As much as people complain about the countless food photos posted on Facebook, Instagram and the like, it sure doesn’t stop them from posting their own. But restaurant owners are taking matters into their own hands, banning diners from snapping pics of their meals, claiming it kills the ambiance. According to the New York Times, several Manhattan establishments have enforced camera bans, including Momofuku Ko, owned by David Chang.

Chang has taken an unusual approach to his policy, however, and invites diners to take photos of their pricy dishes in the kitchen.

“We’ll say, ‘That shot will look so much better on the marble table in our kitchen,’ ” Bouley told the Times. “It’s like, here’s the sauce, here’s the plate. Snap it. We make it like an adventure for them instead of telling them no.”

Other restaurateurs have less patience with customers who have been known to raise their cameras in the air while using flash and even stand on chairs to get arial shots of their meals.

Moe Issa, the owner of Chef’s Table at Brooklyn Fare told the Times he banned photography after opening his 18-seat restaurant because it disrupted the ambiance and became too big a distraction to other diners.

“Some people are arrogant about it,” he said. “They don’t understand why. But we explain that it’s one big table and we want the people around you to enjoy their meal. They pay a lot of money for this meal. It became even a distraction for the chef.”

Issa takes the unique approach of supplying diners with professional photos of their experience the day after they visit his venue.

It’s not only chefs and owners who are annoyed with the dining photo trend. In a recent article, Esquire provides a list of reasons why cameras and restaurants don’t mix. Among various distractions listed, Esquire also points out the trend is against Instagram’s terms of service, makes the photographer look foolish and is just plain annoying to social network followers. Plus, food just doesn’t make good amateur photography.

[Image via Shutterstock]