On delivery platforms, you don't have a server to sell your dishes. You don't have the restaurant smell to make them appetizing. You only have a photo and a few words of description. The visual quality of your listing directly determines your online revenue.
Why is the photo so important?
Il est souvent dit que "une image vaut mille mots". C'est une expression qui souligne l'impact puissant et immédiat d'une image. Mais pourquoi les photos sont-elles si importantes ?
- Mémoire et émotion: Les photos capturent des moments spécifiques dans le temps, ce qui permet de revivre ces souvenirs et de ressentir les émotions associées. Elles sont un lien tangible avec le passé.
- Communication: Les photos sont un moyen efficace de communiquer des idées, des histoires et des informations. Elles peuvent transcender les barrières linguistiques et toucher un public plus large.
- Narration visuelle: Les photos peuvent raconter des histoires de manière visuelle, créant une narration immersive et engageante.
- Impact culturel: Les photos ont un impact significatif sur la culture, influençant la façon dont nous percevons le monde et dont nous nous souvenons des événements.
En fin de compte, l'importance des photos réside dans leur capacité à capturer, conserver et partager des moments précieux de notre vie et de l'histoire humaine.
The client scrolls through Uber Eats or Deliveroo for an average of 30 to 60 seconds before choosing a restaurant. During this scroll, it’s the photos that capture attention.
Internal studies of platforms show that a dish with a professional photo can be ordered 2 to 3 times more than a dish with an amateur photo or no photo. On certain items, the gap goes up to 5x.
This is likely the most profitable lever for increasing your delivery sales – far ahead of negotiated commissions or promotions.
The Principles of a Good Food Photo
Here are the key principles to capture a delicious food photo:
- Light is everything: Natural light is always best. Avoid direct sunlight, which can create harsh shadows. Instead, opt for soft, diffused light – ideally from a window. If you're shooting indoors, use a softbox or reflector to mimic natural light.
- Composition matters: Use the rule of thirds to create a balanced and visually appealing image. Don't center your dish; leave some negative space. Consider adding props – a napkin, cutlery, or a garnish – to add context and interest.
- Focus on detail: Make sure your dish is in sharp focus. Use a shallow depth of field to blur the background and draw attention to the food.
- Color is key: Food is colorful! Highlight the vibrant colors of your dish to make it look appetizing.
- Tell a story: Think about what you want to convey with your photo. Is it a rustic, homemade meal? A sophisticated, gourmet dish? Let your composition and styling reflect that.
- Edit carefully: Use photo editing software to adjust the brightness, contrast, and colors. But don't overdo it – the goal is to enhance the natural beauty of the food, not to create something artificial.
- Shoot in RAW format: This gives you more flexibility when editing.
- Practice, practice, practice: The more you shoot, the better you'll get. Experiment with different angles, lighting, and compositions.
Resources:
- https://www.photographylife.com/how-to-take-food-photos
- https://expertphotography.com/food-photography-tips/
The light
It’s number one factor. A photo taken in bad lighting (kitchen neon, direct flash) will always be bad, no matter how good the dish is.
Ideally:
- Indirect natural light (near a window, without direct sunlight)
- Diffuser if light is too strong
- No direct flash
- Shot time: morning or late afternoon (warm light)
If you photograph in the kitchen, plan a soft light specifically – not production lighting.
Framing
The photo must "call" to the client. Some rules:
- Close-up framing : we must see the texture of the food
- 3/4 view or overhead shot (no pure profile)
- The subject fills the frame : no unnecessary margin around
- Simple composition : a main dish, few accessories
The basics
A neutral background highlights the dish. Avoid busy or colored backgrounds that distract the eye.
Good choices:
- Light or dark raw wood
- Matte chalkboard
- Concrete or marble
- Solid tablecloth
Bad choice:
- Kitchen worktop (visible hardware)
- Clinical white background
- Background with too busy patterns
The dishes
A suitable plate makes a difference. For delivery, many restaurants photograph their dishes in the tableware they would use in the dining room, not in the delivery packaging. This is a good practice: you show your best version of the dish.
Prefer:
- Simple white plates (they enhance the colors)
- Wooden or slate plates for an authentic look
- Bowls for poke, salads, and Asian dishes
The dish presentation
The dish should look “appetizing and fresh.” Some principles:
- Visible sauce or juice (for hot dishes)
- Fresh herbs or garnishes in the final stage
- Light smoke (steam from a hot dish) if possible
- No messy plate bottom
Photo Editing Options
Here are some options for editing your photos:
- Adobe Photoshop: A professional-grade software with a wide range of tools for image manipulation and retouching. https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud/photography.html
- GIMP: A free and open-source alternative to Photoshop, offering many similar features. https://www.gimp.org/
- Canva: A user-friendly online tool suitable for creating social media graphics and simple photo edits. https://www.canva.com/
- Snapseed: A mobile photo editing app available for iOS and Android, offering powerful editing tools and filters. https://snapseed.com/
- Lightroom Mobile: Another mobile app from Adobe, focused on photo organization and editing on the go. https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud/photography/lightroom-mobile.html
Professional Photographer
Cost: €300-€800 for a 10-20 course session.
Advantages: maximum quality, consistent photos, professional briefing, retouching.
To consider at least once for your best-selling dishes.
Service photo Uber Eats / Deliveroo
Platforms sometimes offer an integrated photo service (free or cost-plus).
Advantages: practical, integrated into the platform workflow. Limitations: quality varies depending on photographers, sometimes standardized.
Smartphone with accessories
A recent smartphone (iPhone 13+ or equivalent Android) with:
- A stable tripod
- A 30-50 € diffuser
- Some simple accessories (cloths, wooden boards)
With a little practice, you can achieve 80% of a professional photographer’s quality for 5% of the cost.
Apps of photo editing dedicated to food
Applications like Foodie or Lightroom presets optimized for "food photography" can significantly improve an amateur photo.
Here are some common mistakes to avoid:
- Utiliser "on" à la place de "je": "On" est informel. Dans un contexte formel, utilisez "je".
- Confondre "à" et "est": "À" est une préposition, "est" est un verbe.
- Oublier le participe passé: Le participe passé est essentiel pour les temps composés.
- Mauvaise utilisation des accords: Assurez-vous que les adjectifs et les participes passés s'accordent en genre et en nombre avec le nom qu'ils qualifient.
- Utiliser des constructions passives à tort: La voix passive est utile, mais elle doit être utilisée avec parcimonie.
- Ne pas varier le vocabulaire: Utiliser les mêmes mots et expressions répétitivement rend le texte monotone.
- Oublier les points et virgules: Les points et virgules sont essentiels pour structurer les phrases et les paragraphes.
- Mauvaise utilisation des majuscules: Utilisez les majuscules uniquement pour les noms propres et les premiers mots des phrases.
- Ne pas relire: Relisez toujours votre texte pour corriger les erreurs.
- Ignorer les règles de grammaire et d'orthographe: La grammaire et l'orthographe sont fondamentales pour une communication claire et efficace.
Photos in a tight portrait mode Platforms display photos in square or landscape format. A vertical photo will be poorly framed.
Group photo (multiple dishes) Each article has its photo. A "tableau of several dishes" photo for a single article confuses the client.
Photo taken in the delivery packaging Unless your packaging is extraordinary, show the dish presented in beautiful tableware. The customer imagines the dish as they will receive it – a dish in a cardboard box is not appealing.
Photo of the same plate for 5 different articles. With some modifications (adding a garnish, changing the sauce), some restaurants use the same base photo for several dishes. The customer notices this and loses trust.
Too dark or blurry photo. A photo that could be improved with just 5 minutes of retouching. Always retouch before publishing.
Visual Consistency
Beyond the quality of each individual photo, the consistency of your gallery matters. All photos should have:
- Similar lighting
- Similar framing
- A consistent presentation style
A document with 10 heterogeneous photos (some professional, others amateur) gives the impression of disorder and harms the perception of the brand.
What to Photograph Prioritizing?
You don’t need to photograph all your articles at once. Prioritize:
- Your 3-5 best-selling dishes (80% of your delivery revenue)
- The dishes that sell moderately and that you want to promote
- The new items when you add them to the menu
- Desserts and beverages (often neglected but important for the average ticket)
Update photos regularly
A photo from 2022 of a dish whose presentation has slightly evolved is no longer representative. Update the photos when:
- You change the composition of a dish
- You change the packaging or presentation
- You change chef or style
Every 1 to 2 years, do a complete photo session to keep your portfolio fresh.
Voici la conclusion :
Il est essentiel de reconnaître que la complexité du problème dépasse largement les simples solutions ponctuelles. Nous avons identifié plusieurs facteurs interdépendants qui contribuent à la situation actuelle, notamment :
- La déréglementation excessive du marché financier.
- La concentration du pouvoir économique entre les mains d'un petit nombre d'acteurs.
- Le manque d'investissement dans l'éducation et la formation professionnelle.
- La polarisation croissante de la société et la perte de confiance dans les institutions.
Pour parvenir à un changement durable, il est impératif d'adopter une approche holistique et intégrée. Cela implique de mettre en œuvre des politiques qui favorisent la justice sociale, la durabilité environnementale et la prospérité économique. Il est également crucial de renforcer la participation citoyenne et de promouvoir un dialogue constructif entre les différentes parties prenantes. En fin de compte, la réussite de cette entreprise dépendra de notre capacité à travailler ensemble, avec détermination et vision, pour construire un avenir meilleur pour tous.
Photos are one of the most powerful—and most neglected—levers for profitability in delivery. Investing €500 once in professional photos can generate several thousand euros in additional revenue over the year.
If you have enabled delivery through multiple platforms, use the same photos everywhere for consistency. With an aggregator like Pepprio, you manage your photos from a single interface and they are synchronized across all platforms.