La Perla Nacosta Restaurant Shoot on the Upper West Side, Manhattan
This three-hour commercial shoot for La Perla Nacosta was commissioned directly by the restaurant, which meant we had the flexibility to build a comprehensive library of marketing images without the time limits or shot restrictions that often come with third-party booking platforms. We covered nearly everything a restaurant could need for its website, press materials, social media, reservation platforms, and future advertising. That included interiors of the dining room and bar, exteriors, signature dishes, cocktails, and the little touches that give a restaurant its personality.
Shoots like this are less about grabbing a handful of pretty photos and more about creating a visual identity. Every angle, every plate, and every lighting setup is chosen with a purpose, so the finished gallery works across everything from Google Business listings to magazine features. By the end of the session, the restaurant had a polished collection of images that could be used for months to come.
Whether you're opening a new restaurant, refreshing your brand, or simply tired of relying on smartphone photos, professional restaurant photography is an investment that keeps working long after the shoot is over. My goal is to create a complete, cohesive image library that reflects the quality of the food, the space, and the experience your guests can expect.
Here are some of my favorite images from this shoot (click/tap to view full size and un-cropped):
To see more examples of this style of photography, visit my food and dining gallery >>
All images in this blog post were shot on a Nikon D850 using a 24-85mm zoom lens, and all individually post-processed in Adobe Lightroom using custom-built presets.
Jinnifer Douglass is a full-time freelance photographer based in NYC, shooting for both individuals and brands such as Google, Sotheby’s, Uber, Make Up For Ever, Squarespace, and more! Specializing in portraits, food, and special events, she works to make every piece of your social and website content ‘Insta-worthy’ with high resolution, full-frame DSLR photography and expert Lightroom editing. Interested in chatting? Leave a comment below, or send an email to info@jinyc-photo.com!