We’ve all heard the phrase, “A picture is worth a thousand words,” and when it comes to professional food photography, it’s a good idea to give a nod to that saying.
Professional food photography will take your branding and marketing from average to awesome and can help increase sales and new customers.
Food photography has the ability to appeal to the consumers’ emotions, making them stop, look, and want to taste. Usually this is an action that the human body can’t ignore!
So, we’ve pulled together a few thoughts that speak to why we, at Nice Branding Agency, wholeheartedly believe that food photography is worth the time and money, along with a few notes to consider if you’re going to invest in food photography.
Professional Food Photography Tip One: The Results Exceed the Sacrifice
One of the biggest fears of food photography is the cost. Yes, the initial investment can be pricey, but the long-term benefits FAR exceed the initial cost.
It has been proven over and over that great food photography is what draws customers in and ultimately drives sales.
When you compare a professional-quality photograph of a menu item next to a snapshot of unstaged food, it’s not rocket science to figure out which will make a selling statement.
Think about it — for a restaurant, food is the passion, the center, the core offering.
Therefore, showcasing the food is what you SHOULD be spending the most money on when considering promoting your restaurant.
We can almost guarantee that restaurants who have invested in professional photography have never regretted that decision.
Additionally, once the food photos are completed, think of all the places you will be able to use them. That initial investment starts to whittle itself to a more feasible cost after the photographs are plastered on all of your print ads, social posts, online ads, and menus.
Professional Food Photography Tip Two: But I Can Just Use My Phone
Many believe that food photography is not worth it simply because they can “just snap a decent photo with their phone” or basic point-and-shoot camera. Nope, no, stop, please.
You have all seen photos like this before right? Maybe on a restaurant’s website or social media?
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Do these type of blurry, dark, poorly positioned photos entice you to eat there, or do they generally turn you off right away? Probably the latter.
Leave the real images to your customers. Let them snap the photos with their phones and share them. As a restaurant owner, it’s your job to convey your food in the most enticing manner possible to enhance your restaurant branding.
Yes,we get it. You want to showcase the real thing, but with a little bit of creative direction, staging, and prop consideration, your food photography has the ability to extend your brand in enormous ways.
It’s not easy to get all the elements just right without a professional food photographer or food stylist. It’s their job to consider the food, the lighting, the colors, the angles, the props and on and on.
With all of these challenges, you can see that it takes a team to get gorgeous and appetizing food images. But it is so worth it, y’all!
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Professional Food Photography Tip Three: Give Those Images Legs
Not only do you have to think about composition, angles, lighting, color, etc., but your photos are what will visually represent your restaurant’s brand in print ads, online ads, social media posts, signage, menus, and so much more
Once you have those photos taken, they will be splashed all over everything to get the word out about your restaurant.
So, just like an ad or a menu, your food photography must display your brand personality and visual image. They should be very strong elements of your visual image and align with your overall brand direction.
If your brand is bright, colorful, and upbeat, then your food photography should reflect that. If your personality is classy, sophisticated, and traditional, then your food photography should say that.
Think about people who look up a restaurant online and all they have to influence their decision are photos of the food that tell them what the restaurant is all about.
What would you want those photos to say? You get the idea, right?
As a result, your food will literally speak for itself — and that’s the goal!
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Professional food photography may be your saving grace or that boost you need to take your business to the next level.
Even a small library of photos can be the best marketing tool you ever invest in, since they can be used in advertisements, social media posts, menus, etc.
Bottom line, food is food is food, right? So you need something to make your restaurant stand out, that speaks to who you are as a company, that presents to people the best of what you offer.
So now you have all of the info, which route will you go?
Have you poured your passion into your menu and created a concept that you’re excited to share with your customers?
Let us help showcase the heart of your venture in a way that captures that passion.
