Photography Guidelines for Food Delivery/Pickup Apps
Uber Eats, Doordash & Just Eat
Please review and share these guidelines with relevant staff ahead of your scheduled photo session. This will help ensure everything runs smoothly and your dishes look their absolute best.
📋 General Guidelines
• Rescheduling & Cancellations:
If you need to cancel or reschedule, please let me know as early as possible. Cancellations within 24 hours may incur a fee, particularly if travel has already been arranged.
• Food for Photography Only:
All food used in the shoot must be prepared specifically for the session.
Please do not reuse photographed dishes for customers or prepare them only once an order is placed — the food must remain untouched, fresh, and available throughout the shoot.
🛠 Preparation
• Dish Readiness
Please aim to have most dishes ready by the scheduled shoot time, and all dishes ready within the first 20 minutes. This ensures the hero image (which includes all dishes) looks fresh, and no time is wasted during the session.
• Table Setup
Provide a clean, non-reflective table (e.g. wood) that can comfortably fit at least 8 dishes. If the table is made of metal, glass, or any glossy or reflective surface, it must be fully covered with an ironed cloth or other suitable material.
At least 1.5 metres of clearance on three sides and 5 metres on one side are required to set up lighting equipment.
If your space is limited (such as in food trucks or compact takeaway shops), we may need to shoot outdoors using natural light — please have a table and staff ready for this scenario.
• Plating
This is one of the most important aspects of the shoot. All food must be presented on regular dine-in plates or trays — not in takeaway containers. Even if your food is usually served in takeaway packaging to customers, this shoot is about showcasing your dishes at their absolute best.
• Garnishes & Ingredients
Enhance your presentation by adding garnishes directly to the plated food — such as fresh herbs, chilli, sauces, or other complementary toppings. There’s no need to provide raw ingredient platters; just garnish each dish as you would for a magazine shoot or Instagram post.
• Branded Items
I will not photograph branded beverages (e.g. Coke, Sprite) in standalone shots. They can only appear as part of a combo meal.
⚡ Technical Requirements
• Power: Ensure there is a working power outlet within 2 metres of the photo table. If this isn’t possible, please provide an extension cord.
• Internet: I require a wired ethernet connection. Please locate your modem/router and make sure the table is within 20 metres of it. Have your Wi-Fi password ready as a backup only. (Wi-Fi will only be used if ethernet is unavailable.)
• Hand Washing: I need access to a proper hand-washing station with soap and water — not just sanitiser — so I can remove grease or residue from my hands during the session.
⏰ Timing
• I aim to arrive 15 minutes before the scheduled shoot time to set up equipment.
• Please ensure most food prep is completed before I arrive, as we’ll be working on a very tight timeframe.
• The shoot is structured as follows:
First 20 minutes: Individual dish photography
Next 20 minutes: Hero image (all dishes arranged together)
Final 20 minutes: Pack down, renaming, and uploading of images
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why is this photo shoot so important?
A: A professional photo shoot is crucial for maximizing your restaurant’s visibility and orders. A minimum of 3 item photos and a cover image are required to list your restaurant. Restaurants with 10+ photos on the platform see a 30-50% increase in orders. Plus, this photo shoot is available for free for a limited time, making it an excellent opportunity to showcase your dishes and boost your online presence.
Q: Can I wait until you arrive to start preparing the food so it’s as fresh as possible?
A: To ensure we stay on schedule, the bulk of the food preparation needs to be completed before I arrive. However, if a dish is particularly delicate or time-sensitive, you’re welcome to save the final touches for when I am there. This way, we can capture the food at its absolute best while still keeping the session efficient.
Q: Do you provide plates, props, or garnishes? Will you bring a table?
A: No. I provide all photography equipment, including lighting and camera gear, but the restaurant is responsible for supplying everything else needed for the shoot. This includes a clean, non-reflective table (preferably wooden) large enough to fit at least 8 dishes. If the table surface is glass, metal, or glossy, it must be fully covered with an ironed cloth. You’ll also need to provide dine-in plates or trays instead of takeaway containers, as well as fresh garnishes and any other presentation items. If you’re operating a food truck or working in a small space, I recommend bringing a foldable table and cloth — these can be found at most hardware stores. Proper plating and setup are essential for achieving high-quality results.
Q: I’m worried you might not show up, and I’ll waste all the food.
A: I completely understand your concern, and I want to reassure you that I’ve photographed over 400 restaurants and have never missed a session. While I might occasionally arrive a few minutes late due to scheduling challenges, I always show up. If you need extra reassurance, you’re welcome to call or text me as many times as needed. Your time and effort are important to me, and I am committed to delivering as planned.
Q: What happens if I need to cancel or reschedule the photo shoot?
A: If you need to cancel or reschedule, please let me know as soon as possible. Cancellations made within 24 hours of the session may incur a fee.
Q: Can you wait for a customer to order the food, quickly photograph it, and then give it to the customer?
A: Absolutely not. Not only is this unhygienic and unprofessional, but it is also impractical for the photo session. I need to include multiple dishes in the same shot for the hero shot, which would not be possible if the food is being served to customers. The dishes used for photography should be prepared exclusively for the session to ensure the best quality and presentation.
Q: Can we reuse the food after the shoot?
A: All dishes must be prepared specifically for the session and must not be served to customers during the shoot. The food needs to remain fresh, untouched, and available throughout the session for multiple shots. Once the photography is complete, you are free to handle or serve the food as you see fit.
Q: How many dishes are you going to photograph?
A: The number of dishes depends on the platform you are working with. Both Uber Eats and DoorDash require at least three dishes for the session. However, Uber Eats allows up to 19 dishes, while DoorDash encourages up to 30 dishes. The more dishes you provide, the more flexibility we have to showcase your menu in the best light.
Q: Will I get a copy of the photographs?
A: Yes, all platforms provide restaurants with a copy of the photographs for use on your Google Business page, Instagram, and website. The photos are typically delivered within three working days. However, please note that these images are not to be used on competing food delivery platforms. This ensures compliance with platform policies while still allowing you to showcase your food in other spaces.
Q: Do we need a staff member available during the shoot?
A: Ideally, yes. It’s very helpful to have someone available who knows the dishes and can assist with plating, garnishing, and logistics. This helps keep everything running smoothly and avoids delays.
Q: What do you need in terms of internet or Wi-Fi?
A: I bring my own specialised router, which I use to tether my camera and upload your photos directly to the editor’s servers. For performance reasons, I need to connect this router to your modem or router using an ethernet cable — Wi-Fi isn’t reliable enough for this process.
If you’re unsure what to look for: your modem/router is usually a small black or white box with flashing lights, often near your POS, counter, or back office. I’ll need to plug into one of the ports on the back using a standard network (ethernet) cable.
This will not affect your POS, EFTPOS, or general internet connection — it’s completely separate. If ethernet isn’t an option, I’ll fall back to Wi-Fi, so please have the password ready just in case.
Q: Can you photograph our restaurant’s dishes for both DoorDash and Uber Eats at the same time?
A: Yes, this is possible if you schedule the photo shoots one after the other on the same day. Just make sure to request me, Federico Corradi, as your photographer for both sessions. This way, I can capture photos for both platforms in a single visit, saving you from having to re-cook the dishes on a different day. Please note that Uber Eats explicitly forbids using photographs taken on a different day or for a different platform, so scheduling both sessions back-to-back ensures compliance with their policies.
Q: Are you working directly with Uber Eats or DoorDash?
A: I am an independent contractor, which means that Uber Eats, DoorDash, and other delivery platforms are my clients. As a restaurant, you’re entering a collaboration with me, but the responsibility for payment lies with the delivery platform. I report to them, and they set the rules and guidelines for the photo shoot. Because I am working for the platform and not directly for you, the restaurant, I cannot accommodate requests to photograph in a specific style or showcase your restaurant’s interior, for example. The photos must align with the platform’s standards to meet their needs.
Q: Can I provide my own photographs instead?
A: While the delivery platform requires that I photograph your dishes as part of the official session, you are welcome to upload your own photos afterward. However, I strongly recommend allowing me to photograph all the food you want to showcase for the sake of consistency and quality. Poorly lit or self-taken photos may not have the same impact, and professional photos ensure your dishes look their best across all platforms.