Christmas Themed Food Shoot for Planet Hollywood in Times Square, Manhattan
This was my first shoot for Planet Hollywood in Times Square, focused on a seasonal menu of holiday-themed food and cocktails. Unlike some restaurant shoots where half the job is scrambling to find props or build a set from whatever happens to be lying around, this one was refreshingly organized. The team had clearly put thought into the presentation beforehand, which meant we could spend more time refining the shots and less time solving last-minute problems.
The menu leaned heavily into the holiday theme, with festive cocktails, seasonal desserts, and winter-inspired food items designed for both restaurant guests and promotional materials. Because these images were intended for marketing, the goal wasn't just to make the dishes look appetizing. They also needed to communicate a specific time of year and help sell the overall experience of visiting the restaurant during the holiday season.
Food photography is often a collaboration between the photographer, kitchen staff, and whoever is responsible for styling and presentation. When everyone comes prepared, it shows in the final images. That's one of the reasons I've continued working with Planet Hollywood on additional projects since this first assignment.
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 gallery >>
All images in this blog post were shot on a Nikon D850, using a variety of lenses, 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!