A taste of the shoot. Click any photo to see it large.
Wildwater Grill in Dee Why, on Sydney's Northern Beaches, was about to re-open. The management team had recently changed and the website had just been updated. They asked me to photograph their dishes and drinks for their food delivery app listings, their social media and the new website. This is how the restaurant menu photography came together, and what I'd tell any restaurant owner who wants their food to sell on Uber Eats, Menulog or Deliveroo.
The brief: a full menu, a hero shot and the drinks
The brief had three parts:
- 30 dishes from the menu, each photographed as a stock image the restaurant could use anywhere.
- A hero shot of dishes grouped together, for Menulog, Deliveroo and Uber Eats.
- The range of drinks, cocktails and other beverages.
The photos were going to their website design agency for the new site, and onto their social media and promotions. So every photo had to work in a small tile on a phone as well as across a wide web banner.
Bright, colourful and shot outside
The restaurant wanted a bright, colourful, fresh look, so we took the food outside. Natural light shows the colour in a salad or the glaze on a rack of ribs far better than a dim dining room does.
Much of the menu was shot top-down, because that's the angle food ordering platforms favour. I also shot lower angles, closer in, for the website and social media, where a dish can fill the frame and show its texture.
How the shoot ran without disrupting service
The restaurant kept operating as normal and no customers were affected. We used a quiet outdoor table as the set, and I managed everything on the shoot: the order of dishes, the set-up on the table, the angles and the light. The kitchen and floor staff could get on with their day, and the whole session took a few hours.
I also photographed the dining room, so the website could show the venue as well as the food, and the bar for the drinks side of the menu.
What makes food photos work on delivery apps
On Uber Eats, Menulog and Deliveroo, your dish sits in a grid next to dozens of other restaurants, shown on a phone, at thumbnail size. People decide in a second or two. These are the things that help most:
- Top-down framing. It shows the whole plate clearly, and it crops well into the square and wide tiles the apps use.
- Bright, even light. Dark, moody photos turn muddy on a small screen. Bright light keeps colours fresh.
- Simple backgrounds. A plain table or board keeps attention on the food, not on clutter.
- Consistent framing. Shoot every dish the same way, at the same angle and distance, so your menu looks tidy and professional as people scroll.
- One dish per photo. Each menu item needs its own clear photo, so customers know exactly what they are ordering.
- A hero group shot. A spread of your best dishes together makes a strong cover image for your listing.
Photos taken on a phone in the kitchen rarely do this. Vibrant, clear photos catch attention far faster, and they keep working on your website and social media too.
Restaurant menu photography in Sydney
I photograph restaurants and cafes across Sydney, including the Northern Beaches. You can see another menu shoot at Penny Lane in Sydney.
Business photography starts at $495 for up to an hour, with up to 10 edited photos and a commercial licence included. A full menu like Wildwater Grill's needs more time and more photos, so larger menus are quoted to suit.
Shoot details
Client
Wildwater Grill
Industry
Restaurant
Where
Dee Why, Northern Beaches, Sydney
Photographed
Menu dishes, a hero group shot, cocktails and drinks, the dining room and bar
Used for
Food delivery platforms, social media and website
Need photos for your delivery menu?
I can photograph your dishes, drinks and venue in one session, anywhere in Sydney, without stopping service. Business photography starts at $495, and full menus are quoted to suit.
