Cheat Sheet for Restaurant Photography

All restaurateurs attach a great deal of importance to photos of food, drinks, and ambience. And, rightly so. But, they find the cost of arranging for a photoshoot a dampener. A bigger challenge is identifying a good photographer (who fits in the budget) and then briefing the staff to be ready for the shoot. As a result, most restaurateurs understand the importance of regular photoshoots but keep postponing them.

But, there's good news! From our experience, we have realized that it doesn't have to be so daunting or expensive. In this blog, we showcase some of the randomly shot photos at our customers' locations and used them for creatives.

"Before that let's explore and understand why photo shoots have become easier and cheaper for restaurateurs".

 Authentic Content Matters

Just look around you on social media and see what is trending or popular. Most posts on Instagram and Facebook that seem to have high engagements comprise original content. Surprisingly, many of these don't even look aesthetic. It appears that authenticity and originality of content are more important than professionally shot photos and videos. Check out these three photos which have a high level of engagement despite the not-so-great aesthetics.

Focus on Content, Not Quality of Photographs or Videos

What can be more rewarding than a satisfied customer(s) paying glowing tributes to your eatery? How about a video of a chef busy in the kitchen or a bartender putting the final sprig of mint into a Mojito. These are neither expensive nor disruptive. And, content such as these works very well on social media.

Wake up it's 2021

Smartphones have made tremendous improvements on cameras. Even mid-end phones take pretty amazing photos of ambience, food, and drinks. Sometimes, the photos look better than even DSLRs. Or you could simply buy an entry-level camera for under $500. 

What about professionally shot photographs?

Yes, these are important and you must invest in these too. Get as many shots by professionals as possible and keep updating these. But remember, no matter how many photos you shoot, you will never have enough for a sustained campaign. So go ahead and mix it up and use a combination of pro-photos and those shots quickly and easily.

Here are some of the photos that we shot with DSLRs which we have used for simple, easy graphics design which helped us maintain the authenticity of our customers' products. Hope you enjoy these!