What to Expect on the Day of Photography

We want everything to run as smooth as possible on the day of photography.

For this reason, we have added some guidelines that we have found helpful to give us both the most success. We want your establishment and your food to look as polished and professional as possible in the final images. Below are some suggestions that will help with that outcome.

Space and Setup Requirements

We’ll need an out-of-the-way area where we can shoot without being disturbed or disrupting your guests. This space should have access to electrical outlets for our equipment. Finding the right spot ensures we can work efficiently while your restaurant continues to operate smoothly.

Dining and Bar Area Presentation

For any shots of your dining or bar area, the space should be set as if you’re ready to welcome guests for lunch or dinner service—whichever you prefer to showcase. This means complete pre-service table settings with napkins, silverware, glassware, and any flowers or décor you typically use. The goal is to capture your restaurant looking polished and inviting, exactly as patrons would experience it when they arrive. These thoughtful details help tell the story of your dining experience and create that welcoming atmosphere in the photographs.

Staffing Needs

We’ll need access to one member of your wait staff to help facilitate communication with the chef, deliver plated dishes and garnishes, and appear in any lifestyle shots you’d like. These might include images of someone serving food or adding finishing touches—squeezing fresh lemon, pouring gravy, grating cheese, or similar actions.

The person you select should be comfortable being photographed. Typically, we’ll capture just their torso, hands, and forearms—no faces unless you request otherwise. Here’s why: the human brain is naturally drawn to faces first, and we want your customers to focus on the food. A partial figure keeps the image personable while ensuring the dish remains the star of the shot.

Please have this person wear pressed clothing and a pressed apron (if applicable), with trimmed, neat nails and either no nail polish or a neutral shade. Bright colors—reds, blues, hot pinks, greens, or holiday-themed nail art—can distract from the food and, in some cases, date the images to a specific season. Whether or not to show tattoos is entirely your call. For some restaurants, visible tattoos add to the ambience; for others, they may not be the right fit. It’s completely up to you and your brand.

Chef Portraits

Your chef should be available and willing to be photographed as well. We’ll capture a portrait of them in their working environment, and if they’re also the owner, we might shoot in the dining or bar area too. These will be ¾-length shots (roughly from the knees up). If we’re showcasing the restaurant with the chef in their element, we’ll use a wider-angle lens to include the surroundings.

Whenever possible, we prefer to shoot portraits first so everyone looks fresh and energized.

The Photography Process

Our images will follow the creative brief we’ve discussed in advance. We work tethered to our laptop, which allows you—the owner, manager, or marketing director—to review each image in real-time and approve it before we break down the set for the next dish. This ensures we’re aligned every step of the way.

Once approved, we’ll set up the next scene with the appropriate plates, utensils, serving dishes, and props. After we’re satisfied with the lighting and composition, we’ll give the chef a 5–10 minute heads-up that we’re ready for the next dish.

Plating Guidelines

Please have all dishes come to us without sauces, dressings, or final garnishes. If there’s grated cheese, powdered sugar, cinnamon, gravy, sauces, hot fudge, or ice cream to be added, we’ll need to plate those elements on set just before shooting. Hot fudge and gravy cool quickly, ice cream melts fast, and dressings can weigh down a salad if applied too early. Your food will photograph beautifully when these finishing touches are added at the last possible moment.

We’re happy to receive guidance on amounts and placement, and your server or chef is welcome to do the actual pour, sprinkle, or squeeze—as long as it happens right at the set. This timing makes all the difference in capturing your dishes at their absolute best.