Food photographer in Madrid

Lunch in Madrid begins around two, which leaves a long stretch of morning before the doors open and is the reason we shoot then, in the dining room’s own light rather than a rig we bring in. What that light is depends on the season and the street. In winter the low sun reaches deep into the room and rakes across a table, which flatters stews and roasts. In summer a lot of Madrid rooms are shuttered against the heat at that hour, and what you get is dim, even light that suits cold plates and needs a little patience. The city’s menu also changes with the calendar: a cocido belongs to the cold months and gazpacho and salmorejo to the hot ones. The right time to photograph the card is the week it changes.

When to book in Madrid

Half a day before opening, which in Madrid means starting at nine or half past and finishing as the first lunch guests arrive around two. Many restaurants here close one day a week; if the kitchen is willing to come in, that day is ideal, because nothing competes with the shoot. Plan it for the week the menu changes, so the photographs match what is served. Avoid the weeks before Christmas, when kitchens are stretched by company dinners, and the part of August when your restaurant is closed or half-staffed. In summer, ask for the blinds to be up for the first two hours of the morning, before the sun reaches the window.