Being a food photographer is literally my dream job! I love nothing more than visiting new places, trying new things and coming up with creative ideas with new clients.
A few years ago we were invited by Spitfire Barbecue to photograph their new refurbishment of their fantastic restaurant designed by Simple Simon. We got some incredible shots for them! The restaurant is situated on the Bristol harbor-side which makes it the perfect spot for lunch or dinner. It’s a personal favorite of Chris’s!
So when I was invited back recently to photograph their delicious food I was delighted as you can imagine. We always like to meet up with clients prior to a shoot to plan our session as it allows us the opportunity to discuss the menu and prioritise the dishes that are most important. It also allows plenty of time to source props to style the dishes appropriately. It’s worth thinking about what drinks and sides you might serve with your dishes and maybe source some fresh ingredients that feature in the recipes.
Don't Forget The Props!
Try and get everything ready well before your shoot, collect wooden boards, rustic plates, polish the cutlery, iron the linen and source fresh unmarked marketing material like menus and brochures that feature the company logo as we might be able to sneak a few into pictures! And lastly explore Pinterest, Instagram and Google to see if you can see any images that inspire you to share your vision with us! It all helps us to get the best from your session. On this occasion I was spoiled for choice as Spitfire has everything you could need for a great photo shoot, a variety of accessories from spicy sauces with vintage labels, beaten wooden boards and a new one on me, butchers paper that Billy the owner was keen on featuring.
Natural Light is so important!
Lastly we look at possible locations, is there sufficient light in the restaurant, do we need backdrops? I always favour natural light for food photography, taken in the context of where the dishes are being served ideally.
Natural light is always the most flattering and luckily Spitfire Barbeque has an abundance of of it and an impressive interior to boot! Personally I’m not keen on food that looks like it has been photographed in a studio. I want our images to allow you to imagine yourself sitting in the context of where the food is being served, soaking up the atmosphere, evoking the flavours and the experience of actually tasting the food as best we can.
We try and create versatile images for you that can be used for multiples uses from social media to publications so variety is key. I feel we really succeeded in capturing the mood and feel of Spitfire Barbecue. I’m really hoping that we can visit again soon, hopefully to eat this time!