Taking Photographs for a Cafe

A friend just wrote and asked for a little advice on a cafe photo shoot. I thought this topic would be helpful for a wider audience:

A friend of mine is doing an intern sort of thing at a new cafe here. She called me up the other day and said the cafe wanted some pictures taken and asked if I could do it. So I said yes. It was just a quick call to see if I could do it, and she said she would call back later with more specifics. So, I’m assuming it’s photos of the food and/or the cafe itself.

Do you have any tips for doing a better job on this kind of photography? I’m already planning to take a backup (a Canon film SLR) just in case for some random reason they want a large print of something, or in case my Nikon D40 encounters troubles. Better safe than sorry, I always said. Anyways, just wanted to ask for tips, as I really want to do a great job on this!

It all depends on what they want and expect. Let’s look at it a minute.

First, I see a couple potential problems in what you asked, probably not a big deal, but just some things to be aware of and watch out for. One, you said yes before you even knew what the job was. However, from the looks of it, I would guess it will be an informal thing. Which leads to the second issue…

You need to be very careful about their expectations. If you do not think through it enough and if they have high expectations—even when people are getting something for free, they will get picky—you will be the one who loses in the end.

My point is to be careful. Keep the communication flowing. Be professional. Prepare an example shot list to have when you talk to the one asking for the photos. They will not expect that (which will probably give you a few extra brownie points from the beginning), and it will really help pinpoint exactly what they want. And remember, they do not always know what they want! “Oh, I am just looking for a few photos to use.”

Off the top of my head, here are some example shots for a cafe shoot:

Individual Product Shots:
• drinks: cappuccino, macchiato, latte, etc.
• foods
• for menus: what needs to in/on the menu?
• show customers what that uniquely named food looks like
• show customers how a drink is made

Staff at Work:

• baristas working behind the counter
• owner training baristas
• customers (models who have signed a release, if you are smart) in the cafe

Photo Story:

• photojournalistic approach: telling a story in or about the cafe
• What is the cafe all about?
• Why are they unique?
• What is the history?

A shot list is essential, if not for you, then for the one requesting the photographs. Thinking through the shots will help you know what you need to do. You will certainly take shots that were not listed in your list (unless you are far too legalistic), and you will probably end up not doing some that were in it. It is a guideline.

And just a little tip for photographing food: use a shallow depth of field and get in as close as you can. Something is very appealing about food displayed that way. Focus on the most important or eye catching piece of the food and blow the rest out of focus. That just makes me want to order it!

And as for taking a backup camera, that is not a bad idea. I think it is much less an issue for this kind of shoot than it is for a wedding shoot, for instance (you cannot have the wedding again if the photos do not turn out). The trick about using the film camera if you need to print something big is that you probably will not know when to pick up the film camera to take that great shot that needs to be printed big.

Again, this is an issue the shot list could really help with. If they want a specific “something” really large, you need to find that out before hand. If we are talking menus, brochures, and such, you have nothing to worry about with the 6 megapixel D40: very high quality prints at 6.5 x 10″, or good prints 8 x 12.5″, or larger, depending on how it will be used.

In conclusion, though, given the situation seems much less like a professional shoot, I say use guerilla tactics. That is, turn your weakness into a strength; they assume your are just a punk kid with a camera (or whatever), but you show up with a shot list and exceed their expectations from the very beginning.

I would show up with the shot list, talk to the person asking for the shoot, and find out what that person wants. Probably, that person will want some product shots and maybe some candids of workers and customers. See what they think of the photo story idea. Then, shoot.

If you like the photo story idea, I would highly suggest downloading the How to Tell a Story in Pictures podcast from The Digital Photography Show. The hosts have guest photographer Bobbi Lane, on the show to talk about this photojournalistic approach, and they even use a local diner as an example throughout the show (much like your cafe shoot).

And if you are not comfortable with taking product shots (drinks, foods, etc)…practice in your kitchen! Do not practice on the shoot. Do every job well. Every job helps build your reputation, for better or worse. So, make sure it is “for better”!