The challenges of food photography and social media
One of the challenges faced by all content creators that work in the food and hospitality industry is how to present the dishes so lovingly created in the kitchen so that they look appealing and memorable online to your audience. And much like trends that come and go on the pass, those who have the role of capturing these engaging images are bombarded with techniques that look “over-cooked” production-wise with unnatural lighting and angles right above the dishes to the point where the image becomes disconnected from the dish.
The creation of a dish has a complex and passionate journey from the producer to the plate, and a key point in that journey is the decision made by the kitchen in how they want to present the dish to the diner – the structure, the placement of a garnish, the contrasts between textures, the play of light across a sauce, all of these conscious decisions made to invoke a particular response from the diner. You eat with your eyes first, and this is all the more true when presenting your food on social media.
The vast majority of my food photos and videos stem from my desire to take the art of the kitchen – either produce, process or presentation, in a way that allows the viewer an insight into the journey from the perspective of the chef. When the image becomes about the photo rather than the food, then who benefits?
Morel, oyster mushroom and coco bean salad with tomato and sweet herbs…
A post shared by Moro (@restaurantmoro) on
For more examples of food photography in social media see KDDM. If you lovingly prepare food at your restaurant, but need someone who can capture that love in photos then let’s talk.