THE VINEYARD TASTING ROOM AND HOTEL
…PLUS SOME THOUGHTS ON RESTAURANT PHOTOGRAPHY
This past weekend I had the absolute honour to be invited on a PR trip to the stunning 5 star Vineyard Hotel and Spa in Berkshire, UK.
Having generally shied away from hotel and travel collaborations for most of my career as a food photographer and content creator, 2024 felt like the right time to take the leap and try something new!
And I’m delighted that I did and that I challenged myself and said yes to this wonderful opportunity….
BTW All images were taken hand-held with my Canon 5D mark iv and 50mm 1.4 lens.
The show stopping finale of The Vineyard’s 6-course tasting menu.
I love editorial food photography and capturing food using perfect (natural) light, but when photographing dinner in a moody and atmospheric restaurant, the lighting situation is completely different and hence requires a different skill set and mindset.
Sure, you might wish to use your big flash light(s), but seeing that on this occasion I was invited as a content creator, not a food photographer, it didn’t feel quite right to bring along all my bulky equipment. PLUS, there were the other restaurant guests, all of whom were looking for the perfect experience - NOT startling flashlights - to consider! So instead of relying on perfect lighting, I worked with the dim and moody light the restaurant offered and simply embraced it!
RESTAURANT FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY LIGHTING
The dishes themselves were STUNNING - from lemongrass bubbles to cleanse one’s palate, to a bayleaf infusion, olive oil caviar and pulled mushroom tacos, the menu was a delight for the mouth and the eyes. Of course, the latter makes capturing food, no matter what the lighting conditions are, so much easier! I dare say that the thoughtful food styling made up for the imperfect lighting!
Despite the tricky light set up, whilst shooting the menu, I stayed true to principles of composition, to bring depth and interest into each food scene. Finally, I played with the lighting I did have which happened to be a handful of tiny, but mighty table lamps. they (almost) drowned out the overhead lighting and allowed for some stunning light/shadow play. This got me thinking that candle lights or anything else restaurants provide for atmosphere can work great as one’s main light source in situations like these too.
That said, one of my fellow content creators also brought along a small light, the size of her palm, which she clipped to her phone camera. This worked really well as a discrete and powerful light source and could act as a great fall back option if need be.
EDITING RESTAURANT PHOTOS
Once I captured all I needed to with my camera, I had to do some serious editing in Lightroom. The images looked VERY yellow and, even though I didn’t edit all of that warmth out, playing with my tint and temperature did allow me to create food photos that authentically embodied the experience, whilst still looking delicious!
A FINAL NOTE…
Stepping into a restaurant photoshoot as a content creator involves striking a balance between filming and photographing content you’re proud of, whilst also living the experience fully. How else can you convey honestly to your community that it’s worth their while to wine and dine where you’ve been?
I can honestly say, this experience was a dream and just what I needed and I can assure you, if you love good food and (non-alcoholic) wine and cocktail pairings, then The Vineyard Hotel and Tasting Menu are for you!
P.S. The opinions in this blog post are my own. Neither the hotel nor the agency asked for a blog post and I’m simply sharing because I loved the experience so much!
BEFORE YOU GO….
Found this post helpful? Why not download my FREE restaurant photography PDF which includes some of my top restaurant photography tips as well as a checklist to make your food photography shoot at any cafe or restaurant a total success!
