How to photograph your menu with just a phone

People order with their eyes first. A bright, clear photo of a dish can do more than a paragraph of description, and a modern phone is all you need to take one.

Use window light

Natural light from a window makes food look fresh. Place the plate near a window, and turn off the overhead lights, which add a yellow tint. Avoid direct sunshine, which makes harsh shadows. A cloudy day is perfect.

Clean the plate and the table

Wipe the rim of the plate and clear the clutter. A plain table or a simple board is plenty. The food is the star, so keep the background quiet.

Choose one angle per type of dish

• Shoot from above for flat things, such as pizza, bowls and spreads.
• Shoot from a lower angle for tall things, such as burgers, stacks and drinks.
• Keep the same style across the whole menu, so it looks like one café.

Take a few and pick the best

Take five or six shots of each dish, then keep the sharpest one. Wipe your phone lens first, which fixes more blurry photos than anything else.

Add them in the portal

Open an item in your menu and add the photo. Start with your top five sellers and anything that is hard to describe, then add more over time. You can also add a few shots of your space and your team to your gallery.