The Secret Sauce behind Winning Restaurant Website Photography

If your restaurant website has photos that look like they were taken on your aunty's flip phone in the 90s, you’ve got a big problem. 

And the scary thing is, a lot of restaurant owners don’t even realise it.

But in a world where people visit your restaurant's website before they even step foot in the door, your pictures need to be just as mouth-watering as your cuisine. Nobody's salivating over pixelated pasta, my friend.

Good photography isn't just nice to have, it's the whole enchilada. It can make the difference between someone choosing to book at your restaurant, or deciding to go for that seedy fast-food joint down the road. 

And great photography tells a story - your story. It can capture the ambience, the vibe, the joy in biting into that crunchy bruschetta, the tantalising fusion of flavours in your signature dish. 

Man, I'm getting hungry just talking about it.

So, what should be in your photographic pantry? 

Well, as a minimum your website should include photos of:

• Your food (obviously) 
• Your staff 
• The interior and exterior of your restaurant
• Some behind-the-scenes kitchen action. 

You need to show the sizzle and the steak.

Oh, and for those interior shots, I don’t mean an empty restaurant. Remember that you’re selling an experience, and frankly, empty tables and chairs just don’t cut the mustard.

So in the same way it’s pretty normal to seat the first guests by the window, you have to do the same on your website. That means photos with people in. Preferably lifestyle shots of guests chowing down on some creative culinary treat. Bonus points if they look happy too.

Take a look at the image below. What kind of vibe do you think it creates?

Compare that with this one. Which looks more inviting? 

Embrace Your Inner Smartphone Scorsese

Don't get me wrong, if you've got the budget, hire a professional food photographer. But if not, you can often do wonders with a modern smartphone.

Here’s some quick tips to improve your smartphone photography.

• Natural Light, Naturally: Lighting is a huge deal. If you can, find a spot near a window and let nature do its work. If you can’t, then place lights strategically where possible to eliminate shadows and create an even amount of light across your subject.
• Angles Matter: Straight-on for that beautiful burger, from above for your artisan pasta, and close up for those juicy steak details. Play around until you find the most appealing look for your food.
• Styling is Key: A bit of garnish here, a smudge of sauce there, strategically placed cutlery. Remember, you're selling the experience. If it looks a mess, you’ll never get those potential guests through your doors. 
• Shoot Big: Don’t use digital zoom. Ever. If your phone has multiple lenses, select the most appropriate one and don’t mess with the zoom. Shoot at that size and then crop your photos after. You’ll get far higher quality images that way.
• Apps to the Rescue: There are dozens of apps out there to help clean up and enhance your snaps. Adobe Lightroom, Foodie, Snapseed, to name a few. There’s nothing wrong with a little digital makeup.

Remember, your website is like the front window of your restaurant. Poor photography turns potential guests into passers-by. But let your photographs tell your story, and your customers will be booking a table faster than a hot knife slices through butter.

Great photography is just one of the critical elements of your website that drive bookings. If you want more bookings from your website, you can get a free digital audit here that will show you exactly what you need to do. Or talk to the guys at Nom Digital on stand H52 of the Hospitality Tech Expo.