In the 1900s a new proverb entered society that still holds as true today as it did then: “We eat with our eyes as well as our palate.”

You have only to scroll through countless Instagram feeds of food pictures or stroll through bookstores filled with glossy cookbooks to realize that humans are enamored with the vision of food. Building on another proverb, if the way to the heart is through the stomach, then the way to the stomach is through the eyes! So if your passion and business is food, then professional photography should be at the top of your executive list. 

Not sure you need professional photography? Read on to discover just some of the reasons why!

Appeal to the visual appetite

It’s worth repeating. According to Dr. John Medina, “Vision trumps all other senses.” That’s saying a lot when you know how amazing your flavors taste and your dishes smell. But it’s pictures and visuals that our brains find most delicious and retain most effectively. So if you want to share your passion for food, your recipes, your restaurant, or your business, then start with stunning photographs that will not only make people salivate and daydream but ensure they don’t forget you!

Break the language barrier

Another point in favor of visual content is that it bypasses language. Photographs might even be considered the vocabulary of a universal language. With the right photographs, you and your potential customers don’t need to speak the same language for you to convince them your food is worth trying and for them to know it’s something they want. Images literally break down the language barrier. 

Spend money to make money

This might seem like a strange reason, but savvy business owners and entrepreneurs know that to make money, you have to spend money. What you’re really doing is investing in what you care about. An investment like professional food photography will yield dividends far beyond the amount you put in. And investing in your company is essential to your branding and marketing, to increase sales and entice new customers. Yes, it may feel costly at the outset, but the returns on your investment of money, ingredients, and time will far exceed the initial cost.

Share your passion

Investing in professional photography also shows your customers your commitment. It underscores the passion you have for your products. Customers are not as fickle or mysterious as some people think. In fact, they’re quite reasonable. They value authenticity, affordability, and availability. This comes through in the messages (especially visual) that you give them. With professional photography of your culinary creations and food products, you’re showing your customers who you are and what you care about. And they will get behind a product 100% that they know the company, chef, the owner is passionate about.

Emotions lead to conversions

Food photography appeals to emotions as deep as love. People want to eat with their eyes, to anticipate and desire, to know what they’re getting. In an Instagram and Pinterest culture where potential customers can easily save a pic of something they want to buy or try next (I know I do!), you want to grab their attention by their emotions. Help your current and future clients build their desire to try the wonderful concoctions you create. Let your professional photographs and visual content build up their emotions and their appetites.

Develop your brand

If you’re in the food business your brand is the way your food looks and tastes and makes people feel. Until they can get there and experience it themselves, you want to be able to relay this. Strong visual images aligned with your mission do just that. And investing in your brand with professional food photography can be used in so many different ways: advertising, social media, menus, websites, etc. If you’re just starting out and on a tight budget, rest assured that you don’t need many photos to make a strong impact. Even with our one-hour package, you come away with 30 photographs that are more than enough to launch a marketing strategy and establish your brand.

Build a team of professionals

Building a team you can rely on is as important as building your brand. And in a world where visual content speaks louder than words, you need a professional photographer on your team. Many business owners hope to save money by taking their own photos or having a friend do it. This can backfire in the long run. Unless your friend is a professional photographer, and unless you know how to wield professional photography equipment, you’re selling your products and your business short. Professionals not only have the equipment needed for the types of pics that make people stop, but they also have the skills to take a subject and bring a touch of magic to it. Their knowledge of composition, lighting, staging, and prop use, can show off the best side of everything from an empanada to a chocolate gateau! 

Enhance your SEO

In this technological world, business owners need to know words like user experience content, enhance your SEO, and optimize. That’s exactly what good, professional photography can do for you! Because our brains like visuals so much, people are statistically more likely to click on content with photos, and each time they do they help drive up your traffic rankings, making your website more likely to appear on Google’s coveted first page. Also, optimizing your images with keyword alternative text makes your website more visible in two ways: it becomes literally visible to sight-impaired customers and more discoverable to search engines.

We’ve covered just some of the reasons why professional food photography is essential to anyone with a passion for food and building their business in the food industry.

Now consider these questions:

• Do you need to build a stunning portfolio of your incredible food creations?

• Do you want to revamp your food business brand?

• Are you looking for a photography partner for all your food business needs?

If you answered yes to any one of them, its time to schedule a consultation. We’ll go over your business needs and tailor a photoshoot to your specific goals and style. Just reach out to us via our Contact page.

Want to learn more about why professional photography is important for your business? Check out this recent blogpost.