Food Photography for Menus: Fast, Consistent, and Appetizing

Great photos sell dishes before a server says a word. This playbook gives you a fast, repeatable workflow—so every category in your digital menu looks consistent, loads quickly, and makes guests hungry.

Goals for menu imagery

• Appetizing: clear texture, true color, minimal clutter

• Consistent: same angles, backgrounds, and aspect ratios

• Fast: compressed for mobile without visible loss

1) Lighting: your single biggest win

• Use natural light near a window; shoot when light is soft (late morning/afternoon). Avoid harsh overheads that create color casts.

• Direction: side-light at ~45° brings out texture; use a white card or menu sheet opposite the window as a reflector.

• Kill mixed light: switch off warm ceiling lights if shooting in daylight to keep colors accurate.

2) Setup: simple, repeatable, on-brand

• Backgrounds: plain tabletops or a single brand backdrop. Avoid busy linen; let the dish be the hero.

• Plates & props: consistent plate shape; 1–2 subtle props max (cutlery, herb). No clutter, no brand-confusion.

• Angles: pick one default per category (e.g., 45° for mains, top-down for pizzas/boards). Keep it consistent across the set.

3) Shot list & batching (time = money)

• Prioritize: shoot stars and best-sellers first. Get one clean hero shot per dish; optional second angle for top 5 items.

• Batch: plate 3–4 items, shoot them in a row; maintain plate height/position so swaps are quick.

• Garnish last minute to avoid wilt; wipe plate rims; add micro-steam with a safe spritz if needed.

4) Mobile-first framing & aspect ratios

• Use a consistent aspect ratio per module (e.g., 4:3 or 1:1). Avoid extreme crops that cut off key ingredients on small screens.

• Leave breathing room for overlays/badges if your UI uses them (Chef’s Choice, New).

5) Color, sharpness, and edit hygiene

• White balance: correct yellows/greens from indoor lighting. Skin tones and sauces should look natural, not oversaturated.

• Sharpen lightly for mobile; avoid crunchy halos. Keep noise reduction subtle.

• Don’t fake the dish: edits should reflect reality to avoid guest disappointment and negative reviews.

6) File workflow: names, sizes, compression

• Filenames: use human-readable slugs (e.g., chicken-tikka-masala.webp). Avoid IMG_1234.

• Export WebP; target 100–200 KB for list images, 200–350 KB for hero images. Keep longest edge around 1200–1600px for hero, 600–900px for list.

• Accessibility: concise alt text (“Grilled salmon with lemon and herbs”). Avoid keyword stuffing; describe the image.

7) Rights & UGC (protect your brand)

• Get usage rights if a photographer or influencer shoots for you. Store releases with filenames for auditability.

• Encourage guest photos (UGC) and reshare with permission. Create a tiny card with your Instagram and a “Tag us” line.

Internal links

← C3: Menu Engineering & Pricing • Pillar Guide • C5: WhatsApp & CRM Automations →

Checklist

• Window light • One backdrop • Consistent angle • Wipe rims • WebP export • 200–350 KB • Alt text • Tag UGC with permission

Need a hand?

EasyMenus can set image presets, compress automatically, and standardize aspect ratios across your menu so every dish looks its best and loads fast.