Food photography that tells the story behind the plate.

The Crafted Lens creates food, drink, product and brand photography for independent businesses across South Wales and beyond. From growers and artisan food brands to bakeries, cafés, restaurants and farm shops, I photograph the people, places and processes that give your food its character.

The finished dish matters. So do the hands that made it, the ingredients it began with, and the place it comes from.

What I photograph

Makers and producers

Ingredients in the field, hands at work, the workshop, the farm and the people behind the product. A collection of images that shows where your food comes from and what goes into making it.

Food and drink

Considered photographs of your finished food, seasonal menus and products, shaped by light, texture and the details that make them yours.

People and places

Portraits of owners, chefs and staff, photographs of your café or restaurant interiors, and the everyday moments of preparation and service. Together, they show the people and atmosphere behind your business and help customers picture themselves there.

Photographs with a purpose

Your photographs need to work wherever customers meet your business: on your website and online shop, across seasonal menus, and in your social media. We plan a connected collection of product details, finished food, people and process, with the compositions and formats suited to how you will use them.

A shoot built around your story

We start with a conversation about your business, your customers and how you plan to use the images. Together we choose the parts of your story worth showing, from the source of an ingredient to the final plate. I then plan the shoot around the real people and places involved, with room for the unplanned moments that often say the most.

I’m David Jones, a documentary photographer with more than 40 years behind a camera. My work combines a documentary eye with carefully controlled light, creating images that feel both honest and considered.

See the story in practice

At The Littlest Dairy near Blackwood, the farm shop, animals and surrounding landscape give a bottle of milk its sense of place. Explore The Littlest Dairy story to see how photographs can connect a product with the place it comes from.

 

Questions about your photography shoot

Do you photograph at my business?

Yes. I photograph on location at farms, production spaces, bakeries, cafés and restaurants. This allows us to show your food alongside the people, processes and surroundings that give it its character.

Can you photograph food, staff and interiors in the same shoot?

Yes. We can plan a collection that includes finished dishes and products, preparation, staff portraits and interiors. We agree the priorities beforehand so the shoot covers what your business needs.

Which areas do you cover?

I’m based in South Wales and work with independent food and drink businesses across South and West Wales. If your business is further afield, please get in touch to discuss the project.

How much does a photography shoot cost?

The cost depends on what we need to photograph, the finished images required and their intended use. You can view the starting collections and what is included, or contact me to discuss a commission covering your wider business story.

How do we plan the shoot?

We start with a conversation about your business, your customers and where you will use the photographs. Together we agree what to show, who needs to be involved and how to fit the photography around your preparation and working day.

Have another question? Read the full photography FAQs.

Let’s make the work visible

For starting collections and what is included, view the photography pricing. We can shape a commission around your business and the images you need.

If you grow it, make it, cook it or serve it, I’d love to hear the story behind your business. Let’s talk about your photography.