Restaurants Banning Food Photography

This kind of rule is easily discarded by voting with your wallet.
 
wgm3446 said:
I can foresee a law suit coming of this because once the transaction is made, the food no longer belongs to that restaurant. A consumer can wear it as underwear if they wanted to. Now, if you haven't paid until you've finished consuming and checked out, then yes, there is a possibility for that.
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There will be no lawsuit, restaurants (like any other private business) can dictate how their customers conduct themselves in their establishments or the customer can leave.
 
rewted said:
This kind of rule is easily discarded by voting with your wallet.
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If it comes down to that, then that's the way it should. I'm guessing the restaurants that are really pushing these policies probably don't have issues with getting customers who don't need to take a picture of their overpriced food.
 
threeclaws said:
Thanks for proving my point, you people are the reason restaurants have to make rules like this.
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In what way did I prove any point of yours? You're apparently incredibly self-absorbed and can't stand people to do a thing to disturb your inflated sense of perfect harmony while in a public place.
 
sfsuphysics said:
Now if others want to do it and refer to it as "fine dining" that's their prerogative, I say it's douchie not because of any sense of "you could feed a family for xxx days.." or anything like that, but people who think that high of themselves that that is "worth it" for a single meal are "douchie" (and I apologize to everyone who's offended that I just called them a douche, but you are :D)
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So people who earn enough money that they can, without trepidation or financial discomfort, eat at a high-class restaurant, just as they can afford a bigger house or a spiffier car, are "douchie" and "think highly of themselves" by paying a lot of money for a nice meal, especially for something like a special occasion or a date?

Wow. The class hatred is strong in this one.
 
threeclaws said:
There will be no lawsuit, restaurants (like any other private business) can dictate how their customers conduct themselves in their establishments or the customer can leave.
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In that sense, yes. I agree, since it's private property. However, once in a public area, fair game.
 
Stiletto said:
So people who earn enough money that they can, without trepidation or financial discomfort, eat at a high-class restaurant, just as they can afford a bigger house or a spiffier car, are "douchie" and "think highly of themselves" by paying a lot of money for a nice meal, especially for something like a special occasion or a date?

Wow. The class hatred is strong in this one.
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Hey whatever makes you feel better at the end of the day man, even though I already stated if I wanted to I could eat at some of these "high class" restaurants as well. There is a limit to what I think food should be worth (yeah even "high class" food) and that's the end of that.
 
I've done this a couple of times, both times at close range (about a foot away) and without flash. Unless you have a problem with the act of someone taking a picture of their food and are looking out for it like a hawk, you'd be hard pressed to have noticed it to be bothered by it.

It seems the kind of places that would probably enforce this sort of policy would be high-end establishments, where a quiet, dim, "classy" atmosphere is probably at least implicitly part of the package, in which case I can see how taking pictures would at least be bad etiquette. At rowdy, loud, sports bar-like places where something like half of the people there have their phones out anyway, would anyone really give a crap? If someone took a picture of their McRib at McDonalds, who would give a flying fuck?

That said, if a restaurant -- any restaurant, regardless of class -- makes it a policy to ban photography on their establishment, that's their right, and one that should be followed if dining there.
 
I would have thought that most restaurant food, on the plate, would be photographed because the customer liked it.

Bad food pictures cannot be trusted, because it is too easy to tamper with the arrangement before taking the shot.
 
Stiletto said:
So people who earn enough money that they can, without trepidation or financial discomfort, eat at a high-class restaurant, just as they can afford a bigger house or a spiffier car, are "douchie" and "think highly of themselves" by paying a lot of money for a nice meal, especially for something like a special occasion or a date?

Wow. The class hatred is strong in this one.
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The "douchie" doesn't come from them having enough money to do it IMO, it comes from the attitudes like "If I spent hundreds of dollars to dine here then God forbid someone else in the establishment might be wanting to take a picture of something and distract me from my eating". :p

"douchie" isn't about having or not having the money to do something, it's just as "douchie" to drive around in a $1,000 honda with an obnoxious exhaust as it is to drive around in a half million dollar sports car which can barely get over a speed bump to get the milk as it is to go to the milk in a giant truck that takes 3 parking spaces when you have a perfectly fine regular sized car in your driveway.
 
Tudz said:
The "douchie" doesn't come from them having enough money to do it IMO, it comes from the attitudes like "If I spent hundreds of dollars to dine here then God forbid someone else in the establishment might be wanting to take a picture of something and distract me from my eating". :p

"douchie" isn't about having or not having the money to do something, it's just as "douchie" to drive around in a $1,000 honda with an obnoxious exhaust as it is to drive around in a half million dollar sports car which can barely get over a speed bump to get the milk as it is to go to the milk in a giant truck that takes 3 parking spaces when you have a perfectly fine regular sized car in your driveway.
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I fully agree, but the majority of people I see react to luxury lifestyles with "douche" haven't usually thought it out past "fuck rich people".
 
Want to know what's almost as lame as tweeting pictures of your food and other bullshit from your personal life that nobody cares about? Trying to 'ban' it.

Never once had an urge to take a pic of my food in a restaurant until just now. If i lived somewhere where they were trying to pull this, i would make myself a twitter account and instagram, and even pinterest, and just post photos of every meal to the restaurant and then post them publicly; just as a big "fuck you" for trying to tell me what to do.

LMAO, good luck trying to enforce this.
 
i never take pics myself but they are useful to see on yelp when you are scoping out a new place to go to

i dont see why restaurants would ban free advertisement
 
shoot....I don't post it to the internet but I do take a pic of my food for this one particular restaurant to essentially log what I get since I always stop by every 6 months or so (on avg) almost like a diary.
 
So the restaurants don't take pride in their food and don't want their terrible looking platters plastered all over the internet? I could care less if the person next to me takes a photo... your out in public you should except it.
 
I appreciate people that post the pictures to review sites, especially when I use a "what restaurants and near my location" feature on my mobile device. Visuals are a great way for me to determine what is appetizing, in reference to food.

While I understand that certain establishments may frown upon it, due to wanting to be seen as 'high class', it is one thing to ask someone to put away their phones while dining and another to make it a news story.

I can also see how some 'regulars' to an establishment may not like it but it is a public place, even if it is a private buisness. With that, comes some expectations to excerise socially normal activities.
 
MikeTrike said:
The only good reason for a restaurant to do this, is if their food is shit... Otherwise I'd take all of the free advertisement I could get.
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This was my thoughts.

And If I just paid $100 for a steak (sides extra) I'm taking a F'ing photo of it.
 
threeclaws said:
$150 pre tip, no alcohol, is not at all uncommon at a michelin restaurant. Not sure how eating at a nice restaurant is douchey.
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Like others have said, I can see the no flash photography thing being said. If you are paying that much for food, and are stacked on top of other patrons to the point what they do quietly at their table annoys you, I suggest you aren't getting your money's worth or are so sensitive you should consider shelling out a few more bucks for someplace that isn't racking them and stacking them so tight.

It can be michelin star restaurant, if it is like eating in a fancy cafeteria, they can bite me, they aren't getting my money.
 
lol I know a person who does food photography, not a blogger but the person the resturaunts hire, he is also in NY. Funny I also know of alot of artists who try to ban photography of their product. To me these bans a a joke you cant stop the people who really want to do it, they will be motivated and conceal it. Plus there are just way to many cameras now days, every person has a phone with a camera. All you do is stop people who really are not problem. Such as in the art world, most people are taking a pic because they like your product. They might even be sending a pic to someone to ask if they want to pick it up. If you ban them, I can promise for most customers when you tell them they cant photograph they feel uncomfortable and if your tip is not bad, or they do not buy, they wont be back.
 
I don't take picture of my food, but if someone told me I couldn't take a picture of the food, I'd tell them that in that case I also can't pay for my food.
 
We have a whole forum section that has tons of pictures of food.

If I make something that looks pretty awesome, I usually take a picture of it.. It's good memories, especially with the kids. Pacman pancakes, etc etc.. it's just fun.

The only time I've take pictures of my food at a restaurant was one time in DC on business, when I had a dish that was so well presented that I had to brag to my wife about it, and when I was with some friends from work and I ate a Double Bubba burger.

Walmart has a no photo taking policy also. I'm pretty iffy on policies like these.... it shouldn't be a big deal.
 
Walmat has a no photo policy?!

Do they not have those little checksum box thingies that you -must- photo to read? Ha!
 
If any restaurant ever tries this with me I will simply put down my food, pick up my crap, and walk out. If I'm taking a picture of food you've just served me, and I'm about to eat, I'm perfectly free to walk out if you insult me. I sense I'm not alone in my approach.
 
If someone taking a picture at the table next to you disturbs your "dining experience", then you're probably not suited for public places. I would recommend working from home and having everything delivered.
 
ballistic90 said:
It's really not the same thing at all. Do you yell at people in a restuarant for talking while you're trying to eat?
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Seeing that they don't serve birds at restaurants except as part of the menu selection, no, I don't. Still, I was speaking about generally rude and inconsiderate behavior. It suppose my closest comparison would be like a squirrel chittering at me while I'm nipping at a carcass. It's annoying and disruptive. I like to eat in peace so I tend to end that kind of disruption. Permanently. Squirrel does make a nice little side. While birds cannot dine at restaurants, I do know enough about humanity to know there are certainly loud and obnoxious people that make eating at a restaurant unpleasant. You are saying you have never encountered such that have made you angry or annoyed at some point? If so then you are either very fortunate or extremely tolerant. If only all had such pleasant lives.
 
This is actually pretty stupid to ban. I tend to take pictures of dishes when I travel or it's something exotic. People are taking pictures because they are excited to be having that dish. It's free advertising. I've actually been inspired to eat at restaurants/food trucks after seeing photos posted on facebook. I do the same for exotic beers I like and want to remember.
 
I also think that part of it is the dumb instagram filters craze most people are stuck on. The restaurant wants their food to look a certain way. They don't want sepia tones and fake blurred backgrounds added to it.

As a photographer I hate seeing my pictures getting posted on clients' Facebook pages with horrible selective coloring jobs or way overdone saturation and other random filters applied to them with my name or business name still credited on the picture. It takes everything away from the time and effort I put into lighting, composing, and post processing the shot.
 
Private establishments, their place their rules. If you don't agree with the rule go somewhere else.
 
I've actually taken a picture for someone that wanted to post it on facebook, had taken a picture of a hamburger patty from a big mac next to a packet of mayo and the mayo packet was bigger than the whole patty, (mayo packets are usually about as big as 2-4 ketchup packets) so that burger was pretty flimsy.
 
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