More than just what's on the menu
A photography commission for The Folly Wine Bar in Petersfield grew into an ongoing creative relationship, capturing not only the food and drink, but the people, atmosphere and energy behind this independent venue.
It started over lunch.
Sometimes a new commission begins with a formal enquiry. This one started with a bite to eat.
We popped into The Folly Wine Bar in Petersfield for lunch and got talking to owner Jake about the venue, its food and the way it was being presented online.
A few emails and conversations later, Sequoia Studios was commissioned to create a new library of food and drink photography for The Folly.
But once the shoot began, it quickly became apparent that photographing this place was going to be about much more than the menu.
Food that doesn't need too much persuading
The Folly's menu gave us plenty to work with, from lunch dishes and sharing plates to pub favourites and Sunday carvery.
Working with the team on styling, timing and service meant we could photograph dishes as they would genuinely be experienced by customers, while still giving each plate the attention it needed in front of the camera.
Natural light, texture and those fleeting moments when food is being served or shared helped move the photography away from simply recording dishes and towards something much more inviting.
Then, there are the people
A hospitality venue never really comes to life through empty rooms and perfectly arranged plates alone.
During the shoot, the Folly team became part of the photography too — helping with styling and service, holding drinks, sharing food and occasionally finding themselves unexpectedly in front of the camera.
Those moments brought something different to the final collection. Hands reaching into a dish, glasses raised around a table and people enjoying the space give potential customers something a photograph of an empty venue cannot: a glimpse of what it might actually feel like to be there.
A venue with many sides
The Folly extends beyond its food and drink. Its upstairs space hosts everything from comedy and live events to private celebrations and business gatherings, while downstairs shifts naturally from daytime dining to a livelier evening atmosphere.
That variety is part of its character — and part of the challenge of creating photography for a hospitality business. The image library needs enough breadth to tell different stories while still feeling unmistakably like the same place.
One shoot became something more
The original photography commission became the beginning of an ongoing relationship with The Folly.
We've worked closely with the the Folly team creating & managing social media content for the venue from the library of imagery around its food, drinks, events and changing offers throughout the year.
For me, that's one of the advantages of returning to photograph the same hospitality business. You stop approaching it as somewhere you've simply been commissioned to photograph and start understanding the details, personalities and rhythms that make the place what it is.
And that's usually where the more interesting stories begin.
Planning photography for your venue?
From characterful interiors and inviting exteriors to food, drink and the people behind the experience, we create considered photography that captures what makes your hospitality venue distinctive.
explore hospitality photography →