High quality photos are critical to the success of a restaurant / cafe.
I assume that if you are reading this article you own or work in a restaurant / cafe and you want a better rating on social media. Here are some tips to get captivating shots for your marketing. Of course, this also applies if you're a novice food blogger who just wants to catch up on a few food photography tips.
Natural light
Natural light is the key to a quality image in food photography. This is especially true if you don't have quality lighting in your restaurant, cafe or bar like professional photographers do. If you want to create high-quality images with lamps or flashlights in low light conditions, it will usually fail. Usually this will result in strange colors, shadows or flickering effects on the images. Natural light will produce significantly better results.
The best time to take photos with natural light is on cloudy days. This is because the clouds act like natural diffusers of light, making the shadows in your image softer and exposing the shot evenly. If you shoot in direct sunlight, you get very high-contrast images that can appear harsh and unattractive.
Food styling and composition
Take the time to flip through an image website like Instagram or Pinterest and pick out some food photographs that can be your inspiration. These images can serve as a guide for you in creating your own food photo. Include props in your shot, whether it's classics like linen, cutlery or your menu. Flowers or something that is typical of your business will also look good. Props help eliminate empty (negative) space and give the picture more character. Props can also help reinforce your branding.
When composing your image, don't be afraid if your objects are not centered, on the contrary. A division into three or more image areas makes images more interesting. In photography, the theory, for example the rule of thirds (or the 9-rectangle rule), helps to create pleasing compositions. This will make your images look more natural and appealing.
Adobe Lightroom
Adobe Lightroom is an extremely powerful tool that can be used to take your photos to the next level. Lightroom is relatively easy to learn and use. I recommend that you just take the time and play around with it so that you can get to know all of its features. By using Lightroom, you can easily turn a boring picture into something completely different. Adobe Lightroom (Mobile) is also available free of charge for smartphones and tablets.
If you have a camera, learn how to use it.
If you have a camera that cost you more than $ 600, chances are it will take better pictures than your smartphone. If your camera is able to capture more megapixels than your smartphone and allows you to make changes to the ISO / shutter speed as well as the aperture, you can get higher quality pictures that make a bigger impact.
If you want to draw more attention to the food and want a "blurred background" (this is known as the bokeh effect), then open up the aperture (by lowering the f-number). A better separation from the background and the food can thereby be achieved.
If you want to get a very sharp picture, turn down the shutter speed (1/200 is a good start)
To get everything well exposed, you need to make sure that you find a good balance between iso, shutter speed and aperture. So if you are struggling and your picture is still too dark after adjusting all three parameters, then you need some artificial lighting. Artificial lighting can be expensive.
If you can't get the look you want despite your best efforts, consider the next tip.
Hire someone
Hiring a food photographer is probably the best investment a restaurant owner can make to get good pictures for their marketing. A photographer has the right skills and knows exactly what to do to get the pictures you want. This will help you get your audience interested in your food.
As food photographers, we love to work your way and we will do everything we can to achieve the results you desire. With our food photography service we provide all the equipment needed for the food photo shoot. The results, including the complete image processing, are usually made available to you promptly.
