Restaurant menu photography guidelines
Welcome to the RestroTec restaurant photography guide. Follow these tips to create high-quality photos to feature on your online menu.
Menu
Welcome to the RestroTec restaurant photography guide. Follow these tips to create high-quality photos to feature on your online menu.
Here’s a list of our menu photography do’s which you should consider before your photoshoot.
You should set aside at least one hour for your photoshoot which will allow you to plan and prepare your dishes freshly to produce the best photos.
Always take your shots with your camera set to horizontal landscape. Vertical shots will not display well on your online menu.
Also, try to make sure that your proportions are accurate and that your dish takes up 70-80% of the shot.
Make sure your photo features one dish only, because each photo will appear along side a single menu item.
Wherever possible, try to photograph your menu items next to a window with natural sunlight coming in. This can make your food items look enticing! Just be careful to avoid harsh lighting as this may create dark prominent shadows which we don’t want.
Take your photos from either a top down or 45 degree angle.
Top down angles are better for plates of food or bowls, so that the customer can clearly see what’s inside. Whereas 45 degree angles (from the side) work better for items such as burgers, sandwiches or taller items.
Even the most appetising dishes can sometimes look a bit bland. Make your dish stand out by adding a splash of sauce, garnish or dressing. Just be sure that it is a true representation of what the customer will be getting.
Dishes can start to look flat and deflated if left out for a while. Try to take the shots as soon as the food has been prepared by your kitchen staff.
Don’t forget to include something that reminds customers of your brand and style. It’s what makes you unique.
Do this by using a variety of surfaces, cutlery, napkins, cups, and stickers. But always keep the main focus on the food.
This is an attractive top-down view of this dish. The light background surface brings out the greenery on the plate.
Another eye-catching top-down view. The use of colors really makes this dish stand out against the darker wood background.
Here there are more than one item in the shot, and the image is cut off on one side.
Here there are far too many items in the shot. Remember you want to focus on only one item per shot.