Recently I met with a food client to discuss visual direction for their brand. We talked about the nuances between high end dining and gastro pub presentation. Rustic versus refined. Dramatic versus generous. Every category has its own visual language.

And then we talked about filters.

It’s fashionable at the moment to apply a preset and let it “elevate” an image. One click and the photograph feels stylised, cohesive, contemporary.

But experience teaches you something important.

Filters change colour.

Carrots shift towards yellow.

Greens cool into blue.

Blacks lift into charcoal grey.

And once that happens, you’re no longer honouring the dish. You’re imposing a trend onto it.

In fine dining, colour is not accidental. A chef plates with precision. The tone of a reduction, the brightness of a herb oil, the exact shade of a purée against a white plate. These are deliberate decisions made after years of refinement. When we distort those colours for the sake of fashion, we dilute the craft behind them.

That does not mean style is irrelevant.

It matters deeply.

High end food may call for sculpted light, controlled contrast and a sense of drama. Gastro pub food might lean towards warmth, texture and abundance. The atmosphere should reflect the experience.

But that atmosphere should be built through lighting, composition and understanding, not layered on afterwards.

There is a clear difference between reacting to trends and leading with expertise.

My background is rooted in years of wedding photography. That environment teaches you one non negotiable rule very quickly: protect skin tone integrity. You do not alter someone’s complexion because a preset is fashionable. Respect for tone is fundamental.

The same respect applies to food.

Today my focus is portraits and food photography. Portraits because of experience. Food because of passion and a genuine love of fine dining.

Both disciplines demand precision.

Both demand sensitivity to tone, texture and light.

Both require presence rather than shortcuts.

The image below reflects that philosophy. Controlled light. Intentional shadow. True colour. No filter imposing itself over the chef’s work. The dish remains the hero.

Trends will continue to move. Presets will come and go. Algorithms will reward whatever is current.

Craft endures.

And longevity belongs to those who choose it.

Ray