A Taste of the City: A roundup of recent London food photoshoots
Afternoon Tea @ The Halkin Hotel, London
As London food and drink photographers, we’re regularly commissioned by hotels, restaurants, and bars to shoot at their venues.
Shooting on location is one of the most exciting and challenging aspects of our work!
In this blog post, we’ll be sharing our favourite shots from some of these recent food photoshoots in London.
Plus, we’ll be sharing an insight into some of the challenges we face when shooting on-location and how we navigate those to achieve the final results.
Food photographers London: A welcome return to some of our favourite hotels, restaurants, and bars
Over the past few months, we’ve had the pleasure of working on some amazing food and drink projects!
We’ve been shooting on location in some stunning new hospitality venues in London. It’s always exciting to get commissioned by new clients and to be invited to work in exciting new culinary hot spots.
We’ve also had the opportunity to return to some of our old favourites too, including:
1751 – the distillery, bar and kitchen near London Bridge,
The Halkin Hotel, in the heart of London,
The Bloomsbury Hotel, on Great Russell Street, London
And, to the Drake & Morgan restaurant in Kings Cross, London.
Each London food photoshoot presented its own unique challenges, but we were able to work around them and capture some stunning images to complement the very different and unique brands.
One thing that’s apparent, whenever we revisit hospitality venues for food shoots, is that it’s helpful when we know a place well and when the teams there know us too. Everything seems to work so seamlessly!
Some of the challenges of on-location food photoshoots
1. Capturing the essence of the location
One of the most important aspects of shooting on location is capturing the essence of the venue.
We know how important it is in food and restaurant photography to consider the surroundings, the style of service, and the overall vibe of the place.
We are always looking to carefully incorporate these elements into the final images. After all, our job is not only to showcase the food and drink but also to convey the atmosphere of a hotel, bar or restaurant, which is often a big part of its appeal.
Earlier this year, we had the opportunity to shoot the Valentine and Burns Night campaigns for the very beautiful 108 Brasserie on Marylebone Lane in London. This is a glamorous environment, and it was key that we captured the ambience as well the incredible food and wine on offer there.
We’re proud to say that the client was thrilled with the results. We created a series of beautiful food and drink images that they agreed truly captured the essence and uniqueness of this fabulous venue.
2. Dealing with natural light
When shooting on location, we often must also deal with natural light which can be both a blessing and a curse!
If we aren’t familiar with a location that we’re asked to shoot at, we always do a recce before the shoot. During this initial visit, we look to establish what is the time of day for the best light for the interiors, exteriors or food shots.
We also use that opportunity to work out which are the best areas for us to set up and shoot in. I’m also always keen to see what sort of tables and surfaces are available for us to use, and how the restaurant or bar is laid out. I also like to look out for where in the venue there are plug sockets!
When visiting the newly refurbished Brindisa in South Kensington for the first time, we spotted that the place had such an inviting, relaxed feel, and we wanted to capture that with natural lighting and interesting shadows.
On a recent interior shoot there, we had to work quickly to capture the perfect shot before we lost the natural light filling the venue. We set up for the wide shot to capture both the main restaurant and bar and waited for the perfect moment.
3. Working around the general public
It’s never easy photographing food at London locations. Not only are you often waiting for the perfect light, but you’re also waiting for vans to move much of the time!
Aargh! Why are there always vans parked outside the main windows in full view of your master shot?!
If it’s not vans, it’s people having a cigarette, or on their mobile phones, just lingering, but in the shot! These are just some of the typical location challenges we find ourselves working around.
4. Working around service staff
Another challenge of working on location in busy hospitality venues is the need to work around the service staff who are usually rushed off their feet!
For this reason, it’s handy to know when the venue will be busy with customers. We always ask about this during an initial recce of the venue and plan our photoshoot accordingly and try to avoid busy times whenever possible.
Food photoshoots London: The key to success
Shooting on location is always an adventure, but it’s also a great opportunity to create some stunning images. While there are several challenges with on location food and drink photography, we are patient and flexible.
Over the years, we’ve learnt that we often need to wait for the right moment to capture the perfect shot, and sometimes, we just have to adjust the setup to work around the obstacles in the location.
We love location photoshoots because they allow us to capture the essence of the place and to showcase the food and drink in their best light. Through our experience of shooting on location, we have learned that a recce ahead of the shoot, and both patience and flexibility are key to success.
Related reading: How to plan a successful Christmas photoshoot for your brand
Food photography on location
If you’re looking for a food and drink photography specialist, get in touch with us today.
Whether you’re seeking an experienced photographer to capture interior or exterior photographs of your hotel, restaurant or bar, or if you’re after food and drink images to coincide with a new menu or product launch, we’d love to work with you!
We welcome all food photoshoot enquiries, and cover locations including London as well as Surrey, Berkshire, Hampshire and Dorset.
We also can offer our clients the exclusive use of our own custom-designed photography studio in southwest London, which is ideal for food, drink and product photography.