Part two in a series of Must-Have Shots for Restaurant Photography from the perspective of a San Diego food photographer. Your best-selling dish is a powerhouse on your menu. It’s the item customers order most often, the one they rave about, and the dish that keeps them coming back. But to truly maximize its impact, you need professional food photography.
Why Your Best-Selling Dish Deserves Professional Food Photography: As a San Diego restaurant photographer, I have seen how investing in professional photography for your best-seller can transform it into a powerful marketing tool that attracts even more customers. Even if this dish already has plenty of user-generated content on Yelp and Instagram, you’ll want high-resolution, professionally styled photos for your website, online ordering platforms, and press materials. A well-lit, expertly composed image ensures your best-seller always looks its best.
Why Photograph Your Best-Selling Dish?
- Increases Customer Trust – People like to know what to expect. A high-quality, professional image ensures your dish looks appetizing and true to what they’ll be served.
- Enhances Your Online Presence – Whether it’s your website, delivery platforms, or social media, a stunning photo of your best-seller will make a lasting impression.
- Encourages More Orders – A mouthwatering image taps into the psychology of cravings, making it irresistible for customers to choose your most popular item.
- Sets You Apart from the Competition – If a similar dish is available elsewhere, having the best, most visually appealing image can tip the scales in your favor.
How to Make Your Best-Seller Stand Out in Photos
✔ Perfect the Plating – Presentation is everything. A professional food photographer understands that even the smallest details can make a big impact on the final image. They pay close attention to the edges of bowls and plates, ensuring they are clean and free of spills or smudges, which can be distracting in photos. Additionally, they consider the best angle and orientation for each dish—whether it’s a slight tilt to showcase layers in a sandwich, a top-down view for a beautifully plated salad, or a close-up of a sauce drizzle cascading over a dish. Every choice is intentional, from adjusting portion placement to enhancing symmetry, ensuring the dish looks its best so it can increase brand awareness and drive sales.
✔ Showcase the Ingredients – Highlighting the freshness and quality of the key components to entice customers. A good restaurant photographer knows when to have a salad re-tossed or ask for more cheese to freshen up a dish during a shoot. A good restaurant photographer knows when to have a salad re-tossed or ask for more cheese to freshen up a dish during a shoot.
✔ Capture Different Angles – A top-down shot might show the full composition, while a close-up highlights textures and details. Each dish has an ideal angle that best showcases its appeal, and a professional food photographer knows how to capture it. Generally, a 45-degree angle often works best for plated entrées, providing depth and dimension while keeping key ingredients in focus. A professional photographer also has the right lenses and equipment to achieve both intimate close-ups and wide-angle shots. A macro lens can highlight the fine details of a dish, such as the delicate layers of a pastry or the sheen of a perfectly cooked steak. While a wider lens allows for capturing the full table spread which makes an inviting, lifestyle-driven composition.
✔ The Right Lighting – Good lighting makes colors pop and enhances the dish’s natural appeal. Catching highlights and dodging glare is a balancing act that food photographers engage in. The way light interacts with food can make or break a photograph. A professional food photographer understands how to manipulate lighting to bring out the best features of a dish—whether it’s the sheen of juicy meat, the layers of a flaky pastry crust, or the vibrant hues of a fresh salad. Catching highlights and dodging glare is a delicate balancing act that requires expertise. Too much direct light can create harsh shadows or unwanted reflections, especially on glossy surfaces like soups, sauces, or glazed ingredients. On the other hand, flat or insufficient lighting can make food look dull and unappetizing. A skilled photographer knows how to bounce, diffuse, and reflect light to maintain depth and texture while ensuring every detail is visible and enticing.
✔ Tell a Story – Show the dish in action, whether it’s plated beautifully in a restaurant setting or being enjoyed by a customer. For example, an overhead (flat lay) shot is perfect for displaying a spread of dishes and helps to showcase the breadth of a menu while encouraging larger orders by highlighting complementary items together.
Ready to Elevate Your Restaurant Photography?
Your best-selling dish is already a customer favorite—let’s make sure it’s photographed in a way that attracts even more diners and increases sales.
Check out my San Diego restaurant photography services to enhance your brand.
Stay tuned for the next blog in this series, which explains why a key choice can pay for the photos with the profits it drives. >>> Boosting Restaurant Profits with High-Margin Dish Photography
If you’re ready to book a San Diego food photography session and make your best-seller shine, let’s chat!
leave a comment