How to politely take photographs of restaurant food

Do you ever fancy whipping out your camera at a restaurant to take a photograph of the food you have been served before you tuck in?

I certainly do, but it is one of the things I have never been able to overcome, unlike Robyn Lee who has written an article on this very subject (and is the inspiration for this article) or Matt Mullenweg (co creator of WordPress) who also likes to indulge in spot of food photography.

Sometimes it seems just too inappropriate to whip out a camera and start clicking away, especially if the restaurant is at the higher end of the market, but I guess it can depend upon a lot of factors, not least the people sitting at the tables in your proximity.

In an article by Helena Echlin on Chow, Joe Catterson, general manager of Alinea in Chicago, says that many of the diners in his restaurant will grab a few shots of each course before tucking in. He remembers one couple who showed up at the restaurant without their camera; “They got in a cab, went back to their hotel to get it, and then came back for dinner 45 minutes late”.

How to politely take photographs of restaurant food

Don’t use flash – if the lighting is low, whack up the ISO level on your camera

Limit yourself to one or two angles – don’t get off your chair and move around the table looking for a range of wonderful views

No aerial shots – please don’t stand on a chair to a shot of the whole table

Respect other diners around you

Don’t let the food go cold

What do you think of taking photographs of food in restaurants? Are you for or against it? Do you indulge? Do you “tsk” when you hear the click of a camera? We would love to know what you think, please comment below.