5 common mistakes restaurant owners make when photographing food with a phone (and how to fix them)

Great food deserves great photos – especially when you’re promoting your business on social media, your website, or delivery platforms. But all too often, amazing dishes are let down by dark, blurry, or unappetising images. The good news? With a few tweaks to how you use your phone and set up your shots, you can massively improve your food photos – no expensive gear needed.

Here are 5 common mistakes food business owners make when photographing food with a phone, why they matter, and how to fix them fast.

1. Using Artificial or Low Light

Why it matters:
Lighting is everything in food photography. Overhead kitchen lights can create nasty shadows and colour casts, while dim lighting makes photos grainy or blurry.

Quick fix:

• Turn off artificial lights and use natural light from a nearby window instead.

• Shoot during the day and place your dish near the window, ideally with light coming from the side.

• Don't shoot in bright sunshine. Pick a table by a window but in the shade.

Pro tip: Tap on your phone screen on the main subject to focus and adjust the brightness slider if the image looks too dark or bright.

2. Shooting from the Wrong Angle

Why it matters:
Some foods look best from above (think flat dishes like pizzas or platters), while others shine from the side (like burgers or stacked pancakes). The wrong angle can flatten or distort your food.

Quick fix:

• Try shooting from different angles: directly overhead (flat lay), 45 degrees, and straight on.

• If the light looks dull and flat try tweaking the angle slightly to see if it makes a difference.

• Choose the one that makes the dish look most appetising and shows off its shape or layers.

Remember: You don’t have to photograph everything from the same angle. Mix it up depending on the dish.

3. Cluttered or Distracting Backgrounds

Why it matters:
Too much going on in the background draws attention away from the food. Messy surfaces, packaging, or random kitchen items can make a great dish look unprofessional.

Quick fix:

• Keep it simple. Use a clean surface like a wooden board, white plate, or plain background.

• Add one or two props if relevant – think cutlery, ingredients, or napkins – but keep the focus on the food.

• Move anything distracting out of the frame.

Aim for less clutter and make the food the hero of the shot.

4. Not Cleaning the Lens

Why it matters:
Your phone spends a lot of time in your pocket, apron, or bag. A smudged lens can cause blurry, dull photos with low contrast – and you might not even realise why.

Quick fix:

• Wipe the lens gently with a clean cloth before you shoot.

• Make it part of your routine before every photo session.

It's a tiny habit that makes a huge difference to image quality.

5. Not editing or over-editing

Why it matters:
Unedited photos often look dull and flat, making the food look unappetising. Over-edited images make the food look un-natural.

Quick fix:

• Use your phone’s built-in editing tools or a free app like Snapseed or Lightroom Mobile.

• Adjust brightness, contrast, and warmth to enhance the image without making it look fake.

• Avoid filters that add strong colour tints or vignettes.

Think of editing as polishing the photo, not changing it completely.