Penne AllA Vodka
This restaurant in the Lehigh Valley boasts it Italian cusine. Why does it look so bad? If you want to sell food, do not intentionally post a bad picture of your food.
Packaging is Dominant: The most significant issue is that the food is still in its takeout container, complete with the plastic lid. The foil container is also not aesthetically pleasing and the plastic lid creates distracting reflections and obscures the view of the pasta.
Poor Lighting & Reflections: The lighting seems to be coming from above. Probably a fluorescent light. It creates a harsh reflections on the plastic lid and making the pasta underneath look a bit flat and unappetizing.
Lack of Focus & Detail: Due to the plastic lid and the lighting, the texture and individual strands of pasta aren't defined.
Unappetizing Color Palette: The pasta itself is a pale yellow, and while there are some green flecks (likely herbs), the overall color scheme is quite bland.
Lack of Context/Story: There are no props, garnishes, or background elements to tell a story about the dish or make it more inviting. It just looks like a container of food.
Garlic Chicken With Eggplant. OH MY!!!!
I give this dish a 10 on the YUCK meter. Who would even order this mess?
Overly Glossy and Slimy Appearance:
The sauce has a greasy look that coats everything too uniformly, creating a slimy effect.
The specular highlights look can be good in moderation but here it makes the dish look unappealing.
Muddled Colors:
The brown sauce and beige chicken blend into the purple eggplant, giving it a dull appearance.
There’s no contrast or brightness. It lacks vibrant colors, fresh garnishes and variety.
No Composition or Styling:
The shot is tightly cropped.
It looks like a random spoonful of YUCK.
Unclear Focus:
Visually, there’s no focal point between the chicken, sauce, and eggplant with nothing standing out.
It also lacks texture separation—everything looks similarly soft and mushy. The eggplant just looks plain nasty.
How I would Improve This Food Shot:
Plate it in a clean white or neutral dish to contrast the colors.
Add a touch of garnish: sliced scallions, sesame seeds, or a drizzle of chili oil would add visual interest.
Use diffused lighting with a reflector to cut down on glares and soften highlights.
Shoot at a 45° angle or overhead to show the shape of each ingredient better.
Keep some sauce but wipe the plate edges for neatness.
Mashed Potato Bowl?
The difference between a high end restaurant and this restaurant is they would never use an image like this to represent their food. So what is wrong with the image?
Lack of Visual Clarity:
The image is unclear in composition—it's hard to tell what's actually in the dish.
Everything blends into a single, shiny, yellow-brown mass.
Unappetizing Texture:
The glossy, mushy appearance with pools of grease or sauce makes the food look soggy and overly rich, rather than fresh or hearty.
The melted cheese appears clumped, rather than gooey and stretchy.
Poor Lighting:
The lighting is too warm and uneven, casting shadows and exaggerating the yellow tones, which can make the food look greasy or artificial.
There’s also no highlight or contrast to make any ingredients “pop.”
No Composition or Styling:
The shot lacks garnish, plating.It looks like it was taken directly from a slow cooker or pot.
No color contrast — Everything is yellow/brown.
A few tips for Improvement:
A soft box with a reflector to soften the harsh shadows.
Add fresh garnishes (parsley, paprika, green onions) to break the color monotony.
Plate the food nicely — maybe a bowl with a spoon, a napkin, or bread on the side.
Take photos from a 45° angle or overhead to add dimension and clarity.
Avoid using greasy or melted textures dominating the frame.
Sausage Gravy & Biscuits ???
What kind of slop is this? It looks tasty right next to the cardboard. I can not wait to put a fork in it.
Lighting: The lighting is flat and unflattering. It doesn’t enhance texture or color, making the food look dull.
Color & Contrast: The colors are muted and beige-heavy, making the food look bland and unappetizing.
Composition: It looks like a quick snapshot in a takeout box, which isn’t visually appealing or styled.
Presentation: The hash browns look haphazardly placed, and the gravy has spread unevenly over the biscuits, with no garnish or pop of freshness.
Bacon in a Box
Browsing the take out menus, I stumbled across this tasty looking bacon. Seriously !! How can you not be embarrassed to show to to a potential customer? It shows a lack of caring.. #DO BETTER
Grilled Cheese Sandwich From the Flying Pig In Bethlehem Pa
Adding simple elements is key. I love the knife going though the sandwich and the reflection. The cutting board adds layer of interest. The melted cheese dripping down the sides looks amazing.
BBQ Pulled Pork Mac
This image displays one of the restaurants featured menu items. No doubt this image makes me want to scroll by the menu item. Surprisingly, the restaurant in Stroudsburg Pa,has four locations!!! I am sure the food is very good but the presentation is lacking.
Potato Salad
If I did not title this potato salad,you would never know what it is. If you are in the Lehigh Valley, I would be wary of buying this potato salad from his restaurant. Obviously they have low standards.
Tasty Hot Honey Wings
I mean honestly. How can a restaurant post an image like this to show their food to potential customers? I would NEVER order wings from this restaurant.
Chicken and Rice Halal Combo
This is a great example of bad food styling. All of the meat is clumped together and the rice is hidden under the salad. The lettuce is also over the edge. Using a styrofoam container is a bad choice in presenting a menu item. As a potential customer, I would not want to order this from a website.
Lamb and Rice Halal Combo
This dish presents a potential customer with a great view of the meal. The sauces are spread nicely over the lamb and rice. The salad is stylized and more appetizing to the customer.
