How to take photos for coffee lovers

[Christina-NYC]

Whenever I’m in a new city, I love to find a great cafe to get a cup of coffee. To discover the best place to go to get my drink of choice (an iced latte!), I look at the photos Local Guides like you share on Google Maps.

So, next time you’re visiting your favorite coffee shop, take some time to help others like me and brush up on your photography skills. (You may even learn more about coffee in the process!)

Here are some of my best photo tips for taking great photos to help guide coffee lovers.

Capture the counter and the coffee-making process

Getting an overall shot of the counter area can help others learn what equipment the cafe has. You may even want to get a closeup shot of the barista making a latte art or pour over coffee. Before you do, make sure to ask for permission first.

Caption: A photo of the counter area at Hutch and Waldo, a coffee shop in New York City. (Local Guide Xinchen Gu)

Caption: A closeup photo of a barista making pour over coffee. (Getty Images)

Shoot near natural light

One of my top tips is to shoot using natural light, especially when photographing food. Soft, natural light will beautifully illuminate the scene while using a flash can create harsh shadows and make food look unappetizing. In a coffee shop, look for a window to place your food and drink next to. Then, you’re ready to snap a few great pics!

Caption: A photo of iced coffees and croissant on a tray on a table at Zebra Coffee & Croissant in Tokyo, Japan. (Local Guide K) 

Keep it simple and try different angles

Are there some dishes or napkins on the table where you’re planning to take a photo of your coffee? If they’re distracting from your main focus, remove them from your camera frame. Then, try different angles until you get the perfect shot. If your barista created an eye-catching design, try capturing the coffee from above to show it. You can also try shooting the coffee cup from the side along with any pastries to show a bit more depth.

Caption: A photo of a coffee drink with a heart design made using the foam at Simplicity Cafe in Sydney, Australia. (Local Guide Paul Hinderer)

Caption: A photo of two cappuccinos and two plates of croissants on a table. (Getty Images) 

Capture the seating and the signage

Another helpful tip is to photograph what the seating area is like. For people who like to take their time enjoying their coffee, having comfortable seating is important. It’s also helpful to capture the signage and menu on a wall so people know what to expect when they come to the cafe.

Caption: A photo of empty tables and chairs at Lucky Cat Coffee and Kitchen in Jakarta, Indonesia. (Local Guide Imam Arief)

Have you tried putting these photo tips into practice? Share your pics with us in the comments below and on Google Maps. We’d love to see them!

[KaliroAlex]

@Christina-NYC thanks sharing these great skills 

My pics are just loading. ..... 

To put in practice 

[koushik_sarkar]

Learned something new @Christina-NYC. Great post. Thank you for sharing this with us. 

[NiroshaJ]

Hi @Christina-NYC ,

Heart design coffee is lovely than tasty. 😚😋

Good Luck @KaliroAlex

Nirosha

[TorM]

I think that during the world wide coffee walk we were able to take some nice pictures...

https://photos.app.goo.gl/k52TqyvDd3lvfZG92

As well it was more important to meet the great international community.

Thanks to Japan 🇯🇵!!!

@HiroyukiTakisawa

@Christine_T

@AlejandraMaria

@barrazacarlos

[BishowvijayaP]

Thanks for sharing the tips @Christina-NYC. 😊

[LucioV]

I love coffees, always inspiring 😉

I have tons of photos in coffees, but actually the contrib page is going high and low, I will show later 😉

[AlejandraMaria]

Hi @TorM!

I am totally agree with you that during the [Recap] World Wide Cafe Walk 2018 we showed that we are coffe lovers :)))

With the interesting tips  @Christina-NYC has given us we will improve our  photos next time.

Good Afternoon  from the South of Spain,

Alejandra.

[bhaskar_arin]

@Christina-NYC, You are really awesome.

I can feel WOW

[Marakchi12]

Hi everyone 🙂