Food Photography for McDonald's Burgers: Techniques and Practices

This presentation analyses the career path of food photography in the hospitality industry, specifically for McDonald's burgers. It showcases mind maps, mood boards, and visual presentations of food photographs, as well as secondary research on burger ingredients, lighting effects, and props used to create attractive and mouth-watering images. The presentation emphasizes the importance of creativity, brainstorming, and key practices in food deliveries, and provides insights into the different types of burgers offered by McDonald's. The final design outcome features a burger photographed with great lighting and saturation effects, and a focus on the burger details and portrait background.

Investigation specialist
Practices

INTRODUCTION
This presentation aims to analyse the career path which is hospitality industry and the field is
food photography. In the current time of social media, photography plays and important role in
order to promote effective delivery of the services and products. This presentation will showcase
the mind maps, mood boards and visual presentation of the food photographs (Okpara, 2022).
There will be presentation of on skills and capabilities in food deliveries. There is requirement of
the key practices like creativity and brainstorming to show the attractiveness of the industry. The
chefs are the one who make efforts in presenting food with great designs and serving techniques.
Therefore, this presentation will showcase the beauty and deliciousness captured by own self.
The chosen theme and research will be conducted on burgers on McDonalds.

Step 3 Mind map 1
Hospitality business
management
Burgers
Burger
ingredients
Burger
quality
Burger
size
Burger
buns
McDo
nalds
Local burger
market
Street
shops
Comp
etition
Different
types of
burger
Burger
with
chesses
Veg
an,
Vegetari
an,
chicken
Fiesta

Step 4: Mood board 1

Step 5: secondary research:
Sep 5: Final mind map
The photography is taken at the time of sunlight
review which makes the burger ingredients clear and
appropriately visible. The camera used is of high
quality that will shot the best angle picture. The
lightening, shadow and lines are effectively visible
to give it a nice colour popup.The theme
chosen for this
picture is to
eliminate the
background
and all the
concentration
put on the
burger. The
product has
kept at the
wide angel
which
showcase all
the
ingredients.
The lightening
effect gives
the picture a
unique
brightness.
The
background
and upside
colour chosen
is red.
I used flat lay
shooting technique
in which all the
predicts is kept in
the flat and single
surface. It gives it a
fine and clean look
of the picture. The
photograph can be
taken from above in
this technique but it
depends on the food
category. So, to
show all the
ingredients of
burger and a nice
combination of
fries, the shot is
taken from straight.
The main focus put on eliminating unnecessary background
and spaces which dilute the concentration from the product.
Therefore, the technique used here is to not include any
additional props just to flaunt the delicious burger with fries
(Suzuki, Kanari, and Sato, 2022). To add the lightning effect,
tools such as metal squares to give it a sun lightening effect
on some areas and other remain as it is.

Step 6: Final mind map
Burger photography
Lightnin
g-
Camer
a
effects
Bright
ness-
Angle
warm
saturati
on,
vintage
dark,
sun, natur
al
no
mi
nal,
fla
t
lig
ht
ring
light
90
12
0
rot
ate

Step 7: Research
The product photography
involves the use of visual
presentation of the Burger and
fries of McDonalds. The them
used to take this picture is to give
it a saturation effect to make more
clarity of all the product elements.
This will analyse the key
consideration (Wijanarto, 2020).
This photography is taken as for
the use of promotion as a
marketing technique.
The picture will be taken through
good lightening and camera
focused to make it look more
contrasting and brightening. this
makes it unique for the McDonalds
to make it visible on their website.
The tools and props used for make
the picture of quality focused. The
major attraction put in the picture
is the downside surface to give it a
pamphlet and kept the burger, fries
and cold drink. It looks delicious
and mouth-watering which will
attract customer interest.
The coke and fries used in this
picture is to make the picture fulfil
to attain most satisfactory image.
Therefore, the picture is taken with
best effect of natural lightening.
Another over light and excess of
the lightening will make it
overrated. Taking photos with
multiple angles gives a best shot in
creating the best background shot.
By minimising clutter and
additional ingredients, the use of
best practice is necessary.

Step 8: Final mood board

Step 9: key reference images
Figure 1: Big Mac burger.
Source: <https://www.businessinsider.com/i-went-to-a-mcdonalds-factory-and-saw-how-the-
burgers-are-really-made-2018-10?IR=T#the-guenzburg-factory-is-one-of-the-largest-of-osi-one-
of-the-biggest-suppliers-of-hamburgers-for-mcdonalds-1>
Figure 2: burger with fries and add on
Own response: This picture is taking through
the right straight angle. It gives a clear yet
finishing look of the burger. It shows a great
creative sight of mouth-watering situation
(Lavine, and Bartholomew, 2019). By making it
a close review, the cheese, mozzarella and
chicken mac with vegetables makes it tasty by
just seeing. It gives a feeling of having a burger
in a day which keeps the stress away.
This picture is taken with a great lightening effect
and with a unique rotating angle. It adds right
amount of added substances to give it a finer and
fuller look. This looks good with boxes and fries
lying on the tray. This shows a feeling of getting
the taste of products with added sauces. In my
opinion, this picture will more look food if taken
through 90-degree angle as it will cover overall
products detail. The burger looks great with an
extra upper angle. The creativity shows here the
portraits effect on the backgrounds and corners
that contrasting focus totally on the food materials.

Source: https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/financing/mcdonalds-franchisees-want-make-
their-smaller-menu-permanent>
Figure 3: Signature burger
Source: https://www.marketingweek.com/how-mcdonalds-is-shifting-quality-perceptions-with-
its-premium-burger-launch
Tis picture gives a creative insight of the new
McDonalds burger in order to improvise their
brad image. The picture is taken with a great
technique of setting an angle though holding the
box in hand (Paker, 2022). It shows all the
ingredients present which provides an insight to
the customer about the materials being used in it.
This show the relevant functioning of the camera
role and background effect. This seems interesting
to give it a nice lookout. It captures the art and
cosmos effect of the photo to design and create
the picture in much attractive way. In my opinion,
this picture could get the best short in the black
background to put concentration on the product
name as well for audience convenience.

Step 10: Statement of intent
This statement reflects own work and understating about the career path and area of interest.
Through analysing various types of burgers provided by the McDonalds, it has been clear that a
perfect photograph matters a lot in attracting customers towards the company. The picture shows
the ability to give it more attractive look which will help in customer decisions. It has identified
that, there are many types of burgers and McDonalds offer a wide variety of the product offering.
Therefore, in order to specify as being the best intent of looking for the photographs. In
hospitality sector, burgers are provided in many varieties which is based on vegetarians on
chicken. It also has varieties such vegetable, cheese mac, chicken frigate, charcoal burgers and
many other categories (Kalantzis, 2019). This reflects on the working activity of completing the
final design. Every hospitality firm needs good promotional pictures to create an interesting
portfolio of their food menu. It makes the main criteria of working that shows how the picture
makes it more feasible with great lightening, colours and background to give it classy and fine
aesthetic look.

Step 11: Final design outcome
This picture is clicked through very
nominal lightening effect in order to
take the best outcome to show the
burger details. The whole picture is
made through adjusting burgers on
side by side.
The objects which are used for the
necessary elements to show up the
portrait background in the picture. In the
background, the focus is mainly on blur
image to give a fine look of the picture
in more creative and perfect way.
The great lightening and saturation effect
made a mixture of great piece of art
(Wachyuni, Wiweka, and Softia, 2021). In
relation to the creative purpose of the
related activities for checking, angle
setting and using the product in more
attractive way.
This food photography specifies the thematic
look of burgers. It makes a person starving for
having it by showing its tasty ingredients. The
photograph can get a decent look to the very
well way to promote the objectives. It shows
how to create a key level of understanding and
the lookout for keeping it nominal yet classy
and bold.

Step 12: Evaluation
 How did the mind maps and mood boards help you to develop your ideas?
There are activities which help me in setting mind maps and mood boards. These tools helped
me to brainstorm ideas from a theme or word. I can improve my photographs through seeing
online burger. I get to know about the effect of mood boards on overall project.
 What part of this project if any did not work well for you?
There are some parts which did not went well which are presenting the mind map and mood
boards. It requires creativity but ii fid difficulty in making it.
 How did the research and investigation effect your final design outcome?
In final design delivery, the research has helped to find the ideas to click pictures and set a
creative theme for attracting audience.

Bibliography
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Review. Advances in Enzyme Research, 10(1), pp.23-47.
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Wijanarto, Z.M., 2020. WORD FORMATION OF INDONESIAN TOURISM IN NATIONAL
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Lavine, J. and Bartholomew, B., 2019. Lighting for Photographers: An Introductory Guide to
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Paker, S., 2022. A yacht charter holiday. In International Case Studies in Tourism Marketing (pp.
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Kalantzis, K., 2019. Tradition in the Frame: Photography, Power, and Imagination in Sfakia,
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. [online] Available through: <>