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Food Photography—Making it look delicious
I’ve photographed enough food and restaurants to know that food photography isn’t just about pointing a camera at the plate and pressing a button. It’s an art form, and something that I really enjoy. It involves knowing how food should look on a plate in a photograph, as well as some preparation. I know how to work with food—how it behaves, how it photographs, what tricks make it look fresh and appetizing. I understand color theory and how to create visual harmony on a plate. I know which props complement your food without overwhelming it, and I can work with your brand’s aesthetic to create images that feel authentically yours.
Almost anyone can take a technically correct photo, but I can craft a visual narrative that creates desire for your product. Consider Coca-Cola’s marketing: They don’t just show a Coke bottle; they create an experience. Dramatic lighting, icy condensation glistening on the bottle, and people enjoying the product—that’s commercial photography’s true power. That’s what I can do for you.
Food photography is basically about four things:
1. Placement. First is placement, also known as “food styling.” To make food look its best, it needs to be placed “correctly” on the plate, with the main item in front, the steak, for example, and the other items on the plate, the baked potato or vegetable(s), for example, placed laterally or slightly behind the steak, in support of that main item. The main item should be front and center, the “star” of the show. There should also be at least one item in the photograph to show a little color or “pop,” a colored vegetable, or the trimmings on the baked potato, butter, sour cream, cheese, or garnish, for example.
Some photographers use food stylists, but it’s been my experience that the restaurant’s Chef prefers to style the food for photographs. They know what they want the food on the plate to look like. Food can be photographed in the kitchen serving “window,” on the table, in front of an artificial background, or a studio rendered background, an Italian countryside behind a plate of Italian food for example. I think food should be photographed fresh in the restaurant, where the hot food looks hot, and the cold food looks cold, and shows the environment or “mood” of the restaurant where the food is served.
2. Angle. Shooting food from the right angle makes a big difference. Some people like to photograph food from straight above, which can look cool with the geographic angles of the food and dishes converging in a photo. The problem with shooting from above is that you can’t tell the height of the food from that angle. How thick is the steak? How tall is the cake? You can’t tell. Shooting from about a forty-five-degree angle works best because it shows the height and depth of the food. Photographing from an angle also allows you to use some creative blurring to leave a sharp focus on the main item and blur the other items on the plate to draw the eye to the main item.
3. Texture. Moist items should look moist. Dry items should look dry. A dry piece of meat isn’t appetizing, and bread usually isn’t shiny. Food has a texture. The close-up “look” of the food in a photograph adds to the “taste” of the food visually. A little smoke or steam coming off the food also makes it look appetizing in a photo.
4. Lighting. I know how the right lighting transforms a dish, how shadows create depth, and highlights draw the eye, and how the right lighting can make a simple dish look absolutely irresistible. Specular highlights (shiny places) also make food look moist if desired.
Over the years, I’ve worked with restaurants, food brands, cookbook publishers, and everyone in between. And here’s what I’ve learned: great food photography is about telling a story. It’s about making someone’s mouth water with photographs on a computer or phone screen. It’s about capturing not just what the food looks like, but what it feels like to experience it.
The bottom line? Your food is worth more than a snapshot. It deserves photography that does it justice—and that’s exactly what I deliver.
Restaurant Photography—Capturing the Full Experience
There’s something that most people don’t realize: great restaurant photography goes way beyond the plate. It’s about capturing the entire experience—the ambiance, the energy, the vibe that makes your space special. I’ve spent years photographing restaurant interiors, dining rooms, and bar areas, and I know how to work with natural light, architectural features, and design elements to showcase what makes your restaurant unique.
Whether it’s the warm glow of candlelit tables, the sleek lines of a modern kitchen, or the cozy charm of a neighborhood corner restaurant, I know how to photograph spaces that tell your story. I’ve created images for restaurant websites, marketing campaigns, social media, and print materials. And here’s the thing—restaurant photography and food photography work together seamlessly. The food looks incredible on its own, but when you see it in context—in your actual dining room, on your actual tables—it creates a complete narrative. Potential customers don’t just see a beautiful dish; they see themselves dining there, experiencing your restaurant. That’s the power of comprehensive restaurant photography. That’s what I can do for you.