Do I need to hire a food stylist?

For most editorial and menu shoots, I work with your chef to style the plates. If you are shooting for a high-level advertising campaign or a cookbook where every crumb must be placed with tweezers, I can recommend professional food stylists. For standard restaurant content, a stylist is usually an unnecessary expense if your kitchen team has a strong eye for presentation.

How many dishes can you shoot in a half-day session?

A half-day session usually allows for 8 to 12 finished dishes. This depends on the complexity of the plating and whether we are changing backgrounds for every shot. If your kitchen is fast and the shot list is organized, we can often exceed this number. Efficiency is key, so having a dedicated staff member to assist with clearing plates is helpful.

Are there extra charges for social media usage?

No, my standard food photography rates include commercial usage for your own website, social media channels, and local editorial press. There are no hidden licensing fees for standard promotional use. If a global brand or a national supermarket wants to buy your images for a UK-wide television or billboard campaign, that would require a separate licensing agreement.

Will you photograph the restaurant interior as well?

Yes, I often combine food photography with interior and 'action' shots of the kitchen or bar. If you need a mix of menu items and lifestyle shots of the space, we just need to account for the time required to move lighting rigs. A full-day session is often the best choice if you need a comprehensive bank of both food and venue content.

How long does it take to get the photos back?

Standard turnaround is ten working days. If you have an urgent menu launch or a PR deadline, I can often provide a 'fast-track' service for an additional fee or send over two or three 'hero' images within 24 hours of the shoot. All files are delivered via a secure digital download link that remains active for twelve months.

How much does food photography cost for a restaurant?

Restaurant food photography in Scotland typically ranges from £795 for a half-day session to over £1,500 for complex full-day commercial shoots. Ross Nixon Photography provides transparent pricing for menus, socials, and deliveroo listings.

The cost of food photography for a restaurant depends on the volume of dishes and the intended usage of the images. For most independent Edinburgh restaurants, a half-day shoot starting at £795 covers 8 to 12 dishes with social media and website licensing included. Full-day shoots for extensive menu rebrands or national advertising campaigns start from £1,450. These rates reflect the technical skill required for lighting, styling, and the post-production work needed to ensure food looks appetising and consistent. Additional costs may arise for food stylists, complex set builds, or travel outside of the central belt. Prices are generally inclusive of basic retouching and high-resolution digital delivery, ensuring the assets are ready for print and digital marketing immediately.

From £795 half-day

What's included

When you book a session, you are paying for more than just the time spent on-site with a camera. The standard rate includes a pre-shoot consultation to discuss the menu, lighting style, and brand aesthetic. This ensures the output matches your current marketing. On the day, I provide all necessary lighting equipment, modifiers, and backdrops to create a professional studio environment within your dining room or kitchen. Post-production is a significant part of the cost; every image undergoes colour correction, exposure balancing, and sharpening to meet industry standards. Standard commercial usage rights are included, meaning you can use the images for your website, social media, third-party delivery apps like UberEats or Deliveroo, and local PR without recurring fees. For larger franchises or national billboard campaigns, extended licensing may be negotiated, but for the majority of Scottish hospitality businesses, the flat fee covers all your primary needs. You receive a secure digital gallery to download your files in both high-resolution and web-optimised formats, simplifying your workflow for internal staff or external agencies.

How it works

The process begins with a shot list. We determine which dishes are the priority and whether you require 'hero' shots—highly styled single plates—or 'table spreads' and lifestyle images of the space. Timing is critical in a working kitchen; I typically set up in a natural light area or a quiet corner of the bar to avoid disrupting service. I work closely with your chefs to ensure food comes out exactly when the lighting is ready, preventing herbs from wilting or sauces from skinning over. Each dish is shot from various angles, usually a 45-degree 'diner's view' and an overhead 'flat lay.' After the shoot, the raw files are processed in my Edinburgh studio. The final edited gallery is delivered within seven to ten working days. This methodical approach ensures high efficiency on the day, allowing us to capture a high volume of quality content within the booked timeframe.

Local detail

In Edinburgh and Glasgow, the competitive nature of the hospitality scene means high-quality visuals are a requirement, not an option. Shooting in the New Town or Leith often involves working in historic buildings with unique lighting challenges or tight spaces. I am familiar with the logistics of local venues, from the basement kitchens on Thistle Street to the bright airy spaces in Stockbridge. For restaurants located in rural parts of Scotland, such as the Highlands or Perthshire, I provide clear travel quotes based on mileage from EH1. I understand the specific requirements for Scottish tourism and the need to highlight local provenance in food photography. Whether it is a seafood spot in Anstruther needing content for a new season or a West End bistro updating its cocktail menu, the focus remains on producing sharp, realistic, and commercially viable imagery. Being on the ground in Edinburgh allows for quick turnarounds and the ability to work around your slowest trading hours to minimise the impact on your daily revenue and staff operations.

Questions people ask

Do I need to hire a food stylist?: For most editorial and menu shoots, I work with your chef to style the plates. If you are shooting for a high-level advertising campaign or a cookbook where every crumb must be placed with tweezers, I can recommend professional food stylists. For standard restaurant content, a stylist is usually an unnecessary expense if your kitchen team has a strong eye for presentation.
How many dishes can you shoot in a half-day session?: A half-day session usually allows for 8 to 12 finished dishes. This depends on the complexity of the plating and whether we are changing backgrounds for every shot. If your kitchen is fast and the shot list is organized, we can often exceed this number. Efficiency is key, so having a dedicated staff member to assist with clearing plates is helpful.
Are there extra charges for social media usage?: No, my standard food photography rates include commercial usage for your own website, social media channels, and local editorial press. There are no hidden licensing fees for standard promotional use. If a global brand or a national supermarket wants to buy your images for a UK-wide television or billboard campaign, that would require a separate licensing agreement.
Will you photograph the restaurant interior as well?: Yes, I often combine food photography with interior and 'action' shots of the kitchen or bar. If you need a mix of menu items and lifestyle shots of the space, we just need to account for the time required to move lighting rigs. A full-day session is often the best choice if you need a comprehensive bank of both food and venue content.
How long does it take to get the photos back?: Standard turnaround is ten working days. If you have an urgent menu launch or a PR deadline, I can often provide a 'fast-track' service for an additional fee or send over two or three 'hero' images within 24 hours of the shoot. All files are delivered via a secure digital download link that remains active for twelve months.

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