Anyone running a food and beverage business knows firsthand that you simply can’t underestimate the importance of top quality imagery on, well everything. Even beyond having menus that look good enough to eat, it’s critical to have mouthwatering photos on websites, online marketing resources and even business cards. We can help you showcase your best dishes and beverages to tantalize the hungry masses.
When a Chicago Area Restaurant wants to increase business and show off their menu they don’t pull out a cell phone, they leave that up to the customer. Instead they call Keith French Photography. My phone rings and their chef and I set up a session in their restaurant. It’s fun, it’s hard and it’s a big tease to a real food lover like me. But I know my job and my personal limitations.
Haa haaa. Seriously though. I really enjoy food photography in the Chicago area because of the artistry involved. There are so many talented chefs in Chicago. It’s not all fun and games, however, the chef has worked countless hours in perfecting a dish that temps the very essence of your food core and causes you to begin salivating over that dish. Through a series of colors, smells and decorations the chef is an artist. When the food dish is perfect, the chef passes the masterpiece to me and I record it using the tools available to me to continue the artistry. Food Photography in Chicago is about timing, and controlling light. Some dishes only have 3-5 minutes before they begin to loose their “sparkle”, greens may wilt, sauces run, bread hardens or dries out. Colors change and steam looses it’s…..STEAM. Pun intended. So at times its a very fast pace, and some kitchens are small and space is tight. Shooting at the restaurant’s location is always the best.
Not all shots have to occur in the kitchen; sometimes I shoot in other places of the restaurant, especially if the owner or manager wants a collection of plates in a single shoot. Then it becomes like an environmental portrait for food, showing off the venue as much as the food. Chefs are passionate people, so sometimes they need a little space around them to create. One of the hardest moments in photographing food comes early on in the initial shoot. It is learning the chef and when it’s ok to interact. Some concentrate deeply and do not like to be bothered others could care less. They are cooking and preparing, life couldn’t be any better for them.
In some of the bigger name kitchens in Chicago the Chef brings in a small staff for the photo shoot to keep the line rolling. In this case the chef is managing and preparing as well as decorating. Food Photography in Chicago is not a small thing. Imagine the 100’s of chefs all pushing to be the best and looking to hook you in with dishes created from passion and years of practice. For many these photos will represent their life’s work. Emotions are high, pride is bountiful, and the push for perfecting is intensified because these images lock in the moment of time for as long as the images is viewed. It can be intense for entire kitchen staff and for the photographer. Successful shots are very rewarding. A chef always appreciates when my artistry shows off their artistry. That’s a great conversation. If you are considering updating your menu, showing of your food in a far better presentation, or just improving the presentation you already have.
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