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    Home » Recipes » Photography

    Aug 1, 2023 by Sylvie · This post may contain affiliate links

    Rules and Tips on Restaurant Photography with Brian Samuels | Summer Food Photography Series Part Four

    Please welcome today Brian Samuels, the talented author and photographer behind the blog A Thought for Food who is sharing his best tips and advice on shooting in a restaurant and capturing beautiful images even in challenging circumstances.  You can also see more of Brian's wonderful restaurant photography every week in his Silent Sundays series.

    Pain DAvignon

    Taking photographs at a restaurant can be a challenge.  It's crowded, it's dark, and sometimes it's hard to get things to stay in one place for more than a couple of seconds (I can't begin to tell you how many times servers have come in and blocked my shots.  But they're just doing their job).

    Here are some rules that I follow when I take pictures at a restaurant:

    1. Lighting -

    I don't use a flash at restaurants unless I'm taking the photos professionally (getting paid to take them) and even then I really don't like using it.  This means that the dining area has to be very well lit.  I usually try to take pictures during lunch hours or earlier in the evening (in the summer, you'll get more daylight to work with).  Restaurants tend to be less crowded during these times and patrons are typically not going out for romantic meals, so they won't care if you whip out your camera and start taking shots.

    When I'm at a restaurant, the first thing I do is scope out tables that are next to windows, which will give me the best light.  Don't be afraid to request a table if it looks available.

    restaurant table and dishes

    2. Getting permission -

    I tend not to ask for permission before taking photos of food.  It's my food and I'm paying for it and I really don't feel like I'm burdening anyone.  However, a lot of restaurant photography involves getting shots of servers or cooks, and, in these instances, you'll want to ask them for permission (or, if the manager is around, it's best to ask him/her).

    As for getting pictures of other patrons, well, that's a bit tricky.  Your goal is to get shots that are natural and if you draw attention to the fact that you're taking a photo of them, they may react awkwardly.  Try to be discreet when taking pictures of customers.  Be quick in getting your shot and definitely don't use a flash.  I've never had anyone get angry with me taking a picture of them, but I'm sure it will happen at some point.  All you can do is apologize and tell them that you're a food blogger/photographer and you're doing a piece on the restaurant.  Most people will understand and some of them may even ask you more about your website.

    people eating in restaurant

    3. Details -

    Even more important than the food is getting detail shots of the space.  Your goal is to make people want to eat there and that means giving them a complete portrait of the restaurant.  Be sure to get shots of signs, business cards, or any other branding around the room.  There may also be interesting light fixtures or artwork hanging on the wall.  Give the whole restaurant a thorough look.

    On a recent shoot at Area Four in Cambridge, MA, a restaurant that features wood-oven pizzas on their menu, I came across this stack of logs that had their name stamped into it:

    wood logs

    Or this shot of the sign outside of Skillet in Columbus, OH
    skillet sign
     
    4. Action -

    Food is beautiful all perfectly plated, but the shots that will get people excited are ones that evoke action.  If you go to a restaurant with a group of people,  have them get involved.  After you have your photos of the dish in it’s completed form, have them cut into that juicy steak and pretend to feed it to you. Or have them make some over-the-top expressions as they sink their teeth into a burger.  They'll love it and you'll get some fun shots.

    This was from a shoot at Pain D'Avignon in Hyannis, MA, of an egg on top of greens.  The dish was beautiful on it's own, but see how effective the second shot is?

    food photography

    Be sure to also enjoy the food you're shooting.  It'll make you a better food photographer if you know what it tastes like... at least that's what I keep telling myself.

    (Equipment: Canon 7D, 24-70mm f2.8 lens/50mm f1.8 lens)

    Brian Samuels is a Boston-based event and food photographer and writer. He is the creator of the food blog A Thought for Food, a collection of recipes and personal anecdotes pertaining to cooking. His work has been featured in Saveur, Improper Bostonian, Edible Boston, and TheKitchn.  Follow Brian on Twitter at @myfoodthoughts or he can be reached at [email protected].

    Be sure to read the full Summer Food Photography Series:

    Finding Props for Food Photography with Naomi Robinson | Summer Food Photography Series Part One

    Styling for Food Photography with Chantelle Grady | Summer Food Photography Series Part Two

    Learning Your Camera and How to Shoot Moody Images with Peter Georgakopoulos | Summer Food Photography Series Part Three

    Rules and Tips on Restaurant Photography with Brian Samuels | Summer Food Photography Series Part Four

    Food Videography with Russell van Kraayenburg | Summer Food Photography Series Part Five

    Q&A with Food Photographer Jim Scherer | Summer Food Photography Series Part Six

    Sylvie

    Sylvie Shirazi is the recipe developer and food photographer behind Gourmande in the Kitchen. For the last 10 years she's been making eating more healthfully easy and accessible with gluten-free, grain-free, paleo and vegan recipes that are free from processed ingredients.

    More Food Photography

    • Q&A with Food Photographer Jim Scherer | Summer Food Photography Series Part Six
    • Food Videography with Russell van Kraayenburg | Summer Food Photography Series Part Five
    • Halva with a Rhubarb Compote
      Learning Your Camera and How to Shoot Moody Images with Peter Georgakopoulos | Summer Food Photography Series Part Three
    • Styling for Food Photography with Chantelle Grady | Summer Food Photography Series Part Two

    Reader Interactions


    Comments

    1. Baker Street says

      August 03, 2012 at 2:20 am

      Great tips, Brian! I absolutely love his Silent Sunday series! 🙂

      Reply
    2. Sweetsugarbelle says

      August 01, 2012 at 10:14 am

      Once again, incredible series Sylvie. I was a fan of Brian's work from the moment I first laid eyes on it. Wonderful!!!

      Reply
    3. Kitchen Belleicious says

      July 30, 2012 at 6:56 pm

      oh thank you so much for sharing this. I need to read more and hear more on this subject and you are so great at tips and introduction to things and introducing us to new amazing photographers!

      Reply
    4. PVC Streifenvorhang says

      July 30, 2012 at 6:01 am

      very nice information and blog.- thanks and greets from cologne germany

      Reply
    5. Jennifer (Delicieux) says

      July 30, 2012 at 2:09 am

      Some great tips there. I don't do restaurant photography much, but you're right, choosing a table with the best light is important.

      Reply
    6. Nami | Just One Cookbook says

      July 30, 2012 at 1:40 am

      Thank you Brian for the great tips! I once in a while review some restaurants and my first problem is the lighting. Some restaurants are not very bright and I really have hard time taking pictures without natural light. I need to work on that. I enjoyed your photography along with the helpful tips!

      Reply
      • Nami | Just One Cookbook says

        July 30, 2012 at 1:44 am

        Sylvie, the link for A Thought For Food is incorrect. 🙂 I'm going to visit Brian's blog now.

        Reply
    7. Alysa (InspiredRD) says

      July 29, 2012 at 7:57 pm

      Love these tips Brian! Made me chuckle when you said no one had gotten mad at you for taking their picture yet. That happened on our recent trip to Ethiopia, and our photographer got whacked with a package of toilet paper - http://davidmolnar.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/12/48-hours-of-delays-and-unexpected-adventure-en-route-to-ethiopia-fhbloggers/

      Thanks for this amazing series Sylvie!

      Reply
    8. najwa kronfel says

      July 29, 2012 at 2:38 pm

      Great tips! Thank you!

      Reply
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    1. Learning Your Camera and How to Shoot Moody Images with Peter Georgakopoulos | Summer Food Photography Series Part Three | Gourmande in the Kitchen says:
      August 6, 2012 at 2:59 pm

      [...] Rules and Tips on Restaurant Photography with Brian Samuels | Summer Food Photography Series Part Fo... [...]

      Reply
    2. Finding Props for Food Photography with Naomi Robinson | Summer Food Photography Series Part One | Gourmande in the Kitchen says:
      August 6, 2012 at 2:58 pm

      [...] Rules and Tips on Restaurant Photography with Brian Samuels | Summer Food Photography Series Part Fo... [...]

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