Why food shoots are priced per session
Food is perishable and time-sensitive. A crew needs to light the set, cook or plate each dish, style it and shoot it before it wilts, so the cost is mostly time and people rather than the number of clicks. Studios therefore quote a half day, a full day or a campaign, and the per-dish figure falls as more dishes share one set-up.
We could not verify published market price ranges for food photography in Lahore this week, so rather than quote numbers we cannot source, this guide shows our own prices and explains how to compare any quote.
Basil Studios food photography packages
We publish starting prices so you can plan before you message anyone. Your final quote is confirmed the same day on WhatsApp and reflects your menu, location and dates.
| Package | Price | Works out to | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essential | From PKR 30,000 | ≈ PKR 2,000 per dish | Restaurants and cafés needing clean shots for delivery apps and menus. |
| Signature | From PKR 70,000 | ≈ PKR 2,800 per dish · stylist included | Food brands building social-first imagery beyond just menu shots. |
| Heirloom | From PKR 180,000 | multi-day · stylist + prop master · stills + motion | FMCG and packaged-food brands launching a full campaign with print + digital + OOH. |
What changes your quote
- —Number of dishes — the biggest factor; a short menu shoots far faster than a full one.
- —Styling — a food stylist and sourced props turn a plain plate into a brand image.
- —Angles per dish — top-down plus three-quarter is standard; extra macros and ingredient stills add time.
- —Location — shooting in your restaurant saves moving food, but a studio gives full control of light.
- —Lifestyle and people — hands, tables and social scenes need talent; hand and lifestyle models are recruited on demand and fees are additional, quoted up front.
- —Motion — recipe clips and pours are a separate craft from stills.
- —Usage — delivery-app and menu images are standard; print, packaging and out-of-home campaigns are scoped separately.
Menu photos or brand imagery?
Menu and delivery-app photos need to be clean, consistent and accurate, so customers see what they will receive. Brand and lifestyle imagery is for Instagram, ads and your website, where mood matters more than uniformity. Many restaurants start with a menu refresh and add a lifestyle day later.
Adding video
Short clips of pours, sizzle and plating work well beside stills. For reels shot at your restaurant, Basil Studios reels and stories packages start from PKR 35,000.
How to prepare your restaurant for a shoot
- —Send the dish list in the order you want it shot, with notes on which dishes are priority.
- —Have your kitchen prepare each dish fresh, and a spare of the hero dishes.
- —Use clean, consistent crockery that matches your brand.
- —Plan for the quiet hours between lunch and dinner so the kitchen is free.
- —Decide upfront which images are for the menu and which are for social media.
Frequently asked questions
How much does food photography cost in Lahore?
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Basil Studios starts from PKR 30,000 for a half-day menu refresh of up to 15 dishes, PKR 70,000 for a full day with a stylist and up to 25 dishes, and PKR 180,000 for a multi-day campaign.
What is the cost per dish?
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Our Essential package works out to about PKR 2,000 per dish and Signature to about PKR 2,800 per dish with a stylist included.
Can you shoot at my restaurant?
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Yes. The Essential half day can be shot in your restaurant or in our studio. Travel outside Lahore is quoted up front.
Is a food stylist included?
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A stylist is included in Signature and above. On Essential, styling is kept simple and done on set.
How long until we receive the images?
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Essential is delivered in 5 days, Signature in 7 days, and Heirloom campaign work in 10 days.