Twenty Assignments to Build Your Portfolio: #4 Coffee Shop Branding
Keep up your momrntum with a bit of brew.
This is part four of a 20-week workshop. The assignments will be given on each Monday until the end of the year.
I hope that they will get your creative juices flowing, and inspire you to build images and your portfolio. Imagine having twenty (or more) new images for your book by January 2026.
ASSIGNMENT: PROMOTIONAL IMAGES FOR A COFFEE SHOP
THE BRIEF
Your town or area just got a new Coffee Bar in a new gentrifying part of town. Because you are doing your marketing right, you knew it was opening soon (business licenses are posted in the newspaper) and did some in-person business development. Dropping by with a leave-behind and your portfolio, you impressed the owners right away, and they want to do some images for the various local coffee magazines.
That’s the way you do it, BTW.
They are leaving the style and approach up to you, but they do want to feature a cup of coffee with an ‘early morning’ feel, possibly with a croissant or pastry.
Now, here’s the thing. The shop’s style has to be brought into the images, and they are a bohemian, up-scale coffee vendor. One other thing – they can only give you one hour for the photography, so planning and production will be an issue for you to deal with.
Asking for permission to shoot in a coffee bar is fairly easy, as most of the owners would love to get four images to use in their marketing. Do a great job and they may want you to do some more for them… as a gig.
PARTICULARS.
Images can be tall or wide but should also work in a square format (for Instagram)
Color
The file should be able to print on cheap paper and still look good (No deep darks with texture)
Keep text in mind, but do not let it dictate your composition
This is a style shot. It is not a coffee product shot. You can choose to use interesting post-processing on it if you are so inclined.
Be careful not to have it come out looking like a product shot for a coffee company… this is mood, atmosphere, style, and flair.
And have fun with it.
Make sure you capture the flavor of the coffee shop. From intimate closeups to shots that give the viewer an idea of what it would be like to visit.
A few examples:
Coffee Shop Photography: Some ideas
1. Lighting Control
Use flags and reflectors to shape light, deepen shadows, and enhance color quality.
Experiment with flash timing (e.g., 1/64th second) for subtle pops without overpowering the natural ambiance.
Simple materials (cardboard, tracing paper, parchment) can act as modifiers to control warmth, diffusion, and texture.
Using flags, the photographer created lighting that connects. Photographer: Denise Coleman
2. Composition & Storytelling
Composition defines how viewers interpret the subject—isolate the main element to guide attention.
Align objects and architectural lines for balance; misalignment creates distraction.
Coffee shops are full of layered textures—use them to build depth and narrative.
Two interesting compositions: Image left: Ric Matkowski. Image right: Anna Mikkola
3. Editing Practices
Photo filters & adjustment layers: warming filters, level adjustments, and selective color tweaks elevate tone and mood.
Dodge & burn (on overlay layers, low opacity) adds depth without destructive edits.
Tilt-shift or focal blur can push attention toward the subject while keeping context.
Keep color grading consistent across images to maintain a cohesive brand story.
Left: Jennifer Moore. Right: Derrick Rose
4. Depth & Focus
Lens choice and focal length dictate how intimate or expansive the story feels.
Control depth of field to separate subject from the busy café environment.
Use vignetting or selective blurring to subtly direct the viewer’s eye.
Left: Tracey Hoffman. Right: Jason Braddock
5. Practical Tools
Field monitors give better visibility than tiny camera screens—useful for tricky angles or video work.
Photoshop (and similar software) can add details like steam, enhance lighting color, or fix distracting elements.
Non-destructive editing layers are essential for flexibility and experimentation.
Left: Jennifer Arce. Right: Bonnie Mitchell
6. Atmosphere & Cohesion
Filters or consistent grading tie a set of images together visually.
Pay attention to the café’s design quirks (textures, vintage décor, signage)—they often make the strongest storytelling anchors.
Small adjustments in post (tone, warmth, vignette) can amplify the “coffee shop mood” clients expect.
TRANSFORM YOUR MARKETING
And get clients on board fast.
It’s time to get serious with your business. Photography as a business is a marketing and sales game, and if no one knows you’re out there, the images you make are not important at all.
Find out how I can help, and help fast, here.
If you’re over 40 and still hungry to make, build, and create, stick around. This space is for people who aren’t done yet (and never will be). I’ve got five decades of wins, failures, comebacks, and creative battles under my belt, and I’m sharing everything that still works—and burning the rest.
No fluff.
No hustle porn.
Just real tools for building a creative life on your own damn terms.
Wow, such a complete guide, Don!