Restaurant Photography.
My name is Nicola Claire McClean and I’m a Belfast based food & lifestyle photographer, whose specialisms include restaurant and brand photography. I offer creative food photography, food styling & content creation services to businesses including restaurants across the UK and Ireland.
My Inspiration.
Unsurprisingly I am a food photographer with a passion for eating out in Belfast, across Northern Ireland and beyond! I am inspired by local produce and seasonal ingredients and how they can be combined to create the most delicious meals.
The anticipation of seeing the menu. The first cheers. Catching up and belly laughs. Starters. Mains. Room for dessert. Always. It never gets old.
It is this passion that has inspired my love, not only for food photography, but specifically restaurant photography. Really capturing the essence of a space, all the little details, the chefs, front of house, the personalities, the interiors, and of course the food, each element giving the restaurant it's own unique identity, communicated through a photograph.
“It was very enjoyable working with Nicola. For me Nicola is an artist not just a photographer. I own a food business, and it as pleasure to work with someone who is as passionate about the presentation of food as I am!”
Nicky Wilson, Owner & Chef, Little Thai Café & Bistro
My Approach.
The way I approach a restaurant shoot, is the same way I approach any creative brief or photo call. Ensuring I understand exactly what each client would like from the photoshoot, the style, colours, the food, what mood they would like to create with each shot & what the images are for. A visit to the client's premises is really important to check in on light, and interiors - including table tops, crockery and cutlery.
Using all the information I have gleaned, the next step is to create a mood board to make sure I am 100% aligned with each of my clients, so we can hit the ground running on the day of the restaurant photoshoot and really maximise the time we have together, and the creation of engaging & beautiful images.
I get so excited about food, restaurants and menus, I love this part of the process!
Photoshoot Day.
I understand how busy a restaurant is, both in prep and in service, and how important an investment in food photography is, so my aim for every photoshoot, through preparation, is to efficiently capture all the required images. From gorgeous close up photography of drinks, to striking images of signature dishes, to large table scenes and flat lay images, abundant with scroll stopping food & drinks.
All the key details are captured and accentuated in every frame. We can also involve your team, a mixologist or barista in action, the chef or cook, putting the final touches on a dish at the pass or happy customers enjoying their food, including human interaction in the photographs further helps your clientele make a connection with the restaurant (and more often than not a booking).
As much care as it has taken to prepare the food, I echo in the attention to detail I give during each photoshoot. I offer food styling but also more than happy to work with a food stylist on location.
Let’s Work Together.
If you are interested in working together, please get in touch to tell me more about your project and we can arrange a time to chat through. I can't wait to hear from you!