This post is by SmartBlog on Restaurants and Restaurant SmartBrief contributor Janet Forgrieve.
Chefs understand the importance of touching more senses than just taste with each dish. Perfecting the art of presentation is a vital part of the culinary learning process, and it’s an art that will never go out of style. When it comes to photographic presentation, though, styles seem to be changing even as food photography moves from magazine pages and menus to websites and foodie blogs.
One restaurant chain is going completely au natural in its new campaign. Domino’s is forgoing photo styling in favor of real pizza pictures, and the chain has even launched a contest asking customers to send in their own pizza photos for the chance to win $500 and a spot in a future advertisement. The pizza chain sees the switch as a move toward greater authenticity in its advertising, one that illustrates its “What you see is what you get” philosophy when it comes to the food.
Even on big-budget food photo shoots, stylists, photographers and food journalists are focused on creating art that’s more realistic and less perfect than in days past, according to last week’s Wall Street Journal. Tricks such as using Vaseline to hold perfectly molded dishes in place have largely fallen by the wayside in favor of realistic — but still mouth-watering — shots that aren’t afraid to show a few crumbs. The shift comes as consumers crave more authenticity in their meals, a greater understanding of where their food comes from, and a deeper desire to find organic produce and artisan meats and cheeses on their plates, one expert told the Journal.
Serious food bloggers know the power of depicting delicious-looking dishes in all their glory, and they’ve been perfecting their own digital food photography with varying degrees of success for several years. Smitten Kitchen blogger Deb Perelman’s passion for food comes through in the luscious shots that accompany each recipe, and the successful site even includes a section on her approach to food photography, complete with specifics on lighting and the types of cameras used.
Photos showing at least a few mouth-watering dishes are a must on any restaurant website, to give potential guests a sense of both the eatery’s atmosphere and the type of food they’ll find there, says Denver photographer Jessica Grenier, whose portfolio includes a sizable section of food and restaurant shots.
“Quality photos always differentiate people from any competition,” Grenier says. “Anyone can take a photo of food, but to make the food look juicy and delicious, and to make viewers hungry is a different beast. Viewers recognize when they see a beautiful photo of food and it therefore sells the food.”
More from Grenier on the art of shooting food:
On changing styles
There has been a definite change in the style of food photography clients want lately. It is less propping and what I would call “over styling.” Styling is still an essential part of the process though. A food stylist is an absolute necessity on most food shoots. They bring an asset to the table that makes the photos transform from a beautiful photo to beautiful food in a beautiful photo. I’d say, even though the shots take the same amount of time to produce, the style is going a bit more editorial and less contrived.
Amateurs vs. pros
The market for food photography for professionals is always out there. As far as it growing for amateurs, I’m sure it is, especially with all of the technology in camera equipment. However, there is a big difference between a quick shot of food and a stylized photo.
On the difference between photographing food and people
It’s completely different. I wouldn’t say one is harder than the other. In my opinion, food photography is more meticulous and patient work and people photography is more whimsical and storytelling.
For more examples of the essential role pictures play in restaurants’ online marketing efforts, take a look at Inspiration Time’s Delicious Showcase of 30 Restaurant Websites.
Have you found new ways to use food photos in your restaurant marketing efforts? Let us know about it!
Vasko via iStock
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As a restaurant marketing and web specialist for 125 independent restaurants across the USA, we know that appetizing food and quality restaurant space photos influence online customers decision to go to a restaurant.
Our approach is to create restaurant web sites that are so visually appealing that they make you hungry and motivated to see the restaurant for yourself. We have local food photographers who understand how to convey the energy and style of each restaurant through skilled lighting and keen design eye. Amateur photography lack these vital skills. Online customers are looking for restaurant web sites that "wow" them with a visual style that matches the dining experience they are in the mood for. Poor food photography and lackluster restaurant web experience will only motivate customers to move on to other online dining choices.
Customers also expect restaurant web sites to be as fresh as the ingredients in the meals so older restaurant web sites benefit in updating the food photos every year or so.
Great food and restaurant photography often drive our design approach providing us with visual and textural elements that make our web sites remain fresh and enticing for years to come. On our restaurant web site ( http://www.restaurant-web-design.com ), prospective customers often prefer web sites that are several years old because the photography is so strong and works so well with web design.
For certain good photography and good web design influence restaurant customer's dining choices.