Food Photography in Restaurant Hospitality - Desklib

Explore the importance of food photography in restaurant hospitality with Desklib's digital portfolio. Learn about techniques, visual research, and final design outcomes.

Investigative
Specialist Practice

Table of Content
• Introduction
• Mind map 1
• Initial Mood board 1
• Mind Map 2
• Specialism Visual Research Secondary
• Specialism Visual Research Secondary
• Specialism Visual Research Primary
• Specialism Visual Research Primary
• Final Mood Board
• 3 key reference images
• Statement of Intent
• Final Design Outcome
• Evaluation
• Bibliography

Introduction
• The present digital portfolio is based on the career pathway of Hospitality. Under this career
pathway, the selected concept is restaurant along with food photography as the area of
specialism.
• The hospitality industry specifically restaurant rely in exquisite food photography to
create promotional material for their establishments and make their food products look
appealing to the consumers.
• Finally, the focus of creative specialism which is food photography is Pizza express which
is the selected restaurant for this digital portfolio.
• The present digital portfolio utilizes various techniques such as mind mapping and creating
mood board to come up with final outcome focusing on food photography in restaurant
hospitality.

Mind map 1
Hospitality (BA HONS)
Restaurant
Digital
engagement
Quick staff
responsiveness
Great
Dining
Café
Restaurant
Fast Food
Restaurant
Role of
Photography
in restaurant
Restaurant
Department
Restaurant
Hospitality
Restaurant
Types
Building
trust and
credibility
Managerial
Department
Kitchen
Department
Bar
Tender
Delivery
Staff
Increasing sale of
food items
Making good
first impression
Restaurant
Photography
Creating
attractive
menu
Relationship
Building
Social
Media
Promotions
Print
Promotions

Initial Mood Board

Mind Map 2
Food
Photography
Recipe
Photography
Cook
Books
Food
Packaging
Dining Menus
Table
Scape
Shot
Editorial
Product
Photography
or pack shots
Close Up
shot
Usage of
food
photography
Types of Food
Photography
Restaurant food
photography practices
Restaurant
food
photography
shots
Full
Table
shots
Avoid
Negative
space
Soft
lighting
Highlight
Food
freshness
•

It is simple photograph of traditional food which
is taken from 90-degree angle that clearly show
all the food items and serving style. It focuses on
the capturing of shape and size of plating
containers which are different in shape and size
such as round, rectangle and circular board.
The usage of bright brown and
green colors in the form of plating
boards as well as coriander leaves
or chili make this image very
attractive and eye catching. This
improves the food photography in
contrast to stock images.
Usage of raw onion and cherry
tomato is enhanced the beauty of
plate as well as the way it present
is also give complement to the
food which is show the actual
traditional culture of food.
The different shape and design wooden board and
vegetables which is randomly placed on the table
increase the look of food as well as complement
the bowl of rice. along with various raw spices are
present in rectangle board which give the
traditional touch to the photograph. The extra
space between all containers which highlight in
white color improve the impact of photograph.
Specialism Visual Research- Secondary

Specialism Visual Research- Secondary
secondary objects and other natural
items are used to set a theme in
Food photograph. The use of flowers
with different color, spoon and fork,
wooden board for serving and black
small bowls which increase the
beauty of pizza.
natural light is used to make sure that the focus of the image and attention of the viewer
is on the main product which is pizza. This is effective for commercial purpose such as
promotion of pizza restaurant, café and hospitality establishment.
In this image or photograph the pizza looks fresh
and tasty which helps the restaurants to attract
large number of customers. There are various
other items which improve the presentation of
Pizza in front of customers like beautiful flower,
bowls with extra veggies. but there is lack of
some pizza ingredients like sauce, oregano and
chili flex which is essential to present the pizza in
right manner.

Specialism Visual Research- Secondary
The still life shot of pizza depicts the variety
of products available at the Pizza express
restaurant with the main focus on the primary
subject which are pizza. It is an effective still
shot of the image because it provides relevant
information about the products which makes
it fit for commercial hospitality usage.
The image is captured in natural lighting at the actual Pizza
Express Establishment which is the creative company selected
for the digital portfolio. Natural Lighting provides authentic
ambiance for food photography resulting in realistic images. It
is an overhead shot pointing downward at the subject of the
photography which are the products offered by the restaurant.
The extra props used in the photograph for
primary research make it interesting and
appealing as it creates a cohesive story about the
hospitality establishment Pizza Express.
The freshness of the pizza is clearly depicted in the
still photo which makes it suitable for interacting
with consumers visually. The usage of table scape
shot also makes the background of the image
interesting and lively. Table scape shots in food
photography involve arranging food objects and
props on a table and capturing still image.

Specialism Visual Research- Secondary
The decision to cover the action of cutting the pizza in the
image is to display the hospitality and welcoming nature of the
enterprise. In this way the consumer is able to know that staff
will assets them in cutting the pizza equally. This make it
suitable piece of food photography for hospitality
establishment as they highlight consumer service alongside the
food. Photography in the hospitality sector is mostly dedicated
to highlighting consumer service offered as it attract more
consumers and makes the place seem welcoming.
The image is detailed because
most of the image is covered by
the main food Pizza. This is
advantageous for hospitality food
and beverage establishments such
as Pizza express because it shows
the quality of the food clearly.
In this visual primary research, I have captured
till image of pizza from Pizza express with the
action of cutting the pizza with Pizza cutter. The
positive aspect of this image is that it looks
realistic and the inclusion of human element in
this image makes it more appealing to regular
consumers visiting hospitality dining
establishment. It gives of a sense of realness.
The depth of field in this photography focuses on the pizza
and hand cutting the Pizza through the Pizza cutter. Depth of
field refers to the distance between furthers and nearest
objects in front of camera under suitable sharp focus of the
camera. In this image the depth of field is lower than usual
to make the subject of Pizza and hand appear clear in the
foreground. Hence the eyes of the consumer visiting the
hospitality establishment directly focus on the Pizza instead
of any other object.

Final Mood Board

3 key reference images
Here natural lighting is used to capture the simple high angle
still image of pizza products. The triangle working technique
for food photography can be seen in this image as two food
dishes and pizza form a triangle. The close up shot provides
detailed image of each of the food dish which makes it useful
for hospitality usage. I believe that this image could have been
improved if the focus was on pizza and not the other two dishes
along with the pizza.

3 key reference images
The image is shot with artificial lighting and is carefully
curated to capture a perfectly prepared dining table at
restaurant. A human element picking up a food dish is also
shown which makes it look less staged and artificial. It is a
colorful image with variety of pizza dishes depicted in the
image. However, an improvement which could have
magnified the clarity of the image is by making the image
less cluttered and focusing on the main dish which is pizza
instead of side dished and objects.

3 key reference images
This is photograph is most appropriate for being used in
hospitality dining establishments. This is because it clearly
depicts the main food item with good details. The props create a
story of cutting the pizza as it includes a pizza cutter. It is an
inviting image influencing the consumer to try pizza of the
specific establishment. It can be improved by adding interior
background with shallow depth of field focusing on pizza.

The primary and secondary research
conducted on the food photography I have
learned about the different usage of food
photography in the hospitality industry.
While completing the final design outcome
I will keep in mind the different types of shots
such as table scape shot and angles which can be
used for preparing the final outcome.
Statement of Intent

Final Design Outcome This image is created after using the
different food photography techniques
which make the image more appealing.
The pizza is at the center of the frame so
that the focus of the consumer is directly
on the main product. The freshness of the
pizza is further highlighted with clear
photography.
The image is decorated with
props and side dishes which
make it suitable for
hospitality promotions as
wide range of products are
shown.
The brand napkin of pizza express is folded
nearby the huge pizza which draws attention to
the good service provided by the Hotel. The high
angle also makes every object be in frame
without stealing the focus from the main food
subject.
The image is example of good food
photography as there aren’t to many
object creating a cluttered space but
enough props to make the image look
interesting for consumers.

Evaluation
 How did the mind maps and mood boards help you to develop your ideas?
• The mind maps enable me to think creatively as well as organize my ideas in effective manner by conducting online research on restaurant
along with food photography.
• By this I can additional implement them in innovative mood boards which looks attractive and define the purpose of career pathway along
with defining the visual of the project. Both mood board and mind maps allow me to execute my ideas and creativity in actual sense with
various pictures.
 What part of this project if any did not work well for you?
• In my final design outcome, I found difficulties to use the advance photography methods such as rim lighting, Golden triangle composition
along with diagonal composition in systematic manner.
• This create my end result commercially applicable but it lacked artistic value.
• Along with I also unable to conduct research in order to collect secondary data for the project.
• It has been determined by me while working on this project I need to develop my skills to use the advance technology for aesthetic
photography which attract the people rather than normal or basic photography which is very outdated in recent times.

Evaluation
 How did the research and investigation effect your final design
outcome?
• The investigation and research has great influence on the final design
outcome of the project. it has been made with the secondary research
along with I gain huge knowledge about the lighting for
photography, right angle to click as well as colour contrast which
enhance the impact of food photo on people.
• By conducting research, I got to know about various creative
techniques which helped me to implement innovative idea for food
photography in less time.
• This can also further have helped me to conduct research work on
the project productively and efficiently. By this I develop my
understanding about the new area of photography and many skills
related to it.

Bibliography
Books and Journals
Blaney, A., 2019. Farming on Facebook, Camera-less Food Photography and a New Indian Pastoral. International Journal of E-Politics
(IJEP), 10(2). pp.1-12.
Muliawan, K. D. and Pradnyanita, S. I., 2021. Analisa teknik fotografi dalam tren food photography. Jurnal Nawala Visual, 3(1). pp.40-46.
Naaman et. al., 2021. Assessment of dietary intake using food photography and video recording in free-living young adults: a comparative
study. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 121(4). pp.749-761.
RODRIGUEZ, O. E. S., MASUKO, S. and YAMANAKA, T., 2022. The Impression of Deliciousness through Food Photography-A
Photographer’s Approach to Test the Commonly Manipulated Factors and the Interactions on the Food Image Creation
Process. International Journal of Affective Engineering, 21(1). pp.67-76.
Online
Food Photography Basics, 2022. [Online] Available through https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/food-photography-basics/
Free Restaurant Food Photos, 2022. [Online] Available through https://www.pexels.com/search/restaurant%20food/
HOW FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY HELPS YOU GET MORE CLIENTS, 2021. [Online] Available through https://
candyfoxstudio.com/blog/why-food-photography-is-important-for-your-food-business

Bibliography
Pizza Express Brings 50 Years of UK Experience to Every Pie, 2020. [Online] Available through
https://www.thebeijinger.com/blog/2015/10/16/pizza-express-brings-50-years-uk-experience-every-pie
Pizza Express – Esher, 2022. [Online] Available through
https://www.tripadvisor.in/Restaurant_Review-g671162-d1012470-Reviews-Pizza_Express_Esher-Esher_Surrey_England.html
Pizza Express - St Christophers Pl, 2022. [Online] Available through https://www.happycow.net/reviews/pizza-express-london-136562
Pizza Express Brings 50 Years of UK Experience to Every Pie, 2015. [Online] Available through
Pizza Express closing: Restaurant chain to close 75 branches across the UK, 2020. [Online] Available through
https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/life/1310369/pizza-express-uk-closing-restaurants-closure-branches-closing
Pizza Express confirms permanent closure of Leicester city centre restaurant, 2020. [Online] Available through
https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/whats-on/food-drink/pizza-express-confirms-permanent-closure-4752603
Pizza Express is reopening across the UK, and is relying on old tricks to entice old customers, 2020. [Online] Available through
https://www.hardens.com/uk-london/24-07-2020/pizzaexpress-is-reopening-across-the-uk-and-is-relying-on-old-tricks-to-entice-old-custo
mers/
The influence of professional food photography in restaurant branding & how to do it right, 2019. [Online] Available through
https://planetmedia.com.au/blog/the-influence-of-professional-food-photography-in-restaurant-branding-how-to-do-it-right/
U.K.’s favourite pizza set to survive debt restructuring, 2019. [Online] Available through
https://www.hindustantimes.com/more-lifestyle/u-k-s-favourite-pizza-set-to-survive-debt-restructuring/story-5E5pCtzDIzVu4l63FJJgiI.htm
l
Visual Content Marketing: The Spring Edition, 2022. [Online] Available through
https://www.eat-and-breathe.co.uk/blog/visual-content-marketing/