Tytherleigh Arms
Pub Restaurant Photography
Featured Shoot:
The Tytherleigh Arms,
Axminster
I was commissioned by The Tytherleigh Arms in Axminster to provide a comprehensive gallery of the pub’s best features. They wanted to refresh their website imagery and have the option of using them on social media. I would be photographing the pub’s interiors, external courtyard, accommodation, food, drink and staff at work. In order to have minimal disruption to the business, we planned the shoot across two days, utilising time when the pub was closed or staff were preparing for shifts.
Accommodation Photography
I began the shoot with photographing the accommodation, and I brought an assistant with me to dress each of the six rooms with props. As I photographed each room, my assistant would be preparing the next room, and when I finished each room, they removed the props so I could capture some variations of each. This was the most efficient use of my time as the photographer, and it was a great benefit having an assistant on hand. With six different bedrooms, bathrooms and room facilities to capture, we focussed the first day on completing all the accommodation in the best daylight conditions. Luckily for us, it was a bright sunny day and I was able to capture light streaming in through the windows of several of the rooms.
Exterior Shots
Outside, I took shots of the building, both up close and at a distance to give a sense of place on the roadside. I also photographed the pub signage so that the owners could develop a strong sense of brand recognition with pub’s logo. In the communal courtyard we placed throws on the seating and used a variety of drinks to dress the tables. From breakfast tea and orange juice, to coffee, white wine and Furleigh sparkling wine, we photographed from day to night to give a sense of all occasions during a stay at The Tytherleigh Arms.
Evening Social
That evening, the pub was closed and a number of close friends were invited to model the dining experience. This was really useful for a number of reasons. Everyone attending was aware and consented to being photographed, which makes capturing a working service a lot easier without needing to navigate GDPR. It also meant that we could light the venue to best capture their experience. Pubs are so often dark, low lit buildings, and it’s always better quality when I can introduce some additional lighting for the purposes of the gallery.
I photographed a range of social settings, from customers having drinks, to browsing and ordering from the menus. Some of these were staged, but many were left to have natural interactions that I could capture candidly. I also used this opportunity to take headshots of the owners.
Interior Shots
I worked my way around the space of The Tytherleigh Arms, capturing the bar and restaurant from different angles. This included a range of close ups on features, furnishings and menus, as well as wider angles to show more of the space. I made sure that all the lights were on and we also lit lots of candles and the fire to give a sense of warmth and cosiness.
My shoot day also happened to coincide with the pub’s Christmas decorations being on display, and so I took some seasonal imagery that they can use in future years.
Food Photography
I moved on to photographing the food menu and used a combination of overhead and side angles for each dish. I’m careful to showcase not just the food, but also the high-quality plates and presentation. I used a range of different tables and locations around the restaurant and we also changed the drinks accompanying the dishes. This gave a nice variation on the photography, instead of each dish photographed in exactly the same set up. It makes for a much more dynamic gallery when you take care of the surrounding details. I also photographed some of the speciality drinks that the pub stocks, including a Japanese whisky.
As the pub prepared to open, I finished the shoot by heading into the kitchen to capture the chefs at work. When time was available, I took some posed headshots, but generally I allowed them to work and photographed stages of food preparation. We were able to get some great shots of food being flambéed and seasoned, alongside pasta made from scratch, and food being plated up on the pass.
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