Free guide
Food photography shot list
Food shoots move fast: hot plates cool, garnishes wilt, and every dish gets one chance before the kitchen resets. This food photography shot list template covers the flat lay, 45° hero, action pour, ingredient still life, and chef portrait combinations restaurant, menu, and cookbook clients expect — so you can approve every frame on the laptop and move to the next plate without losing daylight.
Sample food shot list
An 8-hour restaurant / menu day. Each row is one shot block; a full run typically delivers 40–80 finished images across 10–15 dishes plus venue and chef portraits.
| Time | Shot | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| 09:00 | Kitchen scene-setter: chef prepping, morning light | 35mm f/2, environmental — not the hero shot |
| 09:30 | Ingredient still life, raw and unstyled | Backlight through diffusion, dark wood surface |
| 10:00 | Flat lay: hero dish, props, cutlery, napkin | 90° overhead, tether — check leading lines |
| 10:45 | 45° hero of the same dish, plate half-visible | 50mm macro, f/5.6 for sauce texture |
| 11:15 | Three-quarter with negative space for copy | Leave one third of frame clean for headline |
| 12:00 | Pour / action: sauce, cream, syrup mid-motion | Continuous burst 1/500s, second person pouring |
| 13:00 | Process shot: hands plating, sprinkling, garnishing | Chef's real hands, not stylist's — feels honest |
| 14:00 | Second dish set: repeat flat lay + 45° hero | Reset props every plate, watch for repeat backgrounds |
| 16:00 | Interior / venue detail: menu, bar, tabletop | Wide for context, tight on branded details |
| 17:00 | Chef / owner portrait in the kitchen | 85mm f/2, hands on pass or holding a plate |
How to build your own
- Confirm the dish list. Get final plate names, ingredients, and order from the chef before you plug in.
- Tether from frame one. Composition, sauce, and steam all get approved on the laptop, not in post.
- Backlight, don't front-light. Light behind the plate creates the shadow depth that sells food.
- Rotate props deliberately. Every plate needs a fresh napkin, board, or angle — or the gallery reads as one dish.
- Shoot the process. Hands, pours, sprinkles — social clients need vertical process content as much as heroes.
Frequently asked questions
How many dishes can I shoot in a day?
For a menu shoot with three angles per plate, plan 12–15 dishes per full day. Cookbook editorial with prop styling and hero + process shots drops to 4–6 recipes per day. Rush a chef's kitchen and every plate suffers.
How many angles per dish do I need?
Menus and delivery apps want a clean 45° hero minimum. Add a flat lay if the dish has topping detail (pizza, poke, breakfast). Cookbooks need hero, ingredient still life, and one process shot per recipe.
Do I need to tether for food?
Yes — tether to a laptop or iPad so the chef, art director, and stylist can approve composition, sauce placement, and steam before you move on. Untethered reshoots eat the day.
What lighting works for food?
Large diffused window light or one softbox at 90–135° behind the plate creates the classic backlit look with dimensional shadows. Avoid flat front light — food goes lifeless without shadow separation.
Build yours in 2 minutes
Start from a template, drag-order shots to your timeline, then run the whole day from your phone in Live mode. Free while in beta.
Start planning free