Shooting Komodo, a stunningly designed restaurant, was both a privilege and a challenge. Designed by ICRAVE, the space is a blend of high-end design, immersive ambiance, and intricate details, which made it a perfect setting for a photographer looking to push their limits. With its lush greenery, sculptural lighting, and layered textures, Komodo’s design demanded a thoughtful and calculated approach to capture its essence properly.
However from the outset, I knew this shoot would require precision. Working with two assistants and the client team, we approached each shot with care, tethering every image for immediate review and adjustments. Accent lighting was added to every scene to bring out the warmth, depth, and dynamic contrast in the space—without washing out the carefully curated atmosphere. This experience took me back to my early days shooting Opium Lounge for Stephen Dupoux in the early 2000s—those dark, atmospheric venues where lighting and composition made all the difference.
Beyond Capturing a Space: Translating the Experience
Keep in mind, a photographer’s job isn’t just to document a restaurant’s design—it’s to translate the feeling of the space onto a 2D surface. This is the ultimate goal, but it doesn’t always happen. It takes years of practice, trial and error, and relentless hard work to consistently achieve.
Reading deeper, restaurants are immersive environments. The interplay of lighting, textures, music, movement, and even scent creates an experience that goes far beyond what a single photograph can capture. The challenge is conveying that atmosphere through composition, lighting, and storytelling in a way that resonates with viewers.
Here, we chose an angle that highlighted the Bird’s Nest, then carefully lit underneath and within the structure, as well as the tables on the floor below. If you look further back, the other Bird’s Nests in the background are also lit, adding depth and cohesion to the scene. Every table in this shot also had to be meticulously placed to maintain balance and composition.
Some spaces lend themselves easily to this translation, while others fight back at every turn. The key is knowing how to manipulate light, enhance details, and guide the eye—ensuring that the final images don’t just show the space, but evoke the experience of being there.
Common Mistakes in Restaurant Photography
❌ Walking in blind
Never walk into a restaurant sight unseen and expect to execute a great shoot. A pre-scout allows you to identify problem areas like unwanted reflections, lighting imbalances, and potential obstructions.
❌ Shooting alone
A restaurant shoot is a team effort. Without assistants, you’ll struggle with moving furniture, managing lighting, and adjusting elements to perfect the shot.
❌ Ignoring lighting
Even well-lit restaurants need additional lighting. Relying solely on existing lights often results in flat, uninspired images.
❌ Trying to shoot a dinner space in daylight
Daylight intrusion can destroy the moody ambiance of a dinner-focused restaurant. If a space is meant to be shot at night, schedule the shoot accordingly.
❌ Rushing compositions
Tables, chairs, and decor flow through a shot in ways that can easily disrupt composition. Take your time to set and perfect each frame.
Pro Tips for Restaurant Photography
✅ Pre-scout the location
This is essential. Understand how the space is lit, where the best angles are, and what challenges you’ll face before the actual shoot.
✅ Work with 1-2 assistants
From adjusting lights to moving furniture, assistants are invaluable in keeping the shoot efficient and high-quality.
✅ Teather Up
Shoot from an ipad or laptop. Restaurants have hundreds of items that need to be moved arranged and spaced out. Moving all of them through the camera is near impossible.
✅ Hire a stylist (if possible)
A stylist can elevate the details, ensuring every element—from napkins to glassware—is arranged perfectly.
✅ Bring additional lighting
No matter how well a restaurant is lit, you need control. Accent lights, LED panels, and bounce cards help craft the right atmosphere.
✅ Eat at the restaurant
Experiencing the restaurant as a diner gives you a different perspective. You’ll notice details and angles you may have otherwise overlooked.
✅ Take time to work the internal lights
Work with the client to optimize the restaurant’s existing lighting to match your photographic approach.
✅ Bring color gels
Matching the restaurant’s lighting temperature or creating dramatic effects with color gels can add an extra layer of depth to your shots.
This shot of the DJ booth had only a few lights focused on the red booth itself. This leads to everything else being secondary supporting element. In retorspect it would have been fun to add some smoke to the scene a dj at the booth and few people sitting around. But alas maybe next time!
For this shot of the entry to the club above the main restaurant, we lit both sides of the plush entry panels. This helped really accentuate the clients design and bring an additional layer of interest. To keep the eye moving through the space and not getting stuck in the foreground we also accented the gold tables in the back.
See the rest of my hospitality work.
