Photos are the visual magnet that can draw customers to various brands around the country, and for restaurants, food photography is especially important. According to Menu Engineer Gregg Rapp- “great photos can increase sales by as much as 30%,” so to attract all the #foodies out there and further your restaurant business, follow these five tips on how to expertly photograph your food.
1. Use the Right Lighting
Every photographer knows that lighting is a key element, but for your restaurant’s food, color clarity is even more important. That’s why natural light is perfect for giving your plates a pure and appetizing ambiance. Since most restaurants are primarily indoors, an easy way to master this is by placing your food next to a window that streams in light. You also must avoid your camera’s flash. Using flash can not only flatten the color of your shot, but also give it a yellow or green tinge over your food which can’t be fixed, even with master Photoshop skills.
2. Show Off Freshness
While your food may be at its peak freshness, it may not be that noticeable in your photos. But with this problem comes an easy solution: simply spray your food with a bit of oil or water so that it emanates a fresh and natural odor. To make the cuisine at your restaurant look even more ripe and ready to eat, another trick is to undercook your food for enhanced vibrancy in your vegetables and noticeable moistness in your meats.
3. Garnish, Garnish, Garnish!
Garnishing your food before you photograph it is a way to accentuate the most tantalizing elements of your dish. Adorning your menu items with edible flowers, toasted bread, or another aesthetic supplement can not only add visual interest to your picture, but also enhance the color and textures of your focal point, especially if it’s monochromatic! Garnishing should be a restaurant staple when it comes to photos.
4. Properly Edit Your Photos
Although white balancing your camera in your restaurant before you shoot is important, properly editing your photos can help remedy that mistake if you forget to. The first part of the editing process is to color-correct your photos. Not having a proper white balance can distort the coloring and make your food look less appealing. After this is done, help make the photos of your menu items pop by tweaking the contrast and sharpness of your food in your photo.
5. Make the Shot Aesthetically Pleasing
First, look at your restaurant and the background of your shot. Is there anything on the floor? Is there a pile of dirty dishes in the corner? Whatever it may be, you must ensure that the setting for your food is clear and flattering and will draw attention towards the plate, not any of the distractions in the background. Before you get ready to shoot the picture, imagine your food saying, “I’m ready for my close-up!” Photographing your menu items at a close angle can be extremely beneficial and show off the best parts of your food. If you got it, flaunt it!
Food photography is truly the cornerstone of marketing in the food industry and with these five tips and tricks, your food should be camera-ready! Visual marketing is on the rise, and with appealing pictures of your food, you can easily use one of social media’s numerous features to draw in customers to your restaurant. These pictures can also be used to show off your menu items in your restaurant’s brochures, advertisements, flyers, and more! Any marketing or PR avenue you choose, having a gallery of food photography is guaranteed to expand your customer base and help your restaurant flourish.
Visit our Deep Ads Thoughts blog to learn more about current advertising, marketing and public relations tips and trends. Plus, check out our Push n’ Pull blog for all things in the world of digital and social media.
