Food Photography Backdrops That Won't Break Your Budget
- Good Food Photography Backdrops: Go Dark
- Better Food Photography Backdrops: Use Everyday Materials
- Best Food Photography Backdrops: Invest in High-Quality Backdrops
- Mix Up These Backgrounds for the Greatest Effect
- Other Recommended Food Photography Gear
- Table cloths
- Napkins
- Cutting board
- Paper grocery bags
- Parchment paper
- Craft paper
- Canon EOS R5
- Canon EOS R6
- Acratech GP-SS Ball Head
- Canon RF 100mm f/2.8L USM
- Canon RF 85mm F1.2 L USM
- Canon RF 15-35mm F2.8 L IS USM
- 5-in-1 Reflector Pack
- Food Photography Lighting Tips
- Foodie Background How to Capture Food Surfaces That Create Dramatic Backdrops
I think we can all agree that photography - whether it’s a hobby or a profession - can be quite expensive.
After you invest in a food photography camera, a few lenses, a good tripod, and lighting gear, you’re already into it for a few thousand dollars. If you need a new computer and editing software, you’re adding another thousand bucks to the tab, if not more.
So, I’m a big proponent of saving money where you can. Buying a used camera, for example, can save you a few hundred dollars. The same goes for used lenses.
And while you can find great deals on used cameras and lenses for food photography, what’s hard to find are used food photography backdrops…
That doesn’t mean that you need to shell out hundreds and hundreds of dollars for new backdrops, though.
Instead, give one of the following ideas a try for having beautiful food photography backdrops without breaking the bank.
Table of Contents:
Good Food Photography Backdrops: Go Dark
photo by fcafotodigital via iStock
When you think of food photography, you probably think of images like the one above - that’s what I think of, anyway!
But this kind of shot in which you can plainly see the background isn’t the only approach you can take with your food photography backdrops. Instead, you can make the background of the shot fade away by making it dark.
You can see this concept in action in the image below:
photo by nortonrsx via iStock
To create this shot, all you need is a piece of dark fabric. Lay the fabric over your dining room table, turn a chair around so the back is closest to the table, and drape the fabric over both.
Then add the food, snap off a photo, and voila - you’ve got a shot that highlights the food without needing much in the way of a background.
Of course, what helps make this kind of food photography backdrop work is getting in close to the food and taking a close-up shot with the depth of field minimized.
photo by 5PH via iStock
In the image above, for example, you can see how the drink is perfectly in focus while the background is nicely blurred.
The container of lemons adds a pop of color to an otherwise dark background, but because the background is out of focus, it doesn’t compete with the drink for our attention.
Of course, you don’t have to use a dark background in order to shoot with a shallow depth of field, but it is a nice pairing when you don’t have a wealth of backdrop options for your food images
Better Food Photography Backdrops: Use Everyday Materials
photo by luchezar via iStock
If you look at the image above, you can see that the background consists of simple, everyday materials. The food is set out on a table, which provides some interesting wood textures, and underneath each bowl is a kitchen towel. It doesn’t get much easier than that!
When using everyday materials, look for items that have texture, color, or patterns that will add visual interest to the image but won’t overwhelm the shot with too many details.
In the image above, keeping the background elements in the same color family helps prevent the different patterns, shapes, and textures from becoming too busy.
photo by fcafotodigital via iStock
Above is another example of this concept.
Like in the first image, simple, everyday items have been used as background elements - a table, a plate, and flatware, along with some carefully placed food items to create some visual interest.
In this case, the bulk of the background is a similar color and texture, just like in the first shot. But since the food is a contrasting color, it really pops and draws your eye directly to the cups of yogurt.
You can use all sorts of other everyday items as food photography backdrops too:
Heck, you can even set food directly on your kitchen countertop and use it as a background! The point is that you might be surprised at all the different items you already have that can make great backdrops for food photography.
Learn More:
Best Food Photography Backdrops: Invest in High-Quality Backdrops
For my money, the best way to create the highest-quality food photography images is to have some food photography backdrops in your arsenal.
You aren’t always going to have items in your kitchen that fit with the narrative of the image you want to create, and you won’t always be in a situation in which you can simply make the background of your images dark, so investing in some backdrops is a great idea.
Besides, having a set of food photography backdrops gives you many more possibilities for creating different-looking images of different types of food. Having the flexibility to get creative with your backgrounds will only enhance your ability to take the best photos.
The good news is that you can get high-quality backdrops without spending a ton of money…
Personally, I use Best Ever Backdrops, and I can’t recommend them highly enough. That's why I believe they are the best backdrops for food photography!
I have several of their Mix and Match backdrops, which are two-sided. This two-in-one design is a huge budget saver because you get twice the designs for the same amount of money. Plus, the more backdrops you buy, the lower the price per item.
The other obvious benefit of having a two-sided backdrop is that you can quickly and easily swap out the backdrops by simply flipping them over. Take a few shots with one side of the backdrop, turn it over, and fire off a few more shots using the other side. It doesn’t get much easier than that!
Speaking of easy, these backdrops are completely waterproof in addition to being stain-resistant. This means that you can get a little wild with your food photography without worrying about what it will do to your food photography backdrops.
I've used my food and product photography ideas for the backdrops, and they have proven to be enormously beneficial to my workflow. And since these backdrops are just 24” x 36”, they’re easy to store, easy to get out and set up, and easy to clean, too.
Creating great images is obviously mostly dependent upon your skill level. However, it sure doesn’t hurt to have the right gear for the job. In my book, having the right gear for food photography means having some beautiful food photography backdrops at your disposal.
Right now, you can get 15 percent off your order from the Backdrop Collection and the Mix & Match Collection. Just head over to Best Ever Backdrops and use the promo code PTALK15 to get your discount!
Mix Up These Backgrounds for the Greatest Effect
photo by ISTETIANA via iStock
You’ll likely find that some food imagery is best done using natural light and a gorgeous food photography background. In other cases, keeping things dark and mysterious will be a better option. And for other images, a simple composition using items you have in your kitchen might be your best bet.
As they say, variety is the spice of life, so if you want to be as creative as possible, mix up the different background ideas mentioned above. I think you’ll find that doing so results in some wonderful images of food!