SCHEDULING
DELIVERY
NAMING
PHOTOSHOOT OVERVIEW
EQUIPMENT
LIGHTING
Single Dish
Hero shot
Background shot
Tips
VIP Culinary Photoshoot
V 1.1 - 2022.01.24
Uber Eats is an American online food ordering and delivery platform. Users can read menus, order, and pay for food from participating businesses using an application on the iOS or Android platforms, or through a web browser. Businesses photos are seen by thousands of nearby Uber Eats users searching for something to eat!
SCHEDULING
If you are scheduling for the first time and are not sure of the correct process, please read the instructions here to ensure that you follow the correct protocol with the business owner. By accepting this assignment, you will be representing OCUS in the eyes of our client. If a photoshoot already has an appointment scheduled, please respect this appointment and only assign yourself to the photoshoot if you are available at this time.
Assignments are not all the same. Please verify in the OCUS platform the number of photos you need to take, and confirm to the business the number of dishes they have to prepare.
DELIVERY
When and how to upload my images
Your priority is to take excellent photos. To ensure consistency across our entire community, OCUS is handling the post-production internally. Please respect the following requirements to make sure that we can deliver the best results to our client.
Don’t edit any of your photos (no crop, no edit).
Don’t remove the metadata from the files.
Select your best shots and don't send more files than required.
Follow the naming convention below (take some notes during the photoshoot to keep all the needed information).
If something does not allow you to strictly follow these guidelines during the photoshoot, you must let us know with a comment on your dashboard after your upload.
NAMING
To facilitate an accurate file naming, you should look for the link to the business menu visible on Uber Eats that we have in the assignment page. You should open this link during the photoshoot to validate the dish names with the on-site contact (the menu in the Uber Eats app is not the same as the menu available in the business). The names of the items you photograph must be the exact same ones that will be available in the Uber Eats app, otherwise your assignment won't be validated.
Kindly rename your files following this structure:
For single menu items: Dish_Name.jpg
For Hero shots in VIP assignments: Hero_1.jpg and Hero_2.jpg
Examples:
Cheeseburger_with_fries.jpg
Hero_1.jpg
Hero_2.jpg
Please make sure you upload your files to the correct category, and then confirm when you've finish the uploading process by clicking on send all media to send the files to OCUS.
⚠️ Send your pictures before midnight on the day of the photoshoot. ⚠️ Keep your RAW files until your assignment is validated.
PHOTOSHOOT OVERVIEW
Your goal is to take enticing photos that make people eager to order food from the Uber Eats platform.
⚠️ Remember to always shoot your photos in RAW format, but only upload JPG files to the OCUS platform. If you need to ask us any question, you can use the link at the bottom of this page to visit our Help Center, and we'll be happy to help you.
EQUIPMENT
CAMERA APS-C / Full Frame
General settings:
ISO 100 - 400 max
WB: 5700 K
35-90mm (full frame)
General settings:
Aperture: f/8 - f/11
Accessories
Mandatory:
Studio Flash
Tripod
Gray card
Reflector
Background (marble, wood, slate)
LIGHTING
The use of studio flash is mandatory for this type of photoshoot.
You also need to use a reflector to brighten shadows on the opposite side of the item.
Remember to place the flash to the left or right of the table, not above or in front of the item.
Single Dish
Single dish pictures are used for individual menu items, and they showcase how these are sold to clients through the app.
It can be a main dish, a drink or both (if they are sold together), sometimes they can include side dishes or a bigger portion for more than one person, please remember to always put the main element in the center of the frame.
Set a 45° angle by default for most dishes
20° for burgers and sandwiches
60° for soups, bowls, pizzas, etc.
Quantity
Refer to your OCUS Dashboard for the quantity.
Do
Center the dish and anticipate the 5:4 crop ratio OCUS is going to apply, we need to avoid cropping the plate (check example below).
Horizontal format only.
Dish should be completely sharp and ingredients clearly visible to understand its content.
Props related to the ingredients or business identity must be added to increase the aesthetic of the photo (except for standard, canned drinks)
Don't
Don’t include cutlery or chopsticks in the composition unless the business manager requests it.
Don't photograph elements/products that won’t be delivered to the customer.
Don't shoot plastic containers nor food directly on the table. In case you have no plate, you can use a board or a paper napkin.
Camera settings
Shutter Speed - 1/150
35-90mm (full frame)
Aperture > f/8 - f/11
ISO 100 - 400 max.
WB: 5700 K
Tripod, studio flash, Reflector, gray card.
Horizontal/45°
Ratio to anticipate (5:4):
Good examples
Hero shot
The Hero shot is the first photo of the business that the users of the app are going to see before when they are looking for something to order.
It's composed of a main dish surrounded by other dishes and decorative props (only reasonable and related type of food decoration) in a small quantity and related to the theme of the restaurant. A minimum of 3 dishes is required for this type of photo.
Quantity
One photo at 45°
One photo at 90°
Do
Place a dish in the center, then others around it (check the visual examples below).
Leave little space between the dishes, so the composition looks plentiful.
Remember to compose your photo with enough room, so OCUS can apply a 5:4 crop ratio and keep the other dishes visible.
Background needs to be clean of dust, crumbs.
Props related to the ingredients or business identity must be added to increase the aesthetic of the photo.