Café new-menu photography shot list
Start with the finished dish and the portion customers receive. Add one preparation detail and the practical information needed to order. Use the list to batch photographs while the kitchen is ready, rather than interrupting service for every post.
Your working document
Choose shots by the customer's question
| Question | Useful shot | Framing detail |
|---|---|---|
| What will I receive? | Finished dish and its included sides | Show the actual portion; keep separately charged extras distinct |
| What is in it? | Ingredient or component detail | Use a close view that supports a fact in the caption |
| How is it prepared? | One meaningful preparation step | Make the step legible instead of showing a busy kitchen with no clear subject |
| Can I take it away? | The actual takeaway presentation | Show packaging only if that option is available |
| Where can I find the menu? | Dish beside the maintained menu or menu destination | Keep the menu information readable and current |
Before the filming window
- Agree which dish is ready and when it can be photographed without disrupting service.
- Clean the immediate background and keep unrelated objects out of the crop.
- Confirm whether a drink or side in the image is included or an add-on.
- Leave enough space around the subject for the intended crops.
- Record permissions for any people who will be recognisable.
Prioritise a small usable set
A finished-dish view, a useful preparation detail and accurate menu information can support several different posts. Additional photographs should answer a new customer question, not just change the camera angle for its own sake.
Review the image and its planned caption together. A photograph can imply an inclusion or portion size even when the caption is technically correct; select the image that represents what is actually sold.