Can you shoot 70 food photos in a day?
As aΒ professional food photographer in Johannesburg, I recently received an enquiry that went like this:
βWe need to shoot 70 dishes on day one, and 40 styled drinks on day two. Please send a quote.β
The short answer?Β No.Β And hereβs why.
Food photographyΒ isnβt just about snapping quick pictures. A big part of my work is helping clients understand what goes into a successful food orΒ restaurant photographyΒ shoot. Whether it's styled plates for a restaurant menu or product photography for a food brand, each image takes planning, creativity, and a lot of attention to detail.
Thereβs food styling β handled by a dedicatedΒ food stylist, as well as lighting, composition, test shots, and post-production. Every photo is carefully designed to make your dishes look absolutely irresistible. Because great food imagery doesnβt just look good β it helps sell your food!
Youβll see food photography everywhere β from printed menus and cookbooks to social media, websites, and marketing campaigns. It helps people visualise the dish and serves as a powerful tool for branding and promotion. Whether you're launching a new restaurant, revamping your menu, or growing your online presence, strong visuals are essential.
And the truth is, getting those mouth-watering shots takes time. Editing and retouching are just as important as the shoot itself. Without them, even the best food styling can fall flat.
On a typical day, we aim to shoot 8 to 10 fully styled dishes. That gives us time to finesse every detail β from how the garnish and chips are placed, to how the sauce reflects light. Trying to photograph 70 dishes in a single day isnβt just unrealistic. Itβs impossible! Just setting up the photographic gear takes an hour, and breaking down the set takes another.
Iβve worked on rushed shoots before, where the food came straight from the kitchen and we flew through the shot list. The results? A disaster! I didnβt include a single photo in my portfolio, because they didnβt meet the standard I hold myself to.
If youβre investing inΒ professional food photography, itβs important to treat it like any other investment in your business. Just as you invest in your space, your team, and your equipment, you should invest in high quality food imagery. GreatΒ restaurant photographyΒ helps build trust, tell your story, and make your food impossible to ignore.
Planning a shoot? Letβs talk about whatβs realistic and how we can create scroll-stopping, appetite-inducing images that truly do your food justice.



















