If you run a restaurant, you know how important it is to market to the senses of your customers. Someone walking past you on the street may be enticed by the delicious flavours emanating from your establishment, for example. While this is great, it also pays to consider your online presence. If you have a Facebook page, a website, or appear on a takeaway site, you need to think about the other senses; predominantly sight.
Taking professional-grade pictures is not something you can do with your iPhone; it requires specialist equipment and knowledge plus a keen creative eye to produce an end-result, which truly converts and paints your dishes in the best light possible. In this article, we’ll explain why you should hire a professional rather than taking your own food photographs.
#1: Do You Have All the Equipment?
Probably not, and that is exactly why it’s always a better idea to hire a professional. This person will not only have a high-grade camera and the right lenses to take the best pictures possible, but they will also have a whole host of other pieces of equipment, including screens, photo-editing software, and lighting equipment that will make your food look as delicious on screen as it does in person.
Taking good pictures is not simply a case of pointing a camera at something and pressing a button. Often, the process doesn’t end when a picture has been taken. It will usually need to be edited to deliver a good end-result. Can you do this? Probably not as well as a professional. For an idea in the quality of the pictures that will be delivered by a professional, just take a look at the food and drink portfolio from Howlett Photography which have not only been taken at a high standard, but also edited to give them added impact.
Figure 1 Photo from howlettphoto.com
#2: Do You Have the Experience?
When you pay for a photographer you are paying for their experience. It’s not all about the flashy and expensive gear; it’s knowing how to use it.
When you hire a professional then you are paying for solid experience and knowledge from somebody who has earned their stripes in the industry. Being a photographer requires a high technical acuity, something which is second nature to them. Where possible, try and hire someone who has experience with food photography in particular. They will know all the tricks of the trade and be able to help bring your dishes to life.
#3: Product Images are Necessary
Before a customer decides to eat at your establishment, they’ll want to know what to expect! While many restaurants take photographs of their dining area and kitchen (and so you should), many use stock photos for their menu. If you can demonstrate to a potential customer that you are committed to quality by taking time to create compelling product images, then this will have a lasting impact and draw people towards you.
Although your phone probably has a good camera, especially if you’ve got the swish new iPhone X, it’s not something which can match the quality and visual acuity of proper equipment used by a seasoned professional with years’ worth of food photography-related experience. Your images show potential customers exactly what they are getting – not having any will harm your sales.
