This summer, I had the absolute pleasure of doing another menu photo shoot for Smith and Western, a local restaurant chain known for their Western American and Mexican themed dishes. If you’ve ever seen their New York burgers or sizzling fajitas, you know how tempting their food looks—and that’s exactly what I had to capture in the photos. As we had bottomless fries being delivered to keep them looking fresh at all times, I must admit I ate a few too many of them during this photo shoot!

The menu photo shoot took an entire day, and we spent a lot of time making sure every little detail was just right. Lighting and props were key to creating that mouth-watering look. For me, the best food photos are all in the details. For example, having a fork already dipped into the food, as if someone couldn’t wait to take a bite, adds that extra level of temptation. Or a tiny dribble of sauce oozing down the side of a burger, invite people to dive in and taste it for themselves.

We shot everything from double-stacked burgers piled high with fries and onion rings, to sizzling fajitas. Getting that steam effect right for the fajitas was especially fun—we had to use superheated plates to make sure the meat looked like it was fresh off the grill, hot and ready to eat.

What I love about working with Smith and Western is not only do they serve up great food, but it looks fantastic too. The photos from this shoot will join others I’ve taken for them over the years, and will be used in their menus, on social media, and in their printed advertising.

All in all, it was a long but satisfying day, and I can’t wait to see the final images making customers as hungry as I was while taking them!