Perhaps you’ve seen this article talking about how certain restaurants are banning the use of photography by diners. Honestly, I think it’s silly. Dining in a restaurant isn’t the same as it was 20 years ago. Really, it’s not the same as it was 10 years ago. Back then, people weren’t taking out their phones and checking their emails, or checking a game score, or even checking a text. (Okay maybe a text did happen ten years ago but that wasn’t that common yet.) Technology has made its way into the restaurant environment, like it or not.
So how does taking a quick snapshot of my food with my phone make any sort of difference? Is it different than taking a picture of my dining partner or the group that I’m with? I may be taking out my phone (which is emitting light) for a different reason, one that the restaurant encourages, like using a Groupon or checking in on Foursquare. Why is that okay and not distracting but taking a picture is not?
That said, when I do take pictures at restaurants, I try to be discreet about it. I judge each unique restaurant situation on whether or not I feel it’s appropriate to take a picture. For me, that mainly has to do with two things – the amount of light in the restaurant and the company I’m with.
If a restaurant is too dark, the pictures aren’t going to look good. I don’t like using the flash for two reasons – I do think it’s distracting to others and also it makes the pictures look bad. I’ll sometimes take a picture sans flash and lighten it up in Photoshop but that never looks really great ether. So if a restaurant is dark, I usually keep my phone hidden in my purse.
I’m more likely to take pictures if I’m just with Jason because he knows that’s what I do. Let’s face it, it’s weird to take pictures of your food. If you’re reading this, you might do it too, but to the rest of the world, it’s kinda strange! Sometimes I just don’t want to explain myself, so I keep the camera away.
That said, I think if I’m dining in a restaurant, giving them my money, I should be allowed to have the experience that I want to have and if that includes taking a picture of my veggie burger and blogging about it later on, I should be allowed to do so. Really, it’s good publicity for the restaurant. I’m much more likely to write a blog post talking about something that was really delicious (and showing the picture) than something that was really horrible.
What are your thoughts on taking pictures in restaurants?
What a strange thing for restaurants to ban. It’s free marketing for them and with the competitive nature of the food industry, it seems completely counter-intuitive. I take pictures in restaurants when it’s a meal I want to share – i don’t do it as often as I used to and I don’t always share it after. I’m not standing on chairs and such, but really, people are more obnoxious and distracting without any technology sometimes. This is very odd to me!
I think it’s becoming common for even non food bloggers to take pictures of their food. I have friends that do it just because the food is pretty or they want to brag about it to their friends later. I don’t think flash photography is appropriate, and like you if it’s too dark (or if it’s a particularly romantic or quick dinner) I won’t take them. I really only do it if I know the photos will turn out and I know I’ll want to write about the meal.
Oh, one more thing! There’s a really fancy restaurant in DC where it’s always been banned to take pictures, because they change their menu every day and don’t want their food to be overexposed or something like that. It’s kind of pretentious.
I 100% agree with you. Besides, it’s good (free) PR for them! If a resto banned me from taking pics, I would ban them from my dining list.
I think it’s OK if people don’t use the flash.
Why wouldn’t a restaurant want other people see how good their food looks? Crazy.
I read this article to other day about this subject. I took pictures of my food and in restaurants long before I started blogging. I never use a flash and I really can’t recall noticing other people using a flash around me. Guess it is up to the restaurant what they want to allow or not allow but sort of crazy if they decide to ban it. Thank goodness Local Three didn’t ban me from taking pictures this past weekend bc I think I took about 10.
Woah I hadn’t seen this article! I always feel a little weird whipping my huge camera out at a restaurant but I do it anyways because I love food and I love to capture what I eat so that I can remember it. I never use flash–I can’t even imagine the embarrassment that would cause! I think restaurants should be embracing the fact that diners want to take pictures of their food, not discouraging it.
Exactly what Laura said- it’s free PR! Free advertising! If I take a photo of a beautiful meal and Instagram it, someone is going to want to go and get the same thing! People need to get over themselves.
That is totally ridiculous! Restaurants know that when you photograph/post photographs of the food at their restaurants, you can BRING business in!
My understanding of the ban is that the main problem is flash photography. While you may not use it, SO many people do, and it’s so obnoxious in a restaurant even if it’s not dark. I swear it happens at every meal when I eat out in NYC.
I can understand how flash would be annoying, but why not just ban using a flash and not taking a picture without one?
I think it’s kind of like how they ban ALL electronics on planes. Only ones with a wireless signal are a problem, but it’s too difficult for them to distinguish, so it’s easier to ban them all.