Restaurant Food Photo Guide

Quick Answer Great food photos make dishes look appetizing and drive orders. Key principles: use natural or soft directional light (never flash), shoot at 45 degrees or directly overhead, style plates with garnishes and props before shooting, correct white balance so food colors are accurate, and clean up any table clutter. Most restaurants need photos for four channels: printed menus, Google Business, social media, and delivery apps.

Lighting for Food Photography

Lighting makes or breaks food photography. The wrong light makes food look gray, greasy, or unappetizing. The right light makes it glow. Natural window light is the gold standard for food photography. Position the dish near a large window with indirect sunlight. The light should come from the side or behind the food (backlighting creates beautiful translucency in drinks, sauces, and thin foods). Avoid direct flash. Camera flash flattens food, creates harsh reflections on sauces and glazes, and washes out color. If you must shoot in a dark restaurant, use a continuous LED panel bounced off a white surface. For consistent results across your entire menu, set up a dedicated photo spot in your restaurant near the best window. Shoot during the same time of day for consistent light. Use a white foam board as a reflector on the shadow side of the dish to fill in dark areas. If natural light isn't available (basement kitchens, evening shoots), use two softbox lights or ring lights at 45-degree angles. The goal is soft, even light that shows food texture without harsh shadows.

Find your best window

Large window with indirect light. Side or back lighting. Avoid direct sun that creates harsh shadows.

Use a reflector

White foam board or paper on the shadow side bounces fill light under the dish.

Never use flash

Direct flash kills food appeal. Continuous soft light or natural light only.

Angles and Composition for Food

Two angles work for most dishes. The 45-degree angle (camera at dining height, tilted down slightly) mimics how a diner sees the plate. This works for tall dishes: burgers, stacked pancakes, drinks, salads with height. The overhead/flat-lay angle (camera directly above) works for flat or spread-out dishes: pizza, sushi platters, bowls, charcuterie boards, and table spreads. It also works great for social media where the overhead look is popular. Some dishes benefit from a low, eye-level angle: layered cakes (shows the layers), burgers (shows the filling), and drinks (shows the glass and garnish). Composition rules: the dish should fill most of the frame. Leave some breathing room but don't include half the table. Use the rule of thirds, placing the main dish slightly off-center. Props add context: utensils, napkins, a hand reaching in, scattered ingredients, a drink beside the plate. But don't overdo it. The food is the star; props are supporting actors.

45 degrees for tall food

Burgers, drinks, stacked dishes. Camera at eye level, tilted down slightly.

Overhead for flat food

Pizza, platters, bowls, table spreads. Camera directly above looking down.

Fill the frame

The dish should dominate the image. Include just enough context (table, utensil) without distracting.

Food Styling Basics for Restaurants

Professional food stylists exist for a reason: how food is arranged on the plate matters enormously in photos. But you don't need a professional. A few basic techniques make a big difference. Freshness matters. Photograph food immediately after plating. Lettuce wilts, sauces congeal, ice cream melts, steam disappears. Have your camera ready before the dish comes out. Garnish intentionally. A sprinkle of fresh herbs, a drizzle of sauce, a few crumbs on the plate, a lemon wedge. These small touches add color, texture, and visual interest. But don't over-garnish. It should look like something you'd actually serve. Clean the plate edges. Wipe any drips or smears from the rim before shooting. A messy plate rim looks careless. Use a paper towel or clean cloth. Use complementary colors. Green herbs on red sauce, yellow lemon on blue plate, dark chocolate on white plate. Color contrast draws the eye. Portions look better slightly smaller than normal. Full-to-the-brim plates look messy in photos. Plate slightly less than you'd serve to allow the presentation to breathe. Shiny surfaces sell: brush a light coat of oil on grilled items to enhance the grill marks. Spray water on salads for freshness. A little oil on wood surfaces adds warmth.

Shoot immediately

Food looks best in the first 30 seconds after plating. Have your setup ready.

Garnish with purpose

Fresh herbs, sauce drizzle, citrus wedge. Color contrast and texture.

Clean plate edges

Wipe drips from the rim. A clean plate frame makes the food look more appetizing.

Editing Food Photos

Even well-shot food photos benefit from editing. The goal is to make the food look as appetizing as it does in person, compensating for what the camera fails to capture. White balance is critical. Restaurant lighting is often warm (incandescent, candles) which makes food look orange/yellow. Correct white balance so white plates look white and food colors are accurate. In AI tools: 'fix the white balance and make the plate white.' Contrast and vibrance: slightly increase contrast to make food textures pop. A small vibrance boost enhances color without making food look artificial. Avoid oversaturation, which makes food look synthetic. Remove distracting elements: stray crumbs on the table (unless intentional), fingerprints on glasses, a stained napkin, the neighboring table's mess in the background. AI handles this quickly: 'remove the crumbs from the table' or 'clean up the background.' Sharpen appropriately: food texture should be crisp and detailed. Steam, sauce drizzle, and grill marks should all be visible. Apply light sharpening focused on the food, not the background. Don't change the food's actual appearance. You can correct color, enhance lighting, and clean the environment, but don't add ingredients that aren't there, change portion sizes, or dramatically alter what the dish looks like. Customers should recognize their order from the photo.

Correct white balance

Food should show its true colors. White plates should be white, not yellow or blue.

Enhance texture

Slight contrast and sharpness boost. Grill marks, sauce glossiness, and herb detail should pop.

Clean the scene

Remove distractions from the table and background. Keep focus on the food.

Photos for Printed Menus

Printed menu photos need to be high resolution and look good at small sizes. Many restaurants use thumbnail images next to menu items. Shoot at the highest resolution your camera allows. Print requires 300 DPI minimum. A menu thumbnail printed at 2x2 inches needs at least 600x600 pixels, but shoot much larger for cropping flexibility. Consistency is essential for menus. All food photos should have similar lighting, background, and style. Shoot your entire menu in one session or over a few days with the same setup. Inconsistent photos (some bright, some dark, different backgrounds) look unprofessional. Use a consistent background: solid white, dark slate, wood, or your restaurant's actual plate. Pick one and stick with it across the entire menu. For printed menus, slightly higher contrast and saturation look better because printing dulls colors. What looks slightly oversaturated on screen often looks perfect in print. Provide your printer with CMYK-converted files at 300 DPI. RGB-to-CMYK conversion can shift colors. Request a proof before the full print run.

Shoot high resolution

300 DPI minimum for print. Shoot larger than needed for cropping flexibility.

Maintain consistency

Same background, lighting, and style for every dish. Shoot entire menu in one session.

Prepare for print

Slightly boost contrast. Convert to CMYK. Request a proof from your printer.

Photos for Google Business, Social Media, and Delivery Apps

Each digital platform has different requirements and audiences. Google Business Profile: your most important digital presence after your website. Upload at least 10 food photos plus interior and exterior shots. Google displays these prominently in local search and Maps. Optimal size: 720x720 to 2048x2048 pixels. Update seasonally as your menu changes. Instagram: 1080x1080 pixels (square) or 1080x1350 (portrait, gets more screen space). Instagram's algorithm favors engaging content. Close-up detail shots, behind-the-scenes kitchen footage, and plating videos perform well. Use hashtags and location tags. DoorDash, Uber Eats, Grubhub: these platforms auto-crop your images. Upload square photos (1200x1200 minimum) centered on the food. The thumbnail is tiny, so the dish needs to be recognizable even at small sizes. Bright, high-contrast photos stand out in crowded delivery app feeds. Facebook: 1200x630 for link previews, 1080x1080 for posts. Less visual-focused than Instagram but important for events, specials, and community engagement. For all platforms: consistent branding across channels. If your Instagram looks warm and rustic, your Google Business photos should match. Consistency builds recognition.

Google Business: 10+ quality photos

Food, interior, exterior. 720px minimum. Update seasonally.

Instagram: 1080px square or portrait

Close-ups, detail shots, and behind-the-scenes content. Visually rich.

Delivery apps: bright and centered

Square format, 1200px+. Food must be recognizable at tiny thumbnail size.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I take good food photos with my phone?

Use natural window light from the side, clean the lens, tap to focus on the food, and avoid zoom. Shoot in portrait mode for shallow depth of field. Edit white balance and increase contrast slightly afterward. Modern phones produce excellent food photos.

What background works best for food photography?

Dark surfaces (slate, dark wood, black marble) make colorful food pop. Light surfaces (white marble, light wood) feel fresh and airy. Match the background to your restaurant's brand. Consistency matters more than the specific choice.

How do I make food look shiny and appetizing in photos?

Brush a thin layer of oil on grilled and roasted items. Spray water on salads and produce for freshness. Use backlight or side light to create highlights on glossy surfaces. Shoot immediately after plating while steam and gloss are at their peak.

Should I hire a food photographer?

For your core menu and marketing materials, professional photography is worth the investment ($300-1000 for a half-day shoot). For weekly specials, social media content, and seasonal updates, learn to shoot consistent photos yourself. The combination covers all needs.

How often should I update restaurant photos?

Update whenever the menu changes significantly. Refresh seasonal items quarterly. Google Business benefits from regular new photos. Social media needs fresh content weekly. Budget one photo session per quarter at minimum.

Can AI fix badly lit food photos?

AI can improve exposure, correct white balance, and enhance colors. It can brighten dark photos and reduce warm color casts. However, it can't add dimension that flat lighting missed. Starting with decent lighting and fixing in AI gives the best results.

What file format should I use for food photos?

JPEG at 85-90% quality for web and social media. PNG if you need transparency (food on transparent background for menu design). RAW for maximum editing flexibility if shooting with a camera. Phones typically save JPEG or HEIC (convert HEIC to JPEG for uploading).

How do I remove a messy background from food photos?

AI background removal works well for food: 'remove the background and replace with dark wood texture' or 'remove the cluttered background and make it soft and blurred.' For existing photos with distracting backgrounds, this is faster than reshooting.

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