How to Photograph Hard Dishes (Burgers, Pizza, Fried Food, Glossy Sauces) Without a Studio

Some foods look great in almost any photo. Others look terrible unless you know the tricks. The “hard dishes” usually share the same problems: Shiny surfaces that catch glare (sauces, cheese, glazes). Height that gets distorted (burgers, stacked sandwiches). Texture that goes flat (fried food, crust). Steam and grease that haze the lens (hot food under lights). This is a restaurant-friendly guide to shoot those dishes fast, with realistic results.

The base setup that solves 80% of problems

You don’t need a studio. You need consistency.

Light

Bright indirect window light is ideal. Put the dish near the window, with light coming from the side or back-side. Turn off overhead kitchen lights if they change the color.

Control shine

Use a diffuser (sheer curtain or diffusion sheet) between window and dish. Use a white bounce card opposite the window to soften shadows.

Camera basics

Clean the lens (every time). Use the 1x lens (avoid wide-angle). Use grid lines and keep the horizon straight. Use a tripod or 2-second timer.

Shoot for thumbnails (delivery apps are ruthless)

Before you celebrate a photo, do the thumbnail test: Zoom out until it’s tiny. Can you still tell what it is? Does it still look edible?

If the answer is no, you need tighter framing, cleaner background, or a better angle.

Burgers and stacked sandwiches (height + shine)

The goal: make it look tall, juicy, and clear without looking fake.

Best angle

45° is your default. Straight-on can work for tall burgers but it’s easier to create distortion.

The burger checklist

Pat wet ingredients (tomatoes, pickles) so they don’t slide. Keep greens crisp (cold water + pat dry). Wipe plate edges (always). Add a tiny brush of oil to the patty for life, not a full shine. Keep sauces controlled (drips are messy unless intentional).

Common burger mistakes (and fixes)

Top bun hides everything: lift it slightly or shift it back a few millimeters. Burger looks short: shoot slightly lower and center the stack. Glare on cheese: diffuse the light and rotate the plate until highlights soften.

Pizza (shape + toppings + crust texture)

Pizza fails when it looks flat or when the toppings are unclear.

Best angles

Top-down for whole pizzas and clean symmetry. 45° for slices (shows crust texture and depth).

Pizza checklist

Cut cleanly and separate one slice slightly to show layers. Avoid steam haze: let it rest 60–90 seconds so the lens stays clear. Show crust texture (side light is your friend). Keep the board clean (no flour chaos unless it’s a brand look).

Common pizza mistakes (and fixes)

Cheese highlights blow out: diffuse the light and lower exposure slightly. Toppings disappear: move closer and fill the frame; don’t shoot from too far away.

Fried food (crispness is everything)

Fried food looks bad when it looks soggy. Your job is to show texture.

Best angles

45° for baskets and stacks. Top-down for neat layouts.

Fried food checklist

Blot excess oil. Shoot quickly (crispness fades). Use side light to emphasize texture. Keep the background simple so the texture is the hero.

Common fried food mistakes (and fixes)

Looks brown and dull: add bounce light and avoid warm overhead lighting. Looks greasy: diffuse the light and reduce glare; wipe oil pools on the plate.

Glossy sauces (ramen, pasta, curries, glazed proteins)

These dishes look amazing in person and weird in photos because of reflections.

Best approach

Diffuse light to soften highlights. Rotate the dish until glare moves off the hero area. Use a bounce card to lift shadows without increasing shine.

Checklist for saucy dishes

Keep rims clean (sauce smears kill premium feel). Add one fresh garnish for color contrast (herb, chili, zest). Shoot closer so texture reads (no tiny bowls in a huge frame).

The fastest way to improve hard dishes without reshooting everything

Once you have a clean base photo, enhance for consistency: Relight to make texture pop. Clean up background clutter. Remove accidental hands/people in the frame. Export thumbnail-safe crops for each platform.

Related: /tools/image-requirements for export sizes. /blog/restaurant-menu-photo-audit-checklist for what to fix first.

One rule to keep you honest

Don’t “improve” a dish by changing what it is.

Use enhancements to improve lighting, clarity, and consistency. Keep ingredients and portions accurate so customers trust the photo.

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