Food photos for a restaurant menu include a picture of every real dish, always taken with the same rules for light, angle, background and cropping. The colour and sharpness are then retouched. What is never touched is the recipe or the portion size. That way, whoever looks at the menu sees exactly what later arrives at the table. To prepare them, you first choose which dishes to include. Then each one is cooked just as it is really served, and they are all photographed one after another, without changing the light or the camera position.
Dish photos and the main image
There are two types of photo. A photo of a dish answers one question: what is this? The main image answers another: what is it like to eat here? The first goes next to each dish. The second opens the menu, the website or the listing on a delivery app. It also works for social media.
Do you need an expensive camera?
Do you need an expensive camera? Most restaurants don't need one to get photos ready for the menu. Consistency matters more than equipment. If every dish has a different light and background, the menu looks like an album of mismatched photos.
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Delivery platform rules
Delivery platforms set their own rules. Deliveroo's photo upload guide warns that images with people, with text over them or with objects that distract from the dish are usually rejected. It's worth reading each platform's guide before the shoot, not after.
Why good photos matter
This matters because restaurants that use high-quality photos can receive up to three times more orders than those using amateur images. That's why the money spent on photos is more like an investment than an expense.
Types of shoot and what the price covers
When you hire a photographer, there are three usual ways of working. One is product photography, focused solely on the dish. Another is a studio shoot, where the light is fully controlled. The third is a shoot at the restaurant itself, which also shows the tables, the dining room and the atmosphere. The price varies according to the hours of work, the number of photos, how many dishes there are, whether the images are digital or printed and the photographer's experience. That price covers the shoot and also the post-production, which is the retouching done afterwards. In post-production, a white that comes out yellow is corrected, the shine of a sauce is brought back, or the crumb of bread that came out blurry is sharpened. Without that step, a good dish can look cold or dull.
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Usage rights before signing
Before signing, you need to be clear about where the photos will be used, for how long and in which media: printed menu, website, social media or posters. Some photographers charge separately for certain uses, such as an advertising campaign or an exclusive licence.
Where to start
So, what now? The first thing is to make a short list of the dishes that are ordered most and the ones the restaurant wants to sell more of. Next comes deciding where the photos will go: printed menu, website or delivery app. With that list, you can already talk to a photographer with clear ideas. Evan & Natalia Simon do photography and video for restaurants, brands and businesses in Gijón and across Asturias. Not sure where to start? A short, no-obligation chat with them is enough to sort out the list and choose the type of shoot.
Links
More information, not yet independently confirmed: news.osu.edu.
