Bakeries are some of my favorite places to shoot. There's a lot to photograph, and most of it looks best early in the morning.

Here's how I think about a bakery shoot, from what to cover to when to schedule it.

What to photograph in a bakery

The case

This is what people see when they walk in, so it's worth showing online too. A full case in the morning, before the first rush, tells people what you make and how much of it. Clean glass matters more than you'd think. So does turning on the case lights.

Single pastries

One croissant. One slice of pie. One cookie. These are the photos you'll use most, for your website, Instagram, Google and any delivery or ordering app. Each one gets its own clean shot so people can see the layers, the glaze and the color.

Cakes

Custom and celebration cakes need their own photos. People buying a cake want to see what you can do. Shoot the whole cake, then a slice, so they can see what's inside.

The crumb

Cross sections sell bread and pastry. A torn loaf, a sliced laminated pastry, a cut layer cake. That's where people can see the texture and figure out if it's the kind of thing they want.

The bake itself

Hands shaping dough, trays going into the oven, flour on the bench, loaves coming out. This is the stuff that makes a bakery feel like a real place with real people. It's also good for social posts, where people like seeing how things get made.

When to schedule a bakery shoot

Timing is the biggest thing. Baked goods look their best right out of the oven and for a short while after. Glazes are shiny, croissants are puffed up, bread has that crackly crust. A few hours later everything starts to look tired.

So I like to shoot early, while the first bake is coming out and before the doors open. That way I'm not in the way of customers, the case is full, and the pastries are fresh.

If you have something that needs to be shot at a particular stage, like a cake before and after it's decorated, we can plan around your production schedule.

Shoot the seasonal stuff when it's in season

Pumpkin loaves in October. Holiday cookies in December. Fruit tarts in summer. Seasonal items drive a lot of traffic, but if you wait to shoot them until the season starts, you're posting late.

One option is to shoot seasonal items the first week they come out, so you have photos for the rest of the run and for next year. Another is a short monthly visit so there's always something fresh to post.

Bakery and café photography around Philadelphia

I'm based in South Philly and I shoot bakeries and cafés around the city, from East Passyunk to Fishtown. If you're a little further out, ask.

One note: right now I shoot food as it's served. I'm not doing packaged goods or product photography for retail labels. If you need your baked goods on a plate, in the case, or coming out of the oven, that I can do. There's more about how I work on the food photography page.

What you'll want ready

A list of the items you want shot, with the most important ones at the top.
Extras of anything delicate, in case one cracks or slumps.
A clean corner of the counter or a table near a window.
Someone who can answer questions while the bake is going.

If you have a bakery or café and want to talk it through, get in touch.

Bakery photography: what to shoot and when