The Difference Between Restaurant Photography and Product Photography

Summary

John clarifies the difference between restaurant photography and product photography. His short answer is yes, there is a difference, and it mostly comes down to variety in lighting. Products can be shot in many different lighting scenarios depending on the mood the business wants, and there is a lot of flexibility in how they are lit and which parts are kept in focus. Food shares some of that potential for dramatic treatment, since you can create moody images of dishes, drinks, or a bar or restaurant atmosphere. However, food is generally expected to be photographed fairly evenly lit and fully in focus. As a result, product photography offers a much wider range of creative options, while food and drink photography tends to follow a more consistent, even, in-focus approach.

Answer

Are there any differences in restaurant photography, for food and drinks, versus product photography? The short answer is yes. Products can be shot in lots of different lighting scenarios depending on what you want the mood to be. Food is similar, because if you want dramatic images of your food or your drinks or the atmosphere in your bar or restaurant, there are a lot of different ways you can do that. But generally, for food, people want it fairly evenly lit and all in focus. Whereas products can vary a lot in how they want it lit, and in what part they want in focus, and that can be totally different. So there’s a lot more variety in product photography than there would be in something like food and drinks. With food you’re usually aiming for clean, even, appetizing shots, while with products you’ve got room to get a lot more creative with the look.