the right images from your photographer.
I hope you find it helpful!
1 – GET YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER to PREPARE A MOODBOARD!
Like with any different shoot, when needing photographs for a restaurant it is essential that you have an in-depth chat with your photographer to make certain they understand your needs and the mood you are seeking so that you are completely satisfied on the day!
It helps if you have a think about this before meeting your food photographer to discuss your project.
Establish if you want your plated meals images to be bright and vivid or if you are hoping your pictures will bring a cosier, evening vibe. Discuss whether or not you love bright colours or pick an extra muted palette. Also, make it clear if you are searching for extra minimal photographs or you want to seize the busy lunch time vibe full of movement and action. Perhaps you need it all!
The more you discuss details of your restaurant shoot beforehand, the likelier you are to get your photographer to shoot the images you will love!
Based on your dialogue with your photographer, get them to put together a moodboard and shot list, so you make certain they nail your brief on the day!
TOP RESTAURANT PHOTOGRAPHY TIP!
Have a look through your menu and pick out dishes and drinks that you feel will be particularly photogenic. Unless you want every item on the menu photographed, find the best sellers and even the higher profit menu items. Pick out dishes that you specialise in – try avoid the real basics (everybody knows what a plate of chips looks like). Make a list and discuss this with the food photographer. The photographer will help you decide and even discuss with your chef any dishes that may be tricky to plate. Your chef may need help from a food stylist if your budget permits.
2 – GOOD RESTAURANT PHOTOGRAPHY REQUIRES GOOD LIGHTING!
Restaurant photography takes photographers out of the comfort of their own studio and demands them to understand lighting. Ask them what lighting they will shoot in. Your photographer should be comfortable in ambient lighting (the existing lighting in your restaurant) as well as adding their own lighting to help capture the shot.
Getting your restaurant images lighting correct is essential to getting your images to stand out!
If you have the budget, a visit to your café or restaurant a few days early to check out the lighting and the setting is recommended. It pays to allow this, and you can combine it with your meeting with the food photographer.
Going to the venue prior to the shoot can help the photographer establish any difficult lighting scenarios (overhead lighting on the premises, or harsh window light or places to stand in a busy kitchen. The photographer may need to bring additional lighting, reflectors, diffusers and softboxes –- and they will need to find a place to set this up. Having a preview of the environment can avoid delays on shooting day and is highly suggested
TOP RESTAURANT PHOTOGRAPHY TIP!
It could be that you are too far away for the photographer to travel to your location for a pre-meet. In that case, you could offer to take a video with your phone of the interior to the photographer can try and assess the lighting in your restaurant or café, and get a general feel of the space they will be working with.
3 – PROPS & BACKDROPS
As you start to think about your restaurant photo shoot, it pays to give some of thought to the props. Most restaurants will want to shoot with their own cutlery and crockery and on backdrops that are within your premises. Your photographer may want to bring some props as well, and provide some alternative backdrops.
Your bowls and plates could be so shiny that it can cause a lot of problems with lighting. Discuss this with your food photographer and see what they think.
TOP RESTAURANT PHOTOGRAPHY TIP!
You may have a little corner with a fantastic textured wall or some stunning interior features. Show these to your restaurant photographer and see if they can be used as a backdrop!!
4 – LOGISTICS!
When photographing in a restaurant location, a bit of planning is required to make certain the photoshoot runs smoothly on the day. Your food photographer will probably ask about the things listed below – it’s good if you have some understanding of this and not think the photographer is just making things overly complicated for you. It’s pretty important stuff!
Restaurant photography logistics to think about include:
TRAVEL – Your photographer may charge for travel if your restaurant is far away from their base location. It’s fair to assume that the photographers creative fee may not cover this and it’s normal to be added into the invoice.
PARKING – Is there ample parking available or are there any restrictions that would stop the photographer from transporting all their equipment to your café or restaurant. If there is no parking available, the photographer may need to taxi in (carrying all this camera gear on a bus or train is not possible), so consider this in your budget.
SPACE – Find a quiet and dedicated location or table for the photographer to use. You don’t want to upset diners or have the photographer in the way between the front of house and the kitchen.
CHEF’S AVAILABILITY – Are you having the pictures taken during lunch service or on a quiet (closed?) day where the chef can commit to preparing meals for the photoshoot.
IMAGE DIMENSIONS – Portrait, square, landscape, which layout is needed? Think about HOW you want to use the images. The photographer will ask you about this, so it’s good to have this clear in your mind. Knowing the final usage will determine how the photo is taken.
5 – VARIETY MATTERS – YOUR SHOT LIST
Get your staff involved! Ask for some photographs of their fingers as they serve your most famous dish, a shot of the restaurant’s bartender, the cafe’s barista in motion and/or a chef’s portrait.
Maybe even ask for a couple of shots of the restaurant’s exterior, or stunning interior, or even some of your customers enjoying a meal.
So, here’s hoping that this has been helpful to you. I wish you every success on hiring the right photographer for your restaurant!
Work with John Fyn Photography
My goal is to represent your food, your creations and your dishes working with you to enhance the presentation of these and therefore creating feelings of appetite at first sight to your customers.
I normally cover Greater London and South-East England for commissioned work - if you’re further away don’t worry, we can work something out. I also shoot food products in my home studio, if you prefer, these can be sent directly to me.
Contact me now to have a chat about your requirements ...