Galleries > Lifestyle/Scenic/Food

Hospitality Photography

PROPERTY: Quince Restaurant

LOCATION: San Francisco, California

SUBJECT: Chef Michael Tusk's Culinary Creations

Quince is a very successful and popular restaurant right in the heart of San Francisco. Chef and owner Michael Tusk is known not just for food that tastes amazing, but his presentations as a work of art. Combined with Quince's decor that is stylish yet understated, and this was a perfect location for a stylish culinary photo shoot.

As with many hotels, when we shoot food we also like to point out the style of the setting in which it will be consumed. These days, when guests are summing up their dining options, ambiance of the dining area can play a vital part in the decision making process. If a property has a dining area that is "camera worthy", we try to incorporate the food we photograph into the environment that it will be served in. This way, an image can tell two stories - one about food, and one about the overall dining experience.

Notice we used three planes of light on this photo. We lit the plate from three angles, giving off a nice texture to the food. Then in the background, we used a low-key light, just enough to bump up the exposure to provide detail in the table and chairs. Lastly, we threw a spot of light on the deep red bench where the two tables split in the middle part of the upper frame. This provided a nice highlight and counterbalance to the plate in the foreground.