Nottingham Trent University Research

Independent Consumer Research Using JaxMore Food And Drink Photography

Beautiful photography should do more than look impressive.

We wanted to understand whether professional food and drink photography changes the way people respond to a product before they’ve experienced it.

As part of a Nottingham Trent University Consultancy Experience Project, a postgraduate research team with industry experience investigated how people responded to professional JaxMore images compared with images taken without professional styling and lighting.

Working under academic supervision, the team examined how photography affected consumer responses, including purchase likelihood, price perception, perceived quality and brand trust.

The research compared responses to the same products shown in two different ways: professional JaxMore photography with specialist styling and lighting, and smartphone images.

What The Research Found

When viewing the professional JaxMore images, participants responded more positively across the areas tested.

Participants expected the product to cost more

The products shown with professional JaxMore photography received a higher average price estimate.

The average estimate increased from:

£43.97 to £61.52

This represents a 40% higher average price estimate.

This measures the price participants associated with the product. It doesn’t mean customers would automatically pay 40% more.

Participants said they were more likely to buy

Professional JaxMore images received a higher average purchase-likelihood rating than the comparison images.

The average rating increased from:

2.9 to 4.0

This measures what participants said about their likelihood of purchasing. It doesn’t measure completed purchases or guarantee increased sales.

Participants saw the product as higher quality

Professional JaxMore images received higher perceived-quality ratings.

The average rating increased from:

3.1 to 3.7

This shows that photography changed how participants perceived the product when viewing the images.

It doesn’t mean the product itself changed.

How The Research Was Conducted

The study used a phased, within-participant survey.

Participants first viewed and rated professional JaxMore images.

After a one-day interval, they viewed and rated comparison images.

Responses from 33 participants who completed both phases and could be matched were included in the final analysis.

The research examined responses to the images themselves, rather than measuring real-world sales, bookings or purchases.

Photography created for Withers Gin was among the professional JaxMore imagery used in the research.

See our Withers Gin photography case study

Nottingham Trent University Case Study

Nottingham Trent University has published a case study explaining this Consultancy Experience Project, including how postgraduate students with industry experience explored the influence of professional food and drink photography on customer responses.

Read the case study on the Nottingham Trent University website:

JaxMore Creative Photography Case Study - Nottingham Trent University

The project used JaxMore food and drink photography and was completed under our former JaxMore Creative Photography name, before we began trading as JaxMore Food and Drink Photography.

Why This Matters For Food And Drink Businesses

Customers often make decisions before they experience your food, drink or venue.

They can’t taste a dish through a screen.

They can’t experience your service.

They can’t feel the atmosphere you’ve created.

They form expectations from what they see.

The research suggests that professional photography can influence three important parts of that decision process:

• whether something feels worth choosing;
• what value people associate with it;
• how they judge its quality.

For more on how photography influences customer decisions, read:

Why Customers Choose You

To see how different photography approaches can change perception, explore:

Before & After Food Photography

What The Research Does And Doesn't Show

This study provides evidence that professional photography changed how participants responded to the products shown.

It doesn’t claim that photography alone creates a specific increase in sales, bookings or revenue.

Many factors influence customer decisions, including:

• product quality;
• reputation;
• reviews;
• pricing;
• location;
• service.

Photography is one part of that bigger picture.

Its role is to help customers recognise the quality that already exists.

The Difference Photography Can Make

The food didn’t change.

The product didn’t change.

The difference was the way people experienced it before they made a decision.

That’s why we believe every image should have a purpose: helping your business get chosen.

Explore our approach to food and drink photography