Brisbane Bar and Restaurant Photography
When I was 16, I started working as a busboy at a small burger shop right down the street from the home I grew up in. During my years in the service industry, I began photographing my friends at the bars and restaurants I worked at. These photos caught the eyes of other local restaurants, and I started my venture as a bar and restaurant photographer! I continued to bartend and serve until earlier this year, at 24, I decided to take on photography full time.
Still loving to spend time in the hospitality industry, I try to spend as much time as I can photographing bars and restaurants. I think my time on the floor gives me the background necessary to document restaurants appropriately, something that many photographers working with bars and restaurants may not have.
Knowing restaurant flow and speed for front / back house candids and atmosphere photos
One of the most significant assets I hold that allows me to work seamlessly as a photographer in a restaurant is understanding the speed and flow at which a restaurant functions. When tickets are rolling out, cocktails are being shaken, and the waitstaff is hustling to get platters out to eager customers, I don't think it's right for a photographer to ask anyone to stop for a picture. I have to work at the same speed as the staff and, most importantly, in a way that is unobtrusive to the flow of the restaurant while still getting beautiful photos of the process.
Food photography, cocktail photography, and menu photography
The speed at which a photographer needs to work is also a significant factor when photographing food, cocktails, or anything for a menu. Food gets cold and dry, ice melts, condensation forms, and those perfect heads on beer settle in seconds. Not timing these images correctly can emphasize these non-ideal scenarios in high definition. Knowing when items are being made around the restaurant, and being prepared for when they are ready, is essential and comes with nothing but experience.
Low light photography
One of my first consistent photography clients was a nightclub (client project Lucid Light Lounge) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Working with Lucid required me to purchase equipment well suited for low light scenarios and gave me the experience needed to be extremely comfortable photographing fast paced environments in little to no light scenarios.
Project quoting, shot lists, and itinerary creation
Being able to quote and plan a project for a bar and restaurant is also something that comes with experience. It is very important to understand the capabilities of a kitchen and staff to prepare a reasonable tentative schedule and shot list prior to the photoshoot. Then, when on site, knowing how to pivot and keep moving forward productively and in good spirits when the inevitable mishap comes up to throw off the schedule. These are all things I have much experience in and you can count on me for.
Matching the style of the photos with the atmosphere
Something I've noticed to be extremely common in other photographers' work with bars and restaurants is the need to bring in additional lights and sometimes even small studios. While the photographs that come out of this scenario are usually beautiful, the photos tend to have completely different lighting and color than what exists in the restaurant. Every location has the potential to have beautiful images rendered naturally inside of it. It is part of the photographers' job to come in and find the places in the restaurant that have the proper lighting, the right colors to compliment the subject/product, subtle hints at the atmosphere in the background, and surrounding items that tell a story in the image. If someone can only take good imagery inside of a restaurant by creating an artificial environment to work within, that shows a lack of creativity and knowledge, in my opinion.
When photographing bars and restaurants, I aim to emphasize the best features in a natural way that will engage their audience and help bring more people through their doors. These photos work great for increased social media engagement, advertisements, menus, backgrounds, and more.
Samples :
Brisbane Bar and Restaurant Photography
When I was 16, I started working as a busboy at a small burger shop right down the street from the home I grew up in. During my years in the service industry, I began photographing my friends at the bars and restaurants I worked at. These photos caught the eyes of other local restaurants, and I started my venture as a bar and restaurant photographer! I continued to bartend and serve until earlier this year, at 24, I decided to take on photography full time.
Still loving to spend time in the hospitality industry, I try to spend as much time as I can photographing bars and restaurants. I think my time on the floor gives me the background necessary to document restaurants appropriately, something that many photographers working with bars and restaurants may not have.
Understanding restaurant flow and speed
One of the most significant assets I hold that allows me to work seamlessly as a photographer in a restaurant is understanding the speed and flow at which a restaurant functions. When tickets are rolling out, cocktails are being shaken, and the waitstaff is hustling to get platters out to eager customers, I don't think it's right for a photographer to ask anyone to stop for a picture. I have to work at the same speed as the staff and, most importantly, in a way that is unobtrusive to the flow of the restaurant while still getting beautiful photos of the process.
ASAP product shots
The speed at which a photographer needs to work is also a significant factor in product photography. Food gets cold and dry, ice melts, condensation forms, and those perfect heads on beer settle in seconds. Not timing these images correctly can emphasize these non-ideal scenarios in high definition. Knowing when things are being made around the restaurant, and being prepared for when they are ready, is essential and comes with nothing but experience.
Low light photography
One of my first consistent photography clients was a nightclub (client project Lucid Light Lounge) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Working with Lucid required me to purchase equipment well suited for low light scenarios and gave me the experience needed to be extremely comfortable photographing fast paced environments in little to no light scenarios.
Quoting and project itinerary
Being able to quote and plan a project for a bar and restaurant is also something that comes with experience. Understanding the capabilities of a kitchen and staff to prepare a reasonable tentative schedule, when the inevitable mishap comes up to throw off the schedule on the scene, and how to pivot and keep moving forward is essential to getting the job done well and in good spirits. All of which are things you can count on me for.
Matching the style of the photos with the atmosphere
Something I've noticed to be extremely common in other photographers' work with bars and restaurants is the need to bring in additional lights and sometimes even small studios. While the photographs that come out of this scenario are usually beautiful, the photos tend to have completely different lighting and color than what exists in the restaurant. Every location has the potential to have beautiful images rendered naturally inside of it. It is part of the photographers' job to come in and find the places in the restaurant that have the proper lighting, the right colors to compliment the subject/product, subtle hints at the atmosphere in the background, and surrounding items that tell a story in the image. If someone can only take good imagery inside of a restaurant by creating an artificial environment to work within, that shows a lack of creativity and knowledge, in my opinion.
When photographing bars and restaurants, I aim to emphasize the best features in a natural way that will engage their audience and help bring more people through their doors.