Food Props on Sunday-background settings and such things. Second installment
Thank you so much for all the positive response I have got for last week’s Food Props on Sunday post during this past week, it seems clear that food props is something that we all are interested in but we never talk enough about. But now things are going to change, when I have finished this series by the end of May, I have asked four fantastic food bloggers to guest blog here on Lucullian about their approach to food props and then I wanted to ask you to talk about your food props as well, I’m asking you to Show Us Your Food Props! Write about and show us your own food props in any way you please, it can be only photos, you can tell us which ones are your favourite ones or just give us useful tips about how to find or make great food props! Blog it, link back to any of the Food Props on Sunday posts here on Lucullian and send it to me at luculliandelights AT gmail DOT com with your name, the name of your blog and the url to the blog post and I will include you in the roundup that is planned for the 4thof July! Please remember to put Show Us Your Food Props in the subject line so that I don’t spam your email. Come on, don’t be shy, participate because in in this way you will contribute to what will become a great source of inspiration for all of us and a very varied one too!
Now when this is done, I would like to talk a little about what you can use for background settings in your photos. When I started food blogging I used paper as backgrounds so I have a quite huge collection of various types of paper by now. It is always good to have some sheets of thicker paper thin cardboard at hand to use as backgrounds when you need something that isn’t really seen in the photo, if you bend it a little you get a background without edges or lines and that can be very useful in certain photos. But you can use a lot of different types of papers for backgrounds; I buy sheets of hand made papers, gift wrappers, decoupage papers and scarp book papers, well any paper that I like and I think could be useful. I already had a small collection of papers already as I used to do bookbinding and I was always on the lookout for end papers so it sort of came natural to build on that. Coloured or patterned, as long as you think you can use it, it’s a good paper!
Other backgrounds that I use are wooden boards. One that I love is an old weather beaten wooden board with flaking white paint that I found in the garden after our house had been re-painted. I also use window shutters, the kind you close at night to keep the light out, there are loads of them being sold in thrift shops, if you ask they probably will show you a stash of them hidden away somewhere. They usually got that nice used look and if not, you can always paint them in a colour you want. I also use shelves from old and new cupboards and bookshelves, well any kind of wooden boards that seems fit to be a prop. is worth taking a look at. Remember that they don’t have to be really big or wide, the size depends on how close a shot you are going for. An example of this is the photo with the garlics, I used the back of an old mirror that isn’t very big at all but it has a nice brown colour that goes very well with the white garlics. You can use the boards as they are or you can paint them yourself.
I also use trays, sometimes you find beautiful ones that you can use the way they are, I have one old one in some strange metal that has a fantastic grey colour and texture. I have also bought really ugly ones and repainted them and then used ageing agents to make the paint look older. It is quite amazing how much a coat of paint can change plain and boring into new and interesting, even chic! And you don’t even have to paint well, sometimes it is that uneven finish that make a background interesting. There are a lot of interesting things you can do to paint, you can for example use the stuff used for decoupage, there are different agents for different kind of looks, the choice is vast. Or take a painted board and go over it with a a putty knife or something like that to give it that weathered look that can look so good in photos. Stone and marble slabs make great backgrounds as well, I find them especially useful for shooting raw meat and fish. I found mine in a thrift shop (obviously) where they had been dismantled from old-fashioned bed tables.
What a lovely background this would make but I stop short of ripping out other people’s doors. Fortunately.
The list can go on and on, remember that you can find most of the things I have mentioned in the most improbable places, ask friends, look in the garage and in attics-keep you eyes open and you will find a lot of fine background settings that people just walk past!
Next week I will talk about plates, glasses and cutlery etc.. For those of you missed last week’s installment, here it is: Food Props on Sunday-first installment
L
Really interesting Ilva – and lots of your ideas are applicable to photos of crochet, too!
I love the paper idea. I’ve noticed they seem to float in photos of your past postings. The distressed wood is something I love to do when photographing my handcrafted jewelry. Absolutely adore the door you photographed. Reminds me of my grandparent’s home in Calabria. Thank you for sharing your secrets. It’s a lovely way to spend an early Mother’s Day morning, as I always love your postings. Happy Mother’s Day to you!!
Ilva, thanks so much for sharing these usuful insights! I am looking forwad to your next post in this series and wonder if you also have some suggestions on how to make the best of the available props when travelling / eating out.
I’m giddy reading all this info, patting myself on the back for guessing right, way back, when I first got hooked on your images and props you’ve used, that paper was the perfect, wrinkle-free background you so expertly used. This post is full of fantastic ideas, the back of the mirror? – awesome. Thank you for sharing. Love this series! And yes, thanks for the invitation to Show Us Your Food Props.
I need to get me some beaten wood. such a pity I threw my old fence before I started blogging. I do have some papers, but minimal.. so little that I am “ashamed” to put them up for everyone to see. I am loving this series….
Love that door. Reminds me of the green door we had when we all lived in a joint family when i was little.
ummm, I’d be sorely tempted to take that door down with you … guess it would be better to find one in the junk yard
Your mind is simply over flowing with ideas, new ways of seeing things! You’re living a very rich life and I’m happy you share with us.
I do actually have a door I use as a ‘table’; it was the peeling paint that attracted. Had to cut it in half sadly to fit in the room though.
after looking at some of your backgrounds, paper ones, i smiled because i see a few i have too. lovely post ilva – i think i would not have any scruples getting that door!
merci Ilva… I have the impression I’m reading one of these fancy magasines, I love that !
Looking forward getting to next Sunday’s news
Ciao !!
Awesome awesome photos and information. Love the post here. Great information.
Neel | Learn Food Photography
Coming back, since I’ve been thinking a lot about this…
How do you store your background papers?
Ilva, this post is gorgeous. Thank you for sharing these images, it’s really good to see what goes on behind the curtains of your blog
Cheers
Jasmine
Another great post.
I am loving this series!
I love your props and food styling posts! Keep ‘em coming! I have a box of fabric I have started to use, mostly the rich colored, textured shantung silks. I also bought hand-painted gift wrap paper and paper in different colors and textures from the art supply store. I find that with a great background I can minimilize my photos and the other props I have tried and failed miserably at using, just focusing in on the food itself against the background.
I blogged about my food props about a year ago. Your props are wonderful.
http://www.imagelicious.com/blog/post/food-photography-props-and-cooking-books
Thank you for sharing some of your thoughts and tips on props. The Sunday props idea is fun! Your sheets of paper are so colorful. I am nervous of color next to food for photos and see I shouldn’t be!