How to Take Pictures of Food for Your Restaurant Menu: A Beginner's Guide

Is a large number of customers browsing your menu but not placing an order? Do you feel like your menu is lacking something? That may be professional-looking photos of your dishes.

In the beginner’s guide below, we will teach you how to take pictures of food for your menu, from the equipment you need to basic rules and stylizing your shots. Let’s get started!

The Benefits of Restaurant Food Photography

Before we get started with the food photography tips we’ve prepared for you, let’s take a look at what you can gain from taking professional photos of your food, in case you’re not convinced just yet.

Sell 45% more food

According to a recent BCB Group study, using high-quality, professional food photos can increase your conversion rate by 45%. It’s the inevitable pull of a mouth-watering image that persuades more customers to order.

Increase the average check value

Applying the same logic as above, irresistible restaurant menu photography can encourage customers to order more than they initially planned. Imagine not wanting to order dessert but being swayed by a creamy, decadent-looking lava cake.

Make your restaurant look professional and trustworthy

Professional-looking photos on your menu will convince potential and existing customers that you take your business seriously and that they can expect an exquisite customer experience if they visit or order from your restaurant.

Appeal to customers all over the world

Images speak an international language. People might not know what a dish is, especially if they’re from a foreign country, but more often than not, they will recognize it in a photo. Increase your customer base by making your menu international with the help of food photography for your restaurant menu.

Related: 8 Menu Writing Rules That Will Make Customers Order More

Build a recognizable brand

One of the main purposes of food photography for your menu is to create a cohesive, unified look for all your dishes, one that speaks to who your brand is. This will help you foster brand recognition and loyalty.

You might also like: 10 Profitable Features of a Good Menu

How to Take Pictures of Food for Menu 101

1. Follow basic food photography rules

The rule of thirds

A popular composition guideline, the rule of thirds refers to dividing a photo into nine equal parts by using two vertical and two horizontal lines. According to the rule, your main subject, which will be the dish, should be placed at one of the points where the lines intersect, like this:

The Fibonacci spiral

Also called the golden ratio, this is a composition technique according to which if you apply this diagram on top of an image, the main subject should be located at the end of the spiral, while the other elements lead to it:

Color theory

There are two color temperatures to keep in mind when you learn how to take pictures of food professionally: warm colors and cool colors.

Reds, oranges, and yellows are warm colors, while greens, blues, and purples are cool colors.

When shooting photos for your menu, you can approach colors as follows:

• Monochromatic: Focusing on multiple shades of the same color, from light to dark. This will bring harmony into your food photography.
• Complimentary: Using two colors that oppose each other on the color wheel. This will bring a lot of contrast to your photos, which will make them stand out.
• Analogous: Using colors that are next to each other on the color wheel, which will create a cohesive image.

Negative space

The space that surrounds your dish, negative space should be well-balanced, so your subject is not too close-up but not too far either.

In the case of restaurant menu photography, don’t leave too much negative space around the dish. You want customers to appreciate the colors and textures up close. Similarly, don’t get too close to the subject – customers should be able to see the entire dish.

Tethering

When learning how to photograph food for your menu, we advise you to shoot tethered. But what does that mean? That your camera is connected to a laptop or computer so you can see the images on the screen as you shoot.

This will help you save precious editing time since sometimes, viewing the images on the back of the camera might make you miss small things that you want to fix.

2. Understand restaurant photography lighting for beginners

Lighting is crucial in photography, and it might seem overwhelming to figure out how to light your food photos as a beginner. Don’t overcomplicate things, just follow this basic setup:

• Place the direct light source next to your scene so the light falls on your subjects from the side (such as from an open window);
• Use a reflector opposite the light source to reflect some of the light back on your subject;
• Place a diffuser between the light source and the subject to make the light softer.

3. Learn how to photograph different types of food

Different types of food will require different angles, composition, and even props. To make each dish truly shine, you need to learn how to photograph every item on your menu.

How to photograph burgers

• Photograph it from the side to show all its layers, but tilt the camera up slightly so the burger seems bigger;
• Speaking of layers, add many colorful layers such as tomatoes and lettuce;
• Make sure the cheese is melted to make your customers’ mouths drool.

How to photograph pizza

• Shoot the pizza from above if you want to capture the entire thing;
• Shoot it at a 45-degree angle to highlight the toppings and do a cheese pull shot;
• Use less sauce than you normally would so it doesn’t get messy;
• Brush the edges of the pizza with oil before placing it in the oven to create an appealing golden crust.

How to photograph pasta

• Only cook it for a few minutes so it looks fresh and textured;
• Pasta dishes tend to look better shot from above;
• Slightly drizzle the sauce on top instead of pouring it to create a more appealing dish.

How to photograph sushi

• Add extra rice to the sushi to make it look plumper;
• Add water droplets to the sashimi to make it look fresher;
• User garnishes such as green onions and radishes for color and texture.

How to photograph desserts

• Shoot from the side for cakes, cupcakes, pancake stacks, or anything that has layers;
• Shoot from three-quarters for items with filling such as donuts or tarts;
• Shoot from above for flat desserts like cookies or desserts with interesting shapes such as cinnamon rolls;
• Add mouth-watering details like a swirl of whipped cream on a pie or a drizzle of caramel on a cake.

How to photograph drinks

• Work fast and prepare in advance because you only have minutes to photograph drinks before the ice melts and the garnishes wilt;
• Consider using artificial ice but keep in mind that the photo might look artificial unless you invest in a quality product;
• Use the right type of glass for the drink you’re preparing.

4. Use the best angles for food photography

One of the most important food photography techniques you need to learn is how to choose the right angle that will make your dishes stand out. Here are the basic angles you need to be familiar with:

• Overhead (90-degree flat lay): A very popular angle that works for most dishes except for layered ones that are “closed” (like burgers or sandwiches);
• Straight on (0-degree): Perfect for layered food like burgers or stacks of pancakes;
• 45-degree angle: For when there’s some height to your food, but not a lot, and you want to zero in on a particular detail or texture;
• 75-degree angle: A good angle for drinks that look good from overhead but where you want to also show the shape of the glass.

5. Learn how to set up for food photography

Since this is all about food photography for beginners, we’re not going to suggest a complicated process for taking photos of your dishes. Simply follow these steps to get started:

• 1. Choose a surface to photograph your dishes on and place it next to your light source. We recommend a table because of its height.
• 2. Set up your camera or phone on a tripod at the desired angle;
• 3. Position your backdrop so it creates an L shape with your base. If you’re shooting from overhead, you don’t need an additional backdrop since the base will serve as one;
• 4. Add props to style the scene and use test food to visualize the photos and take some test shots before you start;

6. Use props for food photography

One of the most well-known food photography tricks is to use props to elevate your food photos and create a cohesive, recognizable brand.

Here are some examples and how you can use them:

• Wooden elements: Use a wooden slab, chopping board, or other wooden utensils for a rustic vibe.
• Plants: For a fresh vibe, bring in leaves, petals, or even entire plants.
• Fabrics: From linen to frayed edge cloths, fabrics can provide texture to the photo. Use neutral colors so they don’t overshadow the food.
• Ingredients: They can be props themselves, showing customers what to expect from the dish. For example, a slice of mixed berry cake can be stylized with blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries.
• Vintage décor: Scour flea markets to find unique decorations such as mugs, dining plates, baskets, and so on.
• Matte objects: From plates to silverware, choose props that aren’t shiny because shiny surfaces reflect light, and they might mess up a perfect shot.

7. Learn the basics of outdoor and indoor food photography

If you’re not sure where you want to photograph your dishes, let’s look at how to take the best pictures both outdoors and indoors.

Outdoor food photography tips

• Early mornings or late afternoons are the best times for shooting food outside because the light is softer;
• Don’t be afraid of clouds – they’re even better than sunshine because they work as a natural diffuser. If there aren’t any clouds, look for shade under a tree or awning;
• It would be good to have a diffuser, reflector, and some panels at hand to be able to control the lighting.

Indoor food photography tips

• Shoot next to a window so the light comes from the side, not from above. Natural light is still ideal even if you’re indoors;
• Make sure the shadows aren’t too harsh – the best type of lighting for food photography is soft light with soft shadows;
• Test the light in the room where you want to shoot a day before the shooting by doing a few test shots. This will ensure you’ve chosen the right time of day to photograph your dishes.

The Best Camera for Food Photography for Beginners

When looking for a camera that will guide you in how to take pictures of food for a menu, you need it to be easy to use and affordable. Here are a couple of good options:

• Canon EOS Rebel T7 Kit (~ $450)
• Nikon D3500 (~ $400)
• Nikon D5600 (~ $800)
• Canon Rebel T7i (~ $830)

You should also consider buying a camera second-hand if you can’t afford to spend that much money upfront.

How to Take Good Food Photos with Your Phone

Alternatively, you can just use your phone, whether it’s an iPhone or Android device. Smartphones nowadays have evolved enough that you can take gorgeous-looking photos without the need for professional equipment.

If you’re thinking of using your phone to shoot your menu items, keep these food photography hacks in mind:

• Stay away from artificial and low light. Give your phone a chance to shine by shooting outside or by a window;
• Try to have at least one bright color in your photos since phones tend not to capture muted colors as well;
• Use the Pro mode if available to have more control over the settings. Alternatively, you can use a third-party app such as Adobe Lightroom.
• Hold the device upright when you shoot. If you lean it forward like most people tend to do, your vertical shots won’t be great;
• Use Portrait mode when possible but make sure it doesn’t blur the edges of certain objects in the frame, such as glasses;
• Make use of the grid lines that you can add on most phones. These help you use the rule of thirds to frame your photos;

Wrapping up

Learning how to take pictures of food for your menu might seem complicated, but it’s achievable with a bit of work and a small initial investment. We hope the tips and advice above will help you shoot mouth-watering photos of your food, so you can attract more customers to your restaurant.

Remember that investing money in a photoshoot for your dishes will pay off long term. With an initial investment in a camera, accessories, and props, you can take photos not just for your menu, but for your social media and other marketing materials too.