...then get yourself out of that kitchen. Here are a few shots from a recent shoot at the Restaurant 'Antoine' in Paris. Photographing restaurants can always be a bit of a tricky exercise as most of them would rather you didn't shoot them during lunch or dinner service so as not to upset the punters. So therefore you're left with shooting an empty restaurant which can be a little lifeless. Occasionally you might have a place with stunning decor or a nice landmark (as seen below with what must be one of the most booked restaurant tables in Paris), but this is not usually the case.
It's always good idea to get plate shots and most restaurants will be only too happy to oblige (just don't expect to get to eat it - this will usually be done by the head chef in order to check the quality of the dishes).
So if you want some shots with a little more life and a bit of bustle then the best place to head to is the kitchen
Just make sure you get the go ahead from the head chef and if he says it's okay, then it's most definitely okay.
If you're having trouble finding the head chef look for the chef who looks the most stern and pissed off - this will be him. You can also tell him apart from all the other chefs who in contrast will have a slightly terrified look on their faces.
So you've got the green light from the chef and it's all good, the other important thing to make sure of is not to get in anyones way as you will be surrounded by lit gas stoves, knives and people carrying around large vats of various boiling hot, spillable foods.
These kitchens are usually small and cramped so a wide angle lens is definitely needed. Also watch out for the slippery floors, plus if you're shooting a restaurant kitchen in Summer be aware that even on a cold day these kitchens are on par with the hottest places on earth
Here are a few other restaurants I've shot from the archives. One here from a few years ago, 'Gauthier' in Soho. It was another that I was asked to shoot mid morning before customers arrived, the staff preparing the tables gave a few nice shots and some close ups of the prep in the kitchen also worked well.
More from this shoot can be seen on an earlier blog entry via this link
One of my favourites to shoot was the opening of the new 'Triannon Palace' Hotel restaurant in Versailles just outside Paris. The added element was that this was to be run by the chef the critics love to hate: Gordon Ramsay.
This was the daytime preparation for the evening launch and there was lots of interest, the man of the hour was dividing his time between his kitchen staff and the numerous members of the press.
He was good to work with and made sure all the members of the press got what they needed, he seemed quite on edge and the fact that the restaurant got a panning by the critics showed that maybe he had reason to.
And no, it's not an act - he does swear that often!
More from this shoot can be seen on my main website via this link
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