Rare Society Santa Barbara | San Diego Restaurant Photography
As a restaurant photographer, it’s rare I ever get to revisit a project from the past. One of my longest-standing clients, Trust Restaurant Group, recently opened a second location of their beloved restaurant, Rare Society, in collaboration with GTC Design.
The three of us have found a lot of photography magic working together on their restaurants, so I was thrilled to shoot a new layout of the same atmosphere I love. Although this restaurant is smaller in size compared to the original, it had an even livelier evening scene.
How I Planned This Restaurant Photography Shoot
Leaning on the original Rare Society restaurant photography shoot, I remembered finagling with the perfect lighting for a lot of the evening. To get the perfect brightness without being too much, I brought a variety of lights and adjusted my camera settings.
The other point of planning was allowing myself the time and patience to get the right angles. This Rare Society has less square footage than the original, so I made sure to give myself time to walk through and preplan correct angles.
Working In Tight Spaces
Trust Restaurant Group has given me the opportunity to work in every space imaginable, but this by far was the trickiest. The intimate atmosphere made for an incredible dining experience, so it was my goal to not let the close corners take away from the overall details.
After my original walk to see how angles would look, I took my time setting up the lighting boxes and fiddling around to make sure I could fit in corners. Their stunning “train” booths were a particular detail I did not want to miss, even if it took me shoving myself into a corner for it. The end result was so worth it!
Leaning Into The Dim Lighting
GTC Design Studios does a phenomenal job at setting a mood and their work on Rare Society restaurants is no different. The colors, rich textures, and dim lighting set the perfect dinner vibe, but it can be tricky to photograph.
Having shot the first Rare Society restaurant in San Diego, I knew coming in I would need my own lighting. Working with the small space and big lighting umbrellas made it tricky to shuffle through angles quickly, but by remaining calm I got some great shots!
Haley’s Pro Tip: Remain calm when the first shots do not turn out the way you’ve hoped. By trusting in your experience as a restaurant photographer and remaining flexible, the perfect shot will always come!
Highlighting All The Cool Details
Trust Restaurant Group and GTC Design Studio have an amazing partnership that revolves around creating a completely unique design experience. They do this by serving great food and focusing on all the details!
Every time I turn, there is something new to shoot! This space specifically had the most incredible bar, especially the opulent lighting hanging from the ceiling. This installation required a lot of give and take between GTC and California restaurant codes on weight, so I wanted to make sure I used lower angles to showcase it as much as possible.
GTC pays attention to every last detail, including the ceiling! In both Rare Society restaurants, there was a stunning gold metal overlay used to adorn the top of all the booths. As a committed restaurant photographer, I’ll do whatever it takes to highlight the details- even laying on the floor for it! This may have been my favorite shot of the night.
It has been an absolute pleasure to work with Trust Restaurant Group all these years, and capturing the beauty of GTC Design is an honor. If you’re interested in photographing your next restaurant project, please don’t hesitate to reach out using the form below!
