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Quick guidelines for taking menu pictures
It is important to have great pictures of the dishes you are offering on your menu as it is your first opportunity to grab your customers attention. Your menu pictures will set your customers expectations as well, so make sure that your pictures actually look like the food you will send your customers.
Our menu photo team will be editing your dish picture after you upload it, cutting out your dish of food and placing it onto one of our backgrounds.
The most important guidelines to follow when taking your menu pictures so our menu team doesn't have to ask you to take a new photo:
Place your food on a plate, or in a bowl and take your picture from directly above the dish, looking down at it from above.
Capture the entire plate or bowl in the picture, without cutting off any edges or having anything hanging off the edge of the dish.
Make sure your food has good lighting. Natural sunlight works the best to highlight the colors of your food so it looks natural and delicious. Take your picture next to an open window, or even bring your dish outside to a shaded area for the best lighting.
If you'd like more detailed advice on how to take the best menu pictures, keep reading below. We also provide recommended phone camera settings and best practices for taking pictures of dishes that may not look the best when photographing from directly above.
Detailed setup and instructions for taking menu pictures
iPhone Setup
Go to the settings app and tap camera
Scroll down to grid and toggle it on
Scroll to level and toggle on
Exit to home screen and go to camera
Select photo mode
x1 zoom
Rear-facing camera
Turn off flash
Turn off live
Tap the arrow at the top
Select 4:3 format
Next, search the compass app on your phone and point it against your window.
Set up a sturdy surface (ideally a table, but a deep windowsill could work too) against the window, ensuring the surface is evenly bathed in the light and there are no shadows.
Turn off any overhead lights.
Based on your orientation these are the best times of day to capture natural light
East-facing → Afternoon
West-facing → Morning
North-facing → All day
South-facing → Almost never (watch out for harsh direct light)
P.S. When planning the ideal time of day to take photos, start early and build in extra prep time!
Food Styling & Plating
How much food should I cook for the pictures?
Mains in 2-3 portion sizes
Sides in 1-2 portion sizes
Staple Sides in 1 portion size
What props do I need?
Use earthenware plates or shallow bowls in muted colors, with no distracting patterns or designs.
Ideally, try not to reuse the same plate for multiple dishes (this will save time on cleaning in between shots!)
If you don’t have earthenware, use white or light colored plates, preferably matte or non-glossy.
Styling
Hot food (like a soup) looks better when it’s hot, cold food (like a salad) looks better when photographed cold.
Treat all your individual dish components separately: if you have a hot dish with a cold garnish (like a stew with herbs on top) you should prepare those separately.
Ice is your best styling friend: soak salad leaves, herbs and items like shaved carrot in ice cold water for 5-10 minutes, then drain with a salad spinner.
Food Styling Tips
To get…
Gooey, melty cheese (ex. lasagna) → use a low heat oven, 250-350 degrees
Even golden-brown color (ex. roast chicken) → set your oven to 400-broil setting
Simply warmed food (ex. no texture, like soup) → microwave or reheat in a sauce pot
A nice localized sear (ex. steak) → do it on the stovetop, in a pan
Plating
Plate the largest components first, then move down in size
Example: if arranging a salad, plate the largest leaves first, then the smaller ones, then large salad garnishes (like cucumbers), followed by medium (like cherry tomatoes) and small/ toppings (crumbled cheese, almond slivers, etc).
Plate sauces or dressings separately in a small sauce container
Add garnishes last, right before taking the shot
When in doubt, plate messy components (like a curry dish with rice included) in separate smaller dishes and shoot them together, then try plating them in a single plate and shooting them again
Garnishes
Add any of these garnishes to make your dish pop!
Herbs & greens (whole leaves, no stems OR finely chopped)
Lemon or lime wedge
Drizzle of olive oil
Sprinkle of flaky salt or cracked pepper
Shaving of parmesan cheese
P.S. Outside of this list, try to only include components and garnishes which the customer should expect to receive with their delivery.
Shooting your pictures
You’ve done all your prep and now you’ll move quickly to ensure the food doesn’t spoil
Final check
Make sure the food doesn’t look too big or small on the plate
Clean your plate rim
Make sure there are no splatters
Set up your shot
Place the plate(s) on your surface, and check on your camera that…
You’re shooting top-down, never at an angle
The plate is centered within the grid on your phone
You capture the entire plate, with half a palm’s worth of space on either side
Your photo is level (the white & yellow crosses on the screen overlap)
The light bathes the entire plate and isn’t too bright or overexposed*
*Example of overexposed image
Ensuring you got the shot
Shoot accompanying sauces and dressings in the same picture, but plated separately;
Shoot sauces in a separate bowl on the upper left or right corner of the shot, never on the plate.
Reference your test shot and ensure the props are correctly captured in the frame
Take one picture then pause to look at it; make small changes if needed
Capture at least 2-3 pictures additional pictures once you think you have the shot
How to photograph foods with fillings, combination plates, baked goods and drinks
How to display foods with fillings in your dish photos
Looking at the side view of a sandwich or a cross section of an empanada is much prettier than looking at the top of a sandwich or empanada. Despite this, photos must still be taken from above the dish, looking down, so our menu team can edit your photos. Cut the sandwich in half and place one half against the other, so the inside of the sandwich is on display for your camera. Slice off pieces of your banana bread and fan them out on your plate. Get creative with how you display your food to get the best dish photo for your customers! Make sure nothing is hanging over the edge of your plate so we are able to edit the picture.
How to display food combinations in your dish photos
Some dishes might include a side dish like rice, or rotis. Anything that is included should all still fit on your plate. Put your rice in a small bowl, place that on the plate, and place the other food around the bowl.
How to display baked goods in your dish photos
Try to make sure your customer is getting the whole picture of all of the elements that make up your baked goods. Take a slice out of your pie or cake so the layers are visible. Turn your parfait in a jar on it's side to see each ingredient. Make sure your photograph represents the portion size you are selling.
How to display beverages in your dish photos (non-alcoholic only!)
Beverages can be photographed from directly above just like your food photos, this is best you have some garnish on top of your drink. You can also take your picture at eye-level, looking straight at the glass or drink container. Please ensure the drink is filled up to the top of the glass, so that your home background cannot be seen through the glass.
Selecting a cover photo for your menu
The cover photo, or preview image, is a large picture of one of your dishes that customers will see when they visit your menu. This image appears at the top of your menu behind your name, so it's important to make sure it represents your best dish! We have found that choosing a dish picture that matches the main type of cuisine you offer encourages more customers to order from you. For example, if you cook Punjabi food, choose a well known Punjabi dish for your cover photo. You can select your own cover photo from any "live" dishes on your menu.
How to select your menu preview image / cover photo
Go to your Shef Dashboard and click on "My Profile."
Click on the drop-down list under "Menu Item for Preview Image."
Select the image that best represents your menu.
Click "Save Shef Profile" at the bottom of the screen after choosing an image.
