What to Look for in Food Photography Backdrops
Creative food photography is an enjoyable endeavor that is also a rapidly growing genre of photography for many professional photographers working part-time or full-time. An important part of how to do food photography is using food photography backdrops to enhance our images.
Here are some features and qualities to look at regarding our choices of food photography backdrops.
Are They Durable?
A backdrop for food photography is probably going to get a lot of use and some of that usage won’t be easy on the backdrop.
Using a paper backdrop is one alternative, as they come in rolls. You might be familiar with paper backgrounds from portrait studios. Just as with those portrait shoots, once you soil or wrinkle the backdrop, you simply tear off the messed-up part and roll out some fresh paper.
That ends up becoming less cost-effective in the long run, even though the rolls of paper are fairly inexpensive, because we have a lot of waste. So reusable food photography backdrops become an attractive alternative.
Durability is important for food photography backdrops since food photography often involves traveling to a location, sharp edges on food photography props, hot or cold temperatures, and things that can get messy.
Food Photography Backdrops Should Be Water-Resistant
Which segues neatly into the second feature to look for when considering food photography backgrounds being water-resistant. Some food photography photo shoots will surely involve beverages that might spill, so having backdrops that are water-resistant will give you peace of mind that a little liquid here and there won’t ruin your investment.
If our food photography backdrops are water-resistant, then those little mishaps that mess up an area can quickly be wiped away with a damp cloth, allowing us to continue without ruining our workflow.
Look for Backdrops That Enhance the Image
This thought relates closely to food photography tips, techniques, and methods such as composition, lighting, depth of field, and exposure. Photographically, whatever food photography background we include in the images should enhance the subject, not compete with it or confuse viewers.
Best Ever Backdrops has created a lineup of food photography backdrops that is the perfect match for this requirement. Their backdrops are simple and beautiful, making an awesome background for food photography or any small product photography.
Some of their food photography backdrops look like a marble table, others have an appearance of rustic wood or a brick wall. All of these backgrounds have a photo-realistic design and finish, any one of them will function as a background either behind the subject or as placemat for a overhead view flat lay.
Another means by which you can enhance your food photography images is by equipping yourself with the right lens for the job.
Now, if you’re just starting out in food photography, don’t feel like you need to rush out and buy a dedicated macro lens. While these lenses are excellent for food photography, they can be pretty pricey. For example, I have a Canon RF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM that I use for detailed shots of food. It has a minimum focusing distance of a little more than 10 inches, which allows me to get in nice and close for those detailed shots.
The 100mm f/2.8L macro costs about $1,400, which isn’t the most expensive lens in the world, but it also isn’t the cheapest. If I were just beginning in this field, I would put that lens on my wish list and save up for it and in the meantime use something like the Canon RF 50mm f/1.8 STM lens.
At just $199.00, this lens is extremely affordable. It has a minimum focusing distance of less than a foot, so you can still get in close for detail-oriented shots. And with a large f/1.8 maximum aperture, you can open up the lens and create a shallow depth of field in your shots.
Get Food Photography Backdrops That are Portable
Many food photographers work on location at various restaurants, cafes, coffee houses, or other venues, making portability a top priority for any food photography backdrop they may want to use. So instead of a background system with 2 stands, a center pole, plus the backdrop material.
The food photography backdrops from Best Ever Backdrops are lightweight and easy to transport. They are mounted to a rigid substrate allowing them to be propped up just about anywhere you can find the room on location.
These come in 2 different sizes, 24 X 36 inches and an oversized version measuring 36 X 46 inches. Large enough to give you room for various compositions but small enough to be carried in a small car.
Of course, you also use these food photography backdrops in your permanent studio or home studio.
Versatility is Key
One of the better features of the food photography backdrops from Best Ever Backdrops is that you actually have two backgrounds for your photography. The Mix and Match collection is two different photo-realistic backgrounds, one on either side. Single-sided backdrops have a smooth white finish on the reverse.
In addition to being used as food photography backdrops, these portable and durable backgrounds also make excellent backdrops for all sorts of small product photography. You may even be able to use the oversize versions behind a person for a head and shoulder portrait.
Speaking of versatility, our discussion of lenses earlier in this article is worth revisiting for this topic as well.
A 50mm lens is a hugely versatile focal length. You can get in close for food or product shots, take pleasing portraits with nice background bokeh, compose interesting landscape compositions, and much more.
You can even use a 50mm lens for shooting video, and if you have the wherewithal, you can reverse-mount a 50mm lens on your camera and use it for macro photography. Talk about versatility!
Food Photography Backdrops Should Be Affordable
The final piece of the puzzle for choosing a good food photography backdrop is that they should be affordable, which the backgrounds from Best Ever Backdrops are.
Affordability has more than the initial purchase price as a factor. Muslin backdrops come in a variety of price points and you also will need to consider cleaning them when they get soiled by minor or major food mishaps.
By the way, if you’re just starting out in food photography, be prepared for mishaps, they are a fact of life. Simplifying our workflow helps minimize those issues, though, so will paying attention to our surroundings, But being able to merely wipe away a mess is a great boon for a busy photographer.
Paper background systems have a built-in and ongoing cost factor, periodically replacing the rolls of paper. Plus, there’s the waste issue, creating extra trash and labor dealing with that.
The images used in this article were all made with backdrops and props from Best Ever Backdrops so you can see for yourself what they will bring to food photography work. There's a lot to decide from, too, so take a look and see what food photography backdrops you might choose.