How much does food photography cost in London?

If you’re a London food brand, restaurant, hotel, or café, you need photography that makes your food and drinks irresistible, drives sales, and builds your brand. But how much does a professional food photographer in London actually cost?

This is probably a question you’ve asked yourself many times when looking for photography services. The true answer is there’s no one-size-fits-all figure, but there are market ranges and factors in London that dictate the final cost. 

So there are no hidden surprises when you book your next shoot, in this article, I’m going to tackle common concerns such as:

• What price can I expect to pay? 

• What do you get during a photoshoot?

• How to avoid unexpected extras

Why food photography pricing varies in London

London’s food scene is one of the most competitive in the world. From street food vendors to Michelin-starred restaurants, national food brands and supermarkets to best-selling food writers working at their new cookbook - everyone expects polished, professional food and drinks images.

Pricing reflects not just the time spent on the day, but also the skill, equipment, and creative vision the photographer brings. As you might expect an experienced food photographer in London who’s worked on national campaigns will typically charge more than someone just starting out.

Your food business type also plays a role. A small café might need a quick half-day shoot for social media, while a fine-dining restaurant or a national food brand could require multiple days, intricate styling, and specialist lighting setups. Other factors that influence the final cost are: the location, scale, and creative requirements.

Typical London market rates for food photography in 2025

While rates vary, these are common London market benchmarks for food photography prices:

Half-day photoshoot (about 4 hours): ~£350–£900

Full-day photoshoot (about 8 hours): ~£500–£1,500

These figures are for professional photographers with experience in the food and drinks sector and typically include the following:

1. Pre-shoot consultation and planning

2. Set-up and shooting time

3. Basic editing and colour correction

4. Standard usage rights for agreed platforms (e.g., web, social media, menus)

Common types of London food photography projects include:

Restaurant/menu shoots – capturing signature dishes, interiors, and team portraits.

Editorial and magazine features – storytelling imagery for articles, chef profiles or cookbooks

Product and packshot photography – clean, consistent shots for e-commerce, wholesale, or PR.

Please note: If your project needs food and props styling, location hire, or advanced retouching, those will typically be quoted separately.

Main factors that influence the cost of food photography

Several elements can push your food photography cost up or down that you need to be aware of:

How many images are required

The first thing to mention is the number of images you need and the scope. The more dishes or product variations, such as landscape or portrait and different angles, mean more time spent shooting and editing.

Styling complexity & props

A simple plate shot at your venue prepped by one of your chefs would be cheaper, this is because it is quicker to photograph and also quicker to organise, than a fully styled scene where multiple professionals intervene to help. More complex shoots often involve a food stylist to make the food beautiful for the camera, and a prop stylist sourcing bespoke backgrounds and tableware. Genrally, the way to take your shot to the next level would be to hire a food stylist, a prop stylist, and assistants, if the budget allows it, but please be aware that they add a substantial amount more cost to the final bill.

Studio vs on-site

If you need to shoot in a studio in London, that can add to the cost considerably, as venue hire fees can be high. But at the same time while shooting on-location can include travel time, parking permits, or working around a restaurant, pub, cafe, service hours. This can mean loss of income for your venue if you need to close for the shoot, or slowing down the photoshoot to work around your daily operations.

Lighting & equipment

Natural daylight is great for a relaxed look, but some projects need advanced lighting setups for consistent results—especially for evening or indoor shoots.

Post-production time

Light editing is often included, but complex retouching (e.g., removing reflections, compositing multiple images) may cost extra.

Licensing & image usage rights

If you are using images for social media or your website, the image usage rights are different from for national or international advertising campaigns. Wider usage typically means higher fees.

Some of my London photoshoot examples

Here’s how those factors come together in real projects:

1. Restaurant interiors and menu photography - Cantonese roast meat specialists based in London wanted some images of their new menus, venue and chefs at work. We worked together for several years, producing a wide range of images, generally shot on location.

2. Product brand shoot - Alphonso Mango, a premium online Indian mangoes brand commissioned lifestyle and e-commerce images their website launch. The images were a mix of recipes images, products and lifestyle images. They were shot over a few days.

3. Commercial food photography - Maison Organic an organic jams and preserves brand based in London required multiple shoot days, varied lighting setups, and careful coordination to ensure brand consistency while showcasing their products for e-commerce with a white background (packshot photography), recipes for a new book and recipes for social media and their website.

Budgeting tips for hiring a food photographer in London

• Prepare a clear brief before contacting a photographer:

• Include your goals with a moodboard, you can start by searching brands that you admire for inspiration.

• Write down a list of images that you need with formats (landscape, portrait, 16:9, 4:5 etc). Group your needs, combining different dishes for different purposes, seasonal menu updates, with team portraits, and product shots in one session can save on costs.

• Define the images purpose, for the photographer to calculate the usage plans.

• Discuss licensing early – Avoid surprises by clarifying exactly how and where the images will be used.

• Being organised beforehand means cutting down on wasted time on the day of the photoshoot and maximising your time on the day.

• When you think about your budget, think about the return on investment; high-quality food photography is an investment that can pay for itself in bookings, sales, and brand visibility. Many images are also evergreen and can be used for years to come.

In summary

So, how much is food photography in London? In most cases, you’re looking at £350–£900 for a half-day, and £500 –£1,500 for a full day, depending on scope and requirements.

However, these guidelines depend on your specific project, style goals, and how the images will be used.

Want photos that really show off your food? I’m Jennifer Cauli, an experienced food photographer in London, and I’d be happy to chat and help you create images that feel true to your brand.