DiningBuzz! - Taking photos at restuarants?

Do you find it akward taking photos of the food at restaurants? If I'm going to quite an expensive, upmarket place I like to take photos of the food because of the amazing presentation and the fact I go to these type opf places rarely.

At a nice restaurant, I'd really prefer if people didn't. I like to sit in peace and not have flashes going off all of the time. At a chain restaurant or a low end restaurant, I would be less likely to care as long as it was within reason.

i don't think it's awkward at all. my brother is currently is taking photos of all his restaurant meals and uploading them to yelp.com.

I can image lots of people go to upmarket restaurants on special occasions so will be taking photos, especially to Heston's Fat Duck!

if someone is using a flash, or creating a commotion taking pics at an upscale restaurant, i'm out of their with a lot of noise.

restaurant allows cell phones to be used, i'm out of there.

not to happy when the restaurant allows the local tv station to come in and interview patrons. have stayed, because wife loves to be interviewed, but i am not pleased...........maybe if they interviewed me...

We took photos of our lunch at Le Jules Verne (http://www.lejulesverne-paris.com/). We were next to a window so the flash wasn't as noticeable as if we were sitting away from the windows.

I take pics all the time at restaurants. As long as you're considerate to others and disabling the flash it's fine.

The little LED on my BB Tour pointed down to the table is not going to cause much distraction of other diners, but I've found it hard to get good pictures of food unless I'm shooting in natural light.

Recently while sitting at an outside table, I took about 25 shots of the horizon as the sun went down behind the water. :cool:

I can image lots of people go to upmarket restaurants on special occasions so will be taking photos, especially to Heston's Fat Duck!

I do it all the time (I have a food blog). The Fat Duck was the only place where I didn't feel at all awkward as most people were doing the same.

As for using the flash, that really is a matter of being sensible and appropriate.

I take photos discretely and with an aim not to disrupt others around me. If I plan to take a lot of photos, I usually ask for a seat not too close to other diners if possible.

A lot of people ask me what I had at a particular restaurant and it's far easier to send a few photos. Also, since I've started to write restaurant reviews for Executive Road Warrior, the photos are not only good for the articles but also better than my attempts at note-taking during a meal.

I do it all the time (I have a food blog).

What is the URL for your blog?

I see many tourists in nyc who do that. It can be annoying, I must admit.

Perfectly acceptable if you don't use flash. None of anyone else's business in that scenario.

A flash going off at regular intervals would annoy me though.

What is the URL for your blog?

Well, since you asked :D

The Pondering Gourmet (www.theponderinggourmet.com) (http://theponderinggourmet.com/)

I have had to rebuild the site and so it's only my Fat Duck review that is on there at the moment. Will be updated weekly again from next week (I am moving house tomorrow).

many thanks for the link :) Slightly off topic but do you think the Fat Duck is safe to eat at now?

I'm somewhat ambivalent on this isssue. I greatly appreciate food bloggers and restaurant review sites to provide pictures of meals. Especially from Michelin guide restaurants and the like where I'm likely to spend $100+ on a meal.

At the same time, if I'm actually there enjoying the meal the last thing I'd want to experience are camera flashes going of left and right (this happened to me recently at Michelin * restaurant Cinc Sentits in Barcelona).

If people are going to photograph their food I think at least they would have the consideration to use a continuous light flash so as to not interfere wuth other guests experience.

many thanks for the link :) Slightly off topic but do you think the Fat Duck is safe to eat at now?

Absolutely safe.

Unless you are a food critic or food blogger there is no reason to be taking photos of the food in the restaurant. Its like tourist who go to Tao in NYC and start taking photos as if they have never been in an asian restaurant.

Well, since you asked :D

The Pondering Gourmet (www.theponderinggourmet.com) (http://theponderinggourmet.com/)

I have had to rebuild the site and so it's only my Fat Duck review that is on there at the moment. Will be updated weekly again from next week (I am moving house tomorrow).
Thanks for the link - great review - and good luck with the move.

I don't see a problem with taking one or two pictures. Its an experience and a way to remember the evening. I'll take pictures at restaurants when I'm on vacation. Doesn't matter if its a chain or a 3 star Michelin restaurant - if I want to remember it, I'll take a picture. I know its intimidating to pull out a cell phone or camera at a high end place but once you convince yourself that they are just people and unless the restaurant has a policy of no pictures, everyone else can just pound sand. One picture isn't going to ruin anyone's night.

But if you're bumping into other tables, blocking servers, creating a scene trying to get a group picture...thats a completely different story.

But if you're bumping into other tables, blocking servers, creating a scene trying to get a group picture...thats a completely different story.
I suspect the question in this thread is more about taking pictures of the food but clearly taking wedding or bar mitzvah reception style photos would be a bad idea unless you are in a private room.

For taking food shots, people need to learn how to take photos without flash.

I bring my small canon point-n-shoot, with image stabilization and a "gorilla" minitripod. I might have to bump up the ISO as well to get a good shot with no flash.

I take photos on planes, in lounges, in restaurants.

I am discrete. I do not use flash. I don't linger awkwardly with the camera out. It's a small camera, I pull it out and snap the photo and put it away. And do it as naturally and to blend in to the movements and actions of a normal passenger or diner.

When I was at El Bulli it was fascinating, more than half of the tables were taking photos with flash. You could tell this was a new experience for them, I took photos but discretely as I saw flashes going off across the restaurant. Really quite amusing.

I had lunch at Taillevent last year (Michelin 2*) and was trying to discretely photograph my lunch (flash off). The Maitre D' saw me putting the camera back in my purse, and walked over to admonish me to "not forget about the dessert course". He was quite sure I'd want photos of that too. :D

Then he offered to take photos of myself and my lunch companion.

Unless you're using a flash diffuser, food pics don't turn out well with flash anyway.

The golden rule for me is "Don't disturb other customers".

You're paying a lot of money for a good meal, so are the many people surrounding you. Be considerate of them, don't use a flash. As long as it doesn't impact my enjoyment of the event (and high end dining IS an event), who cares?

I spent a few days in San Sebastian a couple of years ago and liberally sampled the region's several 3-star restaurants. At at least two of them, my table appeared to have been the ONLY camera-less one there.

I often take pictures of well-presented meals in restaurants. I don't have a food blog, nor am I a published food critic. I see no problem with it (I don't use flash, and my camera is set for silent operation). If you need to use a flash with a reasonable quality point and shoot, the problem isn't you, it's the restaurant not providing enough light to actually see your food.

I'll make an exception for the gimmick 'dark' restaurants with blind waiters. No photos there.

I often take pictures of well-presented meals in restaurants. I don't have a food blog, nor am I a published food critic. I see no problem with it (I don't use flash, and my camera is set for silent operation). If you need to use a flash with a reasonable quality point and shoot, the problem isn't you, it's the restaurant not providing enough light to actually see your food.

I'll make an exception for the gimmick 'dark' restaurants with blind waiters. No photos there.
This is where infrared film and photography comes in handy.

I often take pictures of well-presented meals in restaurants. I don't have a food blog, nor am I a published food critic. I see no problem with it (I don't use flash, and my camera is set for silent operation). If you need to use a flash with a reasonable quality point and shoot, the problem isn't you, it's the restaurant not providing enough light to actually see your food.


Ehh? As a avid restaurant goer I often frequent restaurants that have dimmed lights, especially when I'm out on a date or such.