https://cmcgcreative.wixsite.com/photography

Cmcg Creative, Halifax (2026)

04/09/2026

One of the biggest mistakes I see photographers make is focusing too much on the subject and faffing around with it and not enough on other things (take notes ✍🏻)

Whether you’re photographing a restaurant, hotel, café or event, people don’t remember perfectly styled images. They remember content that connects you to the business 🫶🏻

A few things I always look for on a shoot:

🤝 Interaction – hands reaching, people talking and genuine moments.
🍸 Movement – pours, serving, cooking and action instantly create energy.
👀 Anticipation – photograph the build-up, not just the finished result.
🎧 Atmosphere – capture the environment as much as the food or drinks.
⚡ Light with intention – hard flash creates contrast, texture and helps separate your subject from the background.
📖 Tell the full story – BTS, details, staff and guests all help build a complete gallery.

Was invited down to FEDERICO based in Manchester city centre for an end of summer party and a perfect way to capture the evening is just a simple on camera flash. Had a play around with a longer shutter speed to create some really cool light trails. Making the images feel much more immersive 👀

The goal isn’t just to create a beautiful photo. It’s to create content that feels like you were actually there. ✅

Whats peoples favourite the digital cam style hard flash or the slow shutter speed?

Like & Follow Cameron McGarvey | Photographer for more photography tips ❤️

My setup for this shoot:
📷 Sony A7R V
🔎 Sigma 28–105mm f/2.8
⚡️ Godox Speedlight (on-camera)

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05/08/2026

Shooting with on and off camera flash (tips in caption)⚡️📸

Flash has completely changed the way I photograph restaurants. Not because it’s brighter but because it gives me complete control over the final image. Rather than relying on natural laughing ☀️ (come on it’s the UK that’s as unpredictable as your last situationship)

For this shoot I mixed two different styles:

⚡️ Hard on-camera flash for a bold, nostalgic digi-cam aesthetic.

💡 Off-camera flash for cleaner hero shots, branding and more polished commercial images.

Both have their place. The key is knowing when to use each 👀

A few things I’m always thinking about when shooting with flash:

📍 Position your subject before your light. A better background often makes a bigger difference than changing your flash settings.

📸 Move constantly. I’ll shoot close-ups, wider scenes, people eating, branding and behind-the-scenes to build a gallery with variety.

✨ Use hard light to create depth, texture and stronger shadows rather than trying to eliminate them.

🤝 Direct actions instead of poses. Taking another bite, wrapping a sandwich or reaching across the table always feels more natural than asking someone to smile.

🥪 Match the lighting style to the brand. A sandwich shop, burger restaurant or street food concept can suit a much bolder flash aesthetic than a luxury fine dining restaurant.

My setup for this shoot:
📷 Sony A7R V
🔎 Sigma 28–105mm f/2.8
⚡️ Godox Speedlight (on-camera)
⚡️ Godox AD600 Pro II (off-camera)

Do you prefer the hard on-camera flash look or a softer off-camera setup? 👇

Like & Follow Cameron McGarvey | Photographer ❤️

Shot for granny_gs_deli at based at Green Room Leeds City Centre 📍

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28/07/2026

Make sure you save the post for your own photo or content shoots 👊🏻

One of the biggest mistakes I see in cafe photography and restaurant photography is capturing the same shot over and over again. Got to get creative and mix up the content 👌🏻

Photoshoot checklist for you:

🍽️ Staff serving dishes to the table
🙌 Staff holding plates towards the camera
📸 Edge-of-table flat lays for a more editorial composition
🪑 Wide table shots that showcase the full experience
🤝 Hands reaching across the table for food
🍔 First bites, dips and messy moments
☕ First sips of coffee and cocktails
🍳 Behind-the-scenes coffee making and kitchen details

The best restaurant content tells the story of the experience, not just the menu. When you combine food, drinks, people, movement and atmosphere, you create a gallery that keeps people engaged and gives your client far more value.

My Camera Gear:

📷 Sony A7R V
🔎 Sigma 28–105mm f/2.8
⚡ Godox AD600 Pro II

Like & Follow Cameron McGarvey | Photographer ❤️

Shot for Hatch Brunch House based in Halifax, West Yorkshire

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24/07/2026

Camera and lighting setup 👇🏻 (save for later)

So I use the Sony a7R V with a Sigma 28-105mm f/2.8 lens for all these shots. It gives me a wide variety of styles which means the client at the end gets a wide variety of shots to use too 📸

Then I’ll use a single flash which is the Godox AD600 PRO II. Depending on the style will depend on how much diffusion I’ll use. Typically this light will be placed to the side or it’ll back light all my shots. Flash power will be 1/16 or brighter 📸

Typical setting I’ll be around f/9.0 with a shutter speed of 1/250. This is so I cut out most the ambient light and also get most the dish in focus with a larger depth of field. I’ll adjust other settings accordingly.

The main thing I’m thinking about is telling the story of the entire experience.

When I shoot restaurant content, I’m always thinking about how the images will be used across Instagram, websites, Google, menus and future marketing campaigns. Variety is what gives clients the most value. So make sure you:

☕️ Use menus to strengthen the brand
🔍 Capture close-up details to highlight texture
🙌 Include staff interaction to bring personality
🍽️ Create clean flat lays for social media and menus
🪑 Step back for wider table shots that show the atmosphere
🍴 Finish with eating and action shots to make the food feel real

What shot do you always make sure you capture on a cafe shoot?

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Shot for based in Saltaire, West Yorkshire

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20/07/2026

The answer. Create more mess 😋 Content that’s currently catching attention feels more human, spontaneous and ‘messy’

Think first bites, sauce drips, finger licks, crumbs, pours and people genuinely enjoying the food. A brands vibe and personality needs to be shown through the content as this connects a lot more than over styled shoots 🤝🏻

As photographers, it’s easy to chase perfection. But sometimes the shot that feels a little chaotic is the one that gets remembered.

Here are a few ways I like to make food content feel more craveable:
🍔 Encourage people to interact with the food
🧀 Capture the cheese pull, sauce drip or first bite
📸 Photograph the making, not just the finished dish
🤍 Leave the crumbs, fingerprints and imperfections
⚡ Use movement to create energy
👥 Focus on the experience as much as the food

Don’t get me wrong there will always be a place for clean hero shots. But if every image feels polished, posed and predictable, you risk blending in. Be unique and creative. That’s how you create an identity and differentiate to everyone else

Do you think food photography is moving away from perfection?

Follow Cameron McGarvey | Photographer for more food photography, restaurant content and hospitality marketing tips.

Shot for Falafel Guys 🌯 sixsliceuk Big Buns Burgers based in Leeds City Centre 📍

MY GEAR:

Sony A7RV
Sigma 28-105mm f/2.8
Godox AD600 Pro II
K&F Concept 90”/230cm Horizontal Tripod

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10/07/2026

How I’d photograph French cuisine (steak, crème brûlée, w**e and more) 🇫🇷📸

One thing I’ve learnt from photographing restaurants…

Not every dish should be photographed the same way. A steak deserves different lighting to a bowl of French onion soup. A glass of w**e tells a different story to a crème brûlée so will suit different styles. And all food will require different styling to bring the most out of it

The more you understand the food you’re photographing, the easier it becomes to create images that make people stop scrolling.

A few things I’m always thinking about during a fine dining shoot 👇🏻

🥩 Use directional light to bring out texture and depth
🍷 Pair drinks with dishes to tell a more complete story
🧅 Get close enough to showcase ingredients and detail
✨ Respect the chef’s plating rather than constantly moving food
🤍 Keep styling minimal and let the quality of the ingredients speak for themselves
📸 Change your composition depending on the dish—macro, 45°, overhead and wider hero shots all have their place
🍽️ Finish with a full table shot to tell the story of the entire dining experience

What cuisine/food do you want to see next? 👇🏻

Shot at Restaurant @ Sous Le Nez a French Restaurant based in Leeds City Centre

Like & Follow Cameron McGarvey | Photographer for more food photography, restaurant photography and hospitality content ❤️

MY GEAR:

Sony A7RV
Sigma 28-105mm f/2.8
Godox AD600 Pro II
K&F Concept 90”/230cm Horizontal Tripod

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Cmcg Creative

04/09/2026

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28/07/2026

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