One of the first things I do when I look up a restaurant on Google Maps is check the photos from the menu. The more delicious the images are, the more I want to visit that place. As a Local Guide, I always try to take the best photos of my food to help others decide if they want to go there.
I recently went to SASA, an Asian restaurant in Sofia, Bulgaria, which boasts delicious seafood options. Being a seafood lover myself, I couldn’t miss the chance to try their sushi. But I had one more idea in mind—I wanted to try @Christina-NYC’s tips for taking photos at sushi spots.
Here are some of the photos I took and the experiences I had while taking them.
Tip 1: Use natural light
This tip made me realise something important about restaurants in Bulgaria. They are always separated in two areas—one for smokers and another for non-smokers. I’m a non-smoker and I’ve always enjoyed my meals in the non-smoking section of restaurants. Eager to follow Christina’s tip for using natural light in my photos, I deliberately asked for a window seat. It turns out that all the tables by the window were for smokers because apparently the place turns into a wide terrace during the summer.
I still got a window seat, and even though I had to endure the light cigarette smoke in the air, I have to admit that using natural light does wonders when it comes to taking photos of food.
Tip 2: Focus on the details
I liked this tip the most. Sure, photos of the whole plate are great because I get an idea of what’s on the menu, but close-up photos are what help me better imagine what the dish tastes like.
Restaurants here offer extravagant-looking sushi, so sometimes it’s hard to decide which detail to focus on. In this photo, I decided to go for an interesting detail—the crispy shrimp tail sticking out of one sushi roll.
Tip 3: Compose for the best angle
This one took some work. First of all, I had to keep my friend from swooping right in once the sushi was served.
Then I started experimenting. I turned the plate this way and that, removed objects I didn’t want to capture in the photo, and leaned left and right, looking for the right angle. Finally, I decided to stand up and take a photo from above, using the square frame formed by the four mats on the table.
Tip 4: Capture the ambiance
To implement this tip, I took a walk around the restaurant to explore the many spots for taking good photos of the interior setting.
This restaurant has a great atmosphere with comfortable seating. Interesting lamps, and large green plants scattered around. The non-smoking area was cosy and bathed in warm lighting.
The tables in the smoking area enjoyed more natural light, coming from the wide windows. I also noticed that there were high chairs for little children by the wall, ready to be offered to diners at any time.
Tip 5: Use your camera grid for the restaurant exterior
Taking photos of the outside of the restaurant turned out to be a bit tricky. The place was located in a shopping center and there was little space in front to step back and capture the whole exterior.
Instead of trying to fit everything in the fame, I decided to focus on the part I thought would be most useful for other visitors. I aimed to capture the wheelchair accessible entrance and the restaurant’s sign.
What photography tips have you tested out for yourself? Tell us in the comments below and be sure to share your photos, too!
. Three-dimensional sense feels volume and taste:yum:. Especially the processing of the third diagonal line is dramatic!
…