Cafes are known to have some of the most aesthetically-pleasing interiors, coupled with some delicious tasting and looking food, here are some tips to take aesthetic photos in cafes:
 

1. Shoot with natural light

One of the biggest challenges when shooting in cafes is finding good lighting. It is simply bizarre to bring along studio lights or a reflector to capture the perfect cafe shot (unless it is for commercial food photography). Hence, finding a seat with natural light will be very helpful to capture beautiful food photos. It could also avoid the yellow overcast from the artificial light on food and reduces lots of time during post-editing.

If you’re having trouble capturing in natural lighting, one way to remedy this would be to use artificial light such as your camera’s flashlight to make up for the lack of light.
 

2. Order beautiful food or drink

Everyone loves to see beautiful food and drinks. The colour and plating of food will add bonus points when you are taking photos. Just try to limit the food colours to around 4-5 types and try to avoid dull colours. Warmer colours, such as red, orange and yellow can trigger appetite. My favourite combination is always a cup of hot latte and desserts with strawberries.

One factor to consider when using a straight-on angle is the placement of objects. You don’t want your objects blocking other items in your shot.
 

3. Use props

Sometimes it might be slightly boring if you’re just capturing one dish and a cup of coffee. It is hard to come up with different arrangements. By adding props, such as a magazine, table cloth, flowers, or even a laptop, the added subject matter will allow you to come up with outstanding photos. However, it is important to balance all the props to avoid clutter and distraction.
 

4. Use a hand model

Having human elements in food photography helps to add a sense of a story to the photos. It is useful to capture moments such as pouring a drink or syrup or using a fork to poke before enjoying the food. It may be difficult to achieve this photo by yourself. Just ask your friend or even the friendly cafe staff to borrow their hands in the frame.
 

5. Capture the cafe’s surroundings

Other than taking food photos, it is also great to capture the cafe comers. It gives the audience a first-person view as if they are visiting the cafe at that moment. Sometimes you may capture the barista in action when they are preparing coffee. Using a grid is helpful to plan your shot composition and alignment.
 

6. Plan ahead and be fast

Shooting food in a cafe is fun, but do not take too long as the food will get cold and the coffee might have bubbles. It might affect the outcome of the photos. It is tougher to shoot with ice cream, smoothies and iced coffee as it may start melting and would not look the same. Hence, you should start to plan your angle after placing your order and start shooting after the food is served. Click here if you need some tips on how to frame your food!

Some people say, “The camera eats first,” which goes to show how much people really love taking photos of their food. While we can be pretty excited to take pictures of delicious food, it is really important to plan ahead to decide where to get the best lighting, what food to order and where to capture the best angle. Practice makes better, try to experiment with different angles, framing and props and you will find the best shot for you.