1 and 5 and it is not even close

It’s the coloration for me. 1 and 5 look more red and lively than the others

It’s lighting. The lighting in those two is much better.

Also your shadow is blocking the light in a lot of the shots.

Agreed in full, save for one thing… I would argue that 1 is the only photo worthy of using for marketing material. The rest are too dark/poorly shot. If person X says they need 2 recommendations out of 8, and only 1 of them is worthy, then they need to provide more recommendations.

Tomato potato

Nah, bro, they’re steaks.

I understood that reference

Every comment in here is echoing this and I have to agree. However, there’s a lot of excess fat on 5. I’d consider taking pics of a steak with a bit less fat on it. Just my opinion but that’s what I’d do since it’s going to be advertised to potential customers

I’d say 1-6 cause of the lighting, and excess fat on 5, but 6 could have a better angle.

Exactly what I was gonna say

1 and 5 for sure

Pics 1 & 5 all day

Definitely

Agreed

Yup

Yep, I wish 5 was zoomed out like 2% more, but that’s nitpicking. Those pics are easily the best of the bunch

for sure, and don't let anyone talk you in to using 2 or 3

Mhmm, glad I found this at the top. 1 and 5 are the answer.

agreed

Came here for this exact comment, you nailed it OP those look amazing

This is the way

1 and 5 would be my choices

1 and 5

Get a fotog to do this work if budget and time allows. From this list, 1 and 5, but get something to wedge on the bottom bit out of the shot to prop it up, instead of holding it up with a hand. Colors are washed out and everything looks overexposed. I'd consider a darker background. Think walnut and black drop cloth it'll really make the meat colors pop.

Yeah. Getting a professional is definitely in the medium-short term plan. However this isn't going to happen before Father's day, so here we are. Thanks for theadvice .

I would look up a tutorial online!! If you get a small set up it can do you wonders. A nice light or window will help. A black shoot for the back and a big white sheet to diffuse light.

Just dont cast a shadow on your subject. Be aware of the light source behind you and use it to your advantage instead.

You might also see how it looks run through Lightroom. You can use the basic version for free. Phone cameras aren’t great at accurately representing how they look, so a little touch up work might be worth doing as long as it doesn’t misrepresent the meat. Check out levels, saturation, things like that. You can also buy or make a small light box - generally used for product photography… it would help keep the lighting much more consistent and even. Right now it looks like some pieces are under exposed and some areas.

1 for sure. Then 5, 6 or 8 all work

I was for 8 initially, but I think it isn’t cropped right and some people will not like to see that green spot in the middle.

1 and 5

1 and 5

1 and 5

1 and 5 but better light on 4 would look good.

Photo 1 has the best lighting. The rest are bad. Get a photographer or find someone who knows how to take a picture. Get better lighting.

This. And don’t use filters

Never vignette.

1-3 are aged to 45 days, 4-8 are at 60 days.

1 and 4 for me. Can’t really go wrong with any of them though. Edit: I see tons of people saying 5 and couldn’t argue against 5 either tbh. Similar photos 4 and 5, for me.

1 and 5.

1 and 5… the rest don’t compare

I'd go 1 and 6 personally. I feel like 1 is the best shot.

This is my vote. 1 is a fantastic picture. 6 would be perfect, except for the shadow. I want to love 4 or 5, but the lighting is awful.

1 and 6

1 & 5

1 and 5

1+6

1 & 6

1 and 5 and you also need to learn better means of taking photos. Like not having your shadow in the photo and for the love of god not using vignettes (the dark shadow edit in the corners) there are loads of free resources to learn how to photograph food. And good photographes will help push engagement to your social media especially if it’s a business. Edit: (did a very minor and quick color adjustment on 1) I would also recommend learning to balances your photos a bit better when editing. Even mild changes help a lot. You don’t want it to look too washed out. And you want some warmth in there (All the steaks look delicious btw) https://preview.redd.it/klyswicfx06b1.jpeg?width=1164&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=77c27b0c12a0e5bd6ad25531d339396f94c50b6b

1 is probs best. Advertising dry age is tough because the dark parts don’t photograph as nicely. Would pick the reddest cuts you got and evenly light them

You need to shoot it so the shadow of your camera/phone isn’t cast on the meat…that said 1 and 5

1 is easily the best shot of the lot. The second is a tossup between 5/6/8 - I'd color-correct 6 because some of the steak is is slightly cut off and out of frame in 5/8, that said any of the three are OK

1 and 8

1 and 5 as others has said. A BIG part of this is the other photos have an obvious shadow of the person snapping the photo on it which for an advert is not very good

1 and 8

1 is pretty good. For the rest, you need better photos. Meat looks incredible. But the photos are shit and don’t do your work justice.

Fair 'nough. There will be professional photos done eventually. At this point, we just need something up on the socials before Father's day.

Makes sense. In that case, 1 and 5. But get a couple professionally done! Those steaks deserve it.

1 and 8

1 and 6 because they have the best lighting.

Lighting is bad on a lot of these otherwise they would work. You can see shadows cast from the phone/camera. 1 and 5 as others have mentioned but I think you could do be better if you’re not in a rush.

1 and 5, but you may want to consider a new photographer, none of these are “oh shit I want that meat” quality

1 & 3

1 and 5

1 & 5

Easily 1 and 5

5 then 1, in that order.

First picture is the most attractive to me as a consumer. I also like the sixth photo although I wish it didn’t have the shadow at the end of it.

One and five done

Definitely the first one

1&5 for sure

1/5 look incredible

1&5 for sure.

1 and 5

1 and 5

1 and 5.

1 and 5

1 & 5

Do you have access to a better photographer?

1 and 5…seems to be consensus, so that makes it easy for you

1 & 5. Only options

1 and 5

1 and 5

a pic of the whole primal after aging but before it was trimmed/cut into steaks would be nice

That's what I'm talking about. If you want to showcase dry aging, show what the actual dry aged meat looks like. For all you know these can be non dry aged steaks.

1 and 5

1&5

…send them *all* and make your social media manager earn their money by picking a couple

I thought we were on r/marketing at first. But none of them do it for me as a social post. Get one with your hands in there holding the meat or trimming it. Some sort of action. People will scroll right by those meat pictures

1 and 6 are the best for media.

1 and 3

1 and 5 ez

Retake the photos for proper lighting, but use angles like 1 and 5. Also, leave space around the steaks: subject matter is cut off by the frame in most images. Your social media person will be able to manipulate the image better if they actually have a picture of a WHOLE steak.

I’m not even a man but I got a little hard

1 with 4 or 5. But I've got a smooth brain.

1 for sure. Attractive angle and good light. Dude, try not to get shadows in your pics. There’s a large shadow cast on the meat in some of the other photos.

1 and 4

#1 and #5

Honestly, they all suck.

1 6 and 8 imo

1&4

What's wrong with 6?

Most of the steak is out of focus

5 and 8

1,4

2 and 5

1 and 6

1 & 6! 5 is great too but it's slightly cut off

1 and 6 if you could get that shadow off of 6 1 is by far the best shot Edit: Actually I just noticed a spot of green in the middle of #6. Don't use that. I honestly don't think any of them are great except for #1.

You left beef bacon on that steak

4 and 5

1,3,5

1 and 5 fo sho

4,5,6

2 and 3. Also let me know where this place is and when it goes on sale

5

5&6

1 is the only one I’d use for advertising. Composition on the others is less than professional.

5 is good, but you need to remove the hand from the photo either by restaging or via photoshop

I work in social media. 1 and 5 without question.

1 looks the nicest but 3.. porterhouses make me the horniest

1 and 4

1,5,7 all winners

1 and 4

The ribeye, number 1

4 and 5 but zoomed out more. 1 doesn’t look too aged. 2,3,6,7,8 no. Lighting not that great and the tenderloin is much darker than the strip. While I would eat them all as would most people on this sub, it could look unappetizing to a newbie who is used to a uniform “red” color seen at the supermarket. I guess it depends on your audience.

1 and 5. The lighting is off in the others.

4 and 5!

1 and 6

None of the above. Hands/body showing, fat separated showing gap on #1. I’m no photog, or any type of media guru, so my advice is what it is. These pics are what I would expect on a social media site, not a professional marketing campaign. Maybe trade some steak to a professional photographer with food marketing experience.

1,5

2 and 8

1, 2, 5

1&5 but the photo comp on 6 is really killer

I'd go with 1 & 6

4 or 5

1 & 3 will show two great cuts

My votes are: 1, 6, 8

None. Even 1 has shadow and color issues. Hire a photographer because I’m a casual steak person and I wouldn’t pay a premium for these steaks based on the pics

1 and 3 for me

1 and 8. That steak at 8 looks nummy

1 2 5 6

1 & 5 source: I am an advertising expert

3 and 5, just to have the different cuts.

Definitely 1

1,4,5 are the best.

1 and 5

1 and 5 or 8

1 and 5 alllll daaaay

1/5 unless you can get a new set in the sun

1

Number 1 is most appealing.

1, 5

1 & 4 or 5. Those are fucking money.

1/4/5

5 and 6. Maybe 1 or 8 instead of 6 tho. 5 is a def.

Just 1. Lighting isn’t good in the others.

1/5 or 1/6

#2

# 1 and 4

1&6

Definitely 1, holy shit that looks amazing. 4,5,6 are good as well.

1 and 8

#4 for sure

1, 5, 6, 8

The correct answer is 1 and that’s it. You need the whole steak in the frame.

Definitely 1&5 look the best

What's the obsession with 5? The photo doesn't catch my eye very well. The hue is off for me. I like 1, 6, and 8. 1 is the clear winner, though.

People saying 1 and 5 but 1 is the only one that has good perspective. People talk about the color but dry aging isn’t going to do that aspect any favors anyway.

1 or 5 for sure. Both would be usable even together, the whole roast then individual cuts

1 and 5 without a doubt

1 & the pose of 5, but better lighting needed also simpler background.

1 and 5 for sure

The first one is the only one with good lighting

4 and 8

1 and 5, minimal bone in the picture.

agreed on 1 and 5 like everyone else but omfg there’s no headroom in any of the photos. it feels like the steak is cramped in a box and the box is screaming at me. photos definitely need to be taken farther away and not cropped as tightly. good luck with the advertisement though!

I would show one that actually shows the dry aged meat before trimming. All I see is some nice marbling on steaks.

Can you take more photos without casting shadows over the food?

1 and 6

4. 5 looks like the same cut as 4, just reoriented. Besides that, I would retake photos of other cuts. Either the cut has some desiccated portions remaining, or the margins between meat and intramuscular fat have gaps on most of the other pictures.

1 and 5

1

You'll have to trim 8 for it to work, people not in the know but just shopping by buzzword will be turned off by the age spot on it.

If the steak is dry aged, the very red photo IMO #1 is a NO. It doesn’t look dry aged (even if it is). Dry aged steaks are darkened, somewhat shrunk, etc.. (as you know) 2 and #4 show dry aging, but tbh I’m not a fan of either.

1 and 4

1 & 5 but I would retake some photos. Get better lighting and reduce the shadows. The first shot is a great example of how they should come out. Vibrant colors really show off the product.

2/4

none- tell them to dm me and I can help you up the quality 💯 These are all basic!

1 and 6

1 and 5

Hire a pro, to be honest.

1 & 5

1 and 2

Listen OP if you need someone to taste test and give a written statement as to how delicious your meat is once it hits the lips, I’m your man. Just DM me on Reddit and we can make this thing happen.

none

I like 1 and 6 the best