Restaurant managers keen on leveraging the power of food photography to enhance their establishment’s appeal and drive business often have various questions. Here are some common ones we get asked often:
- Why is food photography important?
- Visual appeal drives appetites. Good food photos can attract customers and enhance marketing efforts both online and in-store. Mouthwatering photos not only drive business, but help the customer see exactly what they should be getting when they order.
- How can professional food photography boost my restaurant’s sales or brand image?
- Professional photos can elevate perceived value, encouraging visits and sharing on social media. Hiring a professional also allows you as a restaurant manager to be influenced by another perspective that can further empower and enhance your perspective and brand.
- What’s the difference between using a professional photographer and taking photos with a smartphone?
- Professionals offer better equipment, expertise, and post-processing, ensuring higher quality. Save the smartphone pictures for your customer’s reviews.
- How often should I update the photographs, especially if we have seasonal menus?
- You should update your photos with seasonal menu changes or at least annually, especially across your online presence. You might even consider blogging on your site using these updated images, timing your posts such that you cover your whole menu during the gap between your anticipated seasonal photo shoots.
- How can I best prepare the dishes for a photo shoot? Should they be made differently than when served to customers?
- Prioritize presentation, but keep it close to the served version. Just as with any product, if the finished product delivered to the customer looks much different from the photos, trust can be impacted.
- How long does a typical food photography session last?
- A few hours to a full day, depending on the menu size. We are happy to work around your schedule, and your customer volume, but do need the cooperation of your staff to be efficient and keep things moving.
- What are the rights and usage policies when working with a professional photographer? Can I use these images forever?
- This is covered in our contracts; and generally we allow usage by the purchasing entity in perpetuity, but require third parties to contact us directly for third-party image usage.
- How can I incorporate our restaurant’s branding or theme into the food photography?
- Integrate brand colors, logo, or ambiance elements subtly in photos. Don’t overdo it, but. do customize to your restaurant’s look and feel.
- What post-processing or editing is typically done on food photographs?
- Typically includes color correction, cropping, and brightness/contrast adjustments. We always try to shoot true-to-life colors, unless the specific project requires something a bit different.
- How can I gauge the ROI (Return on Investment) from investing in professional food photography?
- Monitor increased bookings, website traffic, and social media engagement post-upload. Some of your ROI will be observed in likes, comments and shares, while some of the return is observed directly in sales increases and customer visits/reviews.
