5 Tips for mouth-watering Food and Beverage Photography
Do you have a hard time photographing food and cocktails? Do you want to create photos that make your mouth water?! Here are 5 tips to creating mouth-watering food and beverage photography in a restaurant setting.
Food and beverage photographed in New Orleans, Louisiana.
set the stage:
What is the main subject of the photograph? Whether you are photographing food or beverages, you can add some accents that describe the brand of your restaurant, bar or brewery. Linens, candles and other natural accents make for a nice set up on the table. Always make the main focus your food or beverage. Don’t add too many distractions into the photo. If you have a nice bar or table, you might not even need to add any accents to the frame. Use your best judgement to find what looks good and fits your brand’s personality.
Food and beverage photographed for Mama Lolita’s Mexican in Broomfield, Colorado.
2. Choose the angle
Depending on the main object, you should have many choices of angles. For instance, a side angle will present the photograph as if the viewer is sitting at the table. Overhead, gives a different perspective of viewing the entire object. A side view will present the object’s height. Photograph your food and beverage at an angle that looks right for the certain dish or cocktail.
A holiday cocktail photographed for Emeril’s Restaurant in New Orleans, Louisiana.
3. lighting
The best bet is to use natural light for food photography. This minimizes any weird colors on the food. Natural lighting makes the food and drinks look more realistic and enjoyable. Check out some of the different angles and lighting of TruBluImages food and beverage photography.
Food and beverage photography for Fuel and Iron bar and restaurant in downtown Denver, Colorado.
4. action shots and ambiance
Another way to highlight your food and beverage is to take some action shots of drinks being poured and food being made or served. These photos really stop people in their tracks! They are unique and eye-catching. You can even take some of sauce being poured on a dish or toppings being added. Get creative and have fun with these.
Also, don’t forget to take ambiance photos of the restaurant, bar or brewery. You want to show the whole space with people in it. This will be helpful for people when they are deciding on where to go eat or drink. The ambiance can be a big factor on their decision making. If you have a unique ambiance, you really want to have photos of it.
Beer being poured at Lady Justice Brewery in Aurora, Colorado.
5. always photograph fresh food
When you are planning a food photo shoot, make sure the chef is there to time out the dishes for you. You don’t want any dishes sitting aside too long to where they don’t look fresh anymore. You can photograph salads and cold dishes while the chef is preparing the main hot dishes. Steaming, fresh food always looks mouth-watering in photographs. If you food looks like it has been sitting out too long, then don’t photograph it. You want your customers to know they will be getting fresh food when they come to your restaurant. When the hot food comes out, make sure to photograph it right away! Same goes for ice cream. Those photos have to be done very quickly!
Food and beverage photography at The Woods Restaurant in The Source Hotel.
By following these tips, you can create stunning food and beverage photography. Please reach out if you have any questions at all! If you need help with food and beverage photography, click the link below to chat about booking a photo shoot.
Do you need to spruce up your home or office with fine art photography? Do you want calming photo of nature to look at everyday? Click the link below to find a travel print that speaks to you!