Photos for delivery apps

Delivery apps crop to a square and display it small, often under a finger. A composition that works as a wide hero shot loses its subject entirely at that size.

Shoot tighter than feels natural and keep the dish centred, so a square crop from any aspect ratio still contains the whole subject. Check the photo at thumbnail size before you upload it — shrink it on your phone and see whether you can still tell what it is.

A beautifully plated dish is not what the delivery customer receives. They receive it in a container, and the gap between the two is a frequent source of complaints and refund requests.

The stronger approach is to photograph the dish plated but portioned exactly as it is packed. You keep an appetising image without implying a presentation that cannot survive a courier bag.

A listing where every photo has a different background, white balance and angle reads as untrustworthy, even when each individual photo is decent.

Pick one surface and one light direction and shoot the whole menu that way in a single session. A consistent set of ordinary photos outperforms a mixed set containing a few great ones.