Photographing a Bar can be a complicated task, for two main reasons, Availability and Atmosphere.
Availability – We usually capture Bars and Restaurants during the dusk/evening time and the bar usually opens afternoon until the early morning.
Capturing the atmosphere in day time can be challenging.
So, first and foremost it is important to include the feel and mood of the space, usually more dark that is very difficult to capture just in a single frame.
While we always recommend capturing a bar during the late afternoon or nighttime to avoid the exterior look, sometimes it is not possible due to the operations of the existing space.
Working with artificial / studio lighting can help balance the exterior light and create the mood we are looking for.
It also helps us compensate for the exterior and interior light and the usually dark environment, it also helps us highlight wood and other surfaces that a single image can never capture and show the true color of materials.
Bars are usually hung out with friends oriented, it is important to capture the versatility of the space in a single image.
For example, Booths and Bar, or different sitting places to help the customers imagine how their hospitality experience will be.
It is also important to note that consumer behavior changes among customers and some prefer to sit in both, some on the bar and some on a corner so it Is recommended to capture all those sitting options and the mood and feel of the space.
A great bar we had the pleasure of working within Berlin is called the Brew Dog designed by Bruton Hospitality and features a renovation while preserving the structure and original elements.
It was important for us to capture an overview that shows the bar, sitting tables, sidebar, glimpse both, and show there is another floor upstairs with great architectural features.
The second one used to focus on the sitting area and booths, also hinting at the upper floor in the corner, just to get the “close and warm feeling”, who “remembers” COVID right?
On the close up we wanted to highlight the cool led logo and feature that can be seen both inside and outside of the bar that gives the cool rustic and defiantly unique feature.
The last photo is a counter explanation photo, we just said keep the mood and feel, so why did we go for bright photos of the table you might ask?
We wanted the team to have additional photos to allow customers to consider the place as a hang-out place for work and business during the daytime, this photo might not be featured on the website but can definitely be used for corporate and private events.
So here are a few tips for photographing a Bar or a Restaurant.
- Photograph during Dusk and afternoon or before sunrise.
- Keep it simple and preserve the mood and feel of the space by controlling the ambient light
- Use studio flash / artificial lighting to embellish the photo and shape the light to your liking and needs.
- Try to incorporate multiple spaces in one shot to show the diversity
- Keep in mind that spaces sometimes are used for multiple purposes and consult with the client about other potential photos they might need.
And most importantly enjoy the experience.
