Foodie Background - How to Capture Food Surfaces that Create Dramatic Backdrops
photo by Nataliia Mysak via iStock
Food, recipe, or restaurant photography is a lot of fun to do and can be an easy source of additional income for you whether working as a full-time pro photographer or using photography part-time as an income supplement.
Having the right foodie background can make a huge difference in how your images turn out and well they move people to respond to the images. With that in mind, let’s examine some food photography backdrops to see how to choose and use a foodie background.
What is a Foodie Background?
I’m describing a foodie background as a backdrop for food photography that adds to or focuses attention on the food items being imaged. So a foodie background would be more than a sheet of construction paper, plain cloth, or the rest of the restaurant behind our subject.
The right backdrop for food photography will be pleasant to look at but not compete too much for the viewer’s eye. It will complement the food subject and will look as though it naturally belongs in the image.
Features You Want in a Foodie Background
For a foodie background to work the way we’re intending, there are some desirable features to consider. You want it to be high-quality. A poorly made backdrop can detract from the overall quality of the image, while a good foodie background will enhance the final image.
Some foodie backgrounds may be a solid color or one with a texture but mostly one color family with some variations. Other options include a photo-realistic image such as wood grain, tile, bricks, or something natural.
I like semi-rigid food photography backdrops more than a soft cloth or paper background. Water-resistant for easy clean-up is a huge plus. I also prefer a size that’s easily transportable.
Which is why I’m enjoying testing and using for myself the foodie backgrounds from Best Ever Backdrops. Many of the images in our series on food photography and other small product photography are made using these excellent backdrops.
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Exposure and Lighting Options for Foodie Backgrounds
Proper lighting is essential for creating good images of food or other small products. There are several options for lighting configurations or techniques to use. In addition to the lighting setup, exposure techniques can also add to the interest level of the food images.
A foodie background can be lit by a separate light for emphasizing it or you can arrange the lights to de-emphasize the backdrop by allowing it to fall into shadow. High key images can be made with a clearly lit background while a low image will probably benefit by letting the background be out of the path of any direct light.
There are many choices for the types of lights to use, but I’m a fan of continuous LED lighting and softbox or umbrella modifiers. LED lights for photography are continuous lighting with a very good color quality, cool running, and some of them are battery-powered for portability.
A low cost alternative with stands and umbrellas is the Savage 500W LED Studio Light Kit, while spending a little more can find you using a softbox light kit with a lot of versatility such as the Smith Victor Octabella 1500W 3 Light Kit is super versatile with a boom arm that can be used for lighting overhead shots.
A high-quality foodie background cab used for those overshots, becoming both the background and the surface for a flat lay style of food image.
Best Food Backgrounds for Different Foods
The best foodie backgrounds for many of us can be found at Best Ever Backdrops. They make excellent backdrops in a wide variety of colors and styles, including photo realistic, that can be used for different types of foods.
As an example, a light color such as the Skyler Burt Blue Curacao, would make a great backing backdrop, while the darker-toned Skyler Burt Dark Stormy backdrop may work well for low-key images for a moody effect.
Since you can Mix and Match by adding two different foodie backgrounds to one 2 by 3 foot backdrop, you can save money and have a versatile setup for food photography.
Other Uses for Foodie Backgrounds
Other uses for these foodie backgrounds include small product photography, still-life photography, and headshot portrait photography. Since much of what’s done in food photography is actually a form of small product photography, that is an easy transition. Creative still-life images also benefit from the foodie backgrounds.
The smaller size of 24 x 36 inches can be used for head and shoulder poses or simple headshot portraits. The Oversize Collection has multiple styles available in a 36 x 46-inch size (3 x 4 feet) which could be used for more poses and styles of portrait or product photography.
Where to FInd a Food Photography Background
As you can probably tell, I’m enjoying these foodie backgrounds from Best Ever Backdrops. They are high-quality, versatile, durable, water-resistant, lightweight, and reasonably priced. Use them as a background or as a surface for flat lay photography. Plus, you can use these foodie backgrounds for all sorts of other photography, so have fun with them!