Café photography at Kafeville in Hanoi: coffee, food and people in a micro roaster in the Old Quarter

Name: La Lente Photographer
Address: Epping, NSW, 2121, AU
Telephone: 0414 442 440
Price range: $

A micro roaster café on a quiet Hanoi street, a model in an Ao Dai and a barista who takes his time. Here's what I photographed, and the shot list

By Paul D’Ambra · May 2018

Home - Business - Café photography at Kafeville in Hanoi: coffee, food and people in a micro roaster in the Old Quarter

Kafeville café shop front with motorbikes and potted plants on the footpath.

Woman in a red Ao Dai holding a latte above a wooden table, with an espresso and biscuit beside it.

Barista tamping coffee beside a red espresso machine.

Smiling woman in a red Ao Dai with a latte showing latte art.

Tea, banana bread and espresso on a rustic slatted table, seen from above.

Printed café menu on a clipboard listing coffee, juice and pastries.

A taste of the shoot. More photos are in the full gallery further down the page. Click any photo to see it large.

Kafeville is a micro roaster café on a quiet street near the old city gate in Hanoi's Old Quarter. It takes a little effort to find. When you walk in, you get the smell of fresh beans and a room full of coffee making equipment, including their roasting machine. This café photography shoot was about showing that feeling: the ambience, the coffee and the people enjoying it.

The brief: the café's ambience and people enjoying their coffee

The brief had four parts: capture the character and charm of the café, photograph the coffee making process, show coffee and people drinking it, and photograph the menu. The photos were for Kafeville's website and social media, so they needed a mix of food, people and environment.

Everything in the shoot happened inside the café. We styled the photos to suit the location rather than bringing in a studio look. The model wore an Ao Dai, the traditional Vietnamese dress, which sits naturally in a Hanoi café. Other customers appear as they were, which gives you a real feel for the place. For more on the dress itself, see my post on Ao Dai clothing photography.

Photographing the coffee making process

Kafeville's menu is all about coffee: espresso, Vietnamese style, drip and cold brew. There are no pre-programmed machines. Each cup is made by hand, and it was a joy to watch the care that went into it. It took a few minutes to get an espresso, and it was worth the wait.

That care is what the barista photos needed to show. I photographed him tamping coffee at the red espresso machine, working the counter while a customer read the menu, and the pour-over kettles and bottles lined up on the bench.

Barista working at the espresso machine behind the counter.

Barista working behind the counter while a woman in a red Ao Dai reads the menu.

Pour-over kettles and glass bottles lined up on a wooden counter.

Coffee shop photography that shows the space

For a photographer, Kafeville is a gift. Wooden surfaces, big open windows, lots of natural light and plenty of interesting coffee gear. It's also a practical place to sit, with working tables, power points, music and free Wi-Fi. I wanted the photos to show both sides: a beautiful room, and somewhere you'd happily stay for a while.

So alongside the styled shots of the model in her Ao Dai, I photographed the green sofa by the window, the bookshelves, the wall photos and the dried flowers, plus customers reading and talking over coffee.

Smiling woman in a red Ao Dai holding a latte at a wooden table.

Smiling woman in a white dress on a green sofa with orange cushions.

Man reading at a café table next to shelves of books, cups and coffee gear.

Café food and lifestyle photography on the table

The food and coffee shots were styled on Kafeville's rustic slatted tables: espresso with a biscuit, latte art, banana bread, cake and tea. I shot from above and at table level, and film cameras on the tables added a little character, giving the website and social feeds plenty of variety.

Espresso, banana bread and a glass of water on a slatted wooden table by a teapot.

Espresso and biscuit in front of a woman holding a latte at a wooden table.

A shot list for your café

If you run a café or coffee shop, this is the shot list I'd start with. Each item answers a question customers have before they visit.

Ambience. The room at its best, with natural light, your seating and the details that make it yours.
Barista at work. Tamping, pouring and latte art, with the machine in the frame.
Coffee and food. Your best sellers, styled on your own tables, from above and at eye level.
The menu. A clear photo of the menu or board, so people know what to expect.
Customers. People relaxed and enjoying their coffee, with their permission.
The street front. Your shop front and signage, so people recognise you when they arrive.

Shoot in both landscape and portrait, so you have photos for website banners and for phone screens. For another café shoot, see my café photography at Brunch & Co.

Café photography in Sydney

Business photography starts at $495 for up to an hour, with up to 10 edited photos and a commercial licence included. See business photography in Sydney for what's included.

Shoot details

Client
Kafeville

Industry
Café and micro roaster

Where
Old Quarter, Hanoi, Vietnam

Photographed
The café's ambience, the barista, coffee and food, the menu, a model in an Ao Dai and customers

Used for
Website and social media

Business photography in Sydney →

The full gallery

Woman in a white dress pouring tea at a low wooden table surrounded by plants.

Woman holding a latte with an espresso and biscuit in front of her.

Barista holding a tray of ice beside bottles and glasses on the counter.

Two film cameras on a wooden shelf in front of coffee books.

Woman in a white dress reaching for her drink on a green sofa by the window.

Hand placing an espresso with a biscuit on the edge of a wooden table.

Woman in a red Ao Dai holding an espresso cup beside a film camera.

Wooden shelves of books, cups and teapots behind a café counter.

Two customers on a sofa by the café window, one looking at a phone.

Espresso, biscuit and banana bread on a rustic wooden table beside a camera, seen from above.

Film camera beside an espresso held by a woman in a red Ao Dai.

Two men talking over coffee at a table in front of a bookshelf.

Espresso and banana bread on a slatted wooden table with a camera and a glass of water.

More photos from the Kafeville café shoot. Click any photo to see it large.

Need photos of your café?

I can photograph your coffee, food, team and space in one session, styled to suit your café. Business photography starts at $495 for up to an hour, with a commercial licence included.

See business prices →

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