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How To Make Cheap Wooden Food Photography Backdrops

August 17, 2018 by The Gourmet Lens 3 Comments

Wooden food photography backdrops are easier to make than you think!

My first post in my food photography learning and inspiration category will probably be one of your most valuable ones: how to make cheap wooden food photography backdrops. Whether you are a food photographer, lifestyle photographer or simply want to use a background for your insta photographs then these tips and techniques will be invaluable to you.

A photographer can never have too many backdrops. Just like a woman can never have too many pairs of shoes, although my husband would beg to differ! Matching your food with a backdrop is as important as matching your special outfit with the perfect accessories. When I found these two lovely turquoise bowls in TK Maxx and Dunnes Stores I  knew I would like to produce a Mediterranean food story scene. So after a trip to my local farmer’s market I knew the combination of apricots and turquoise would be the perfect combination. The only problem was I didn’t have the right tone in any of my backdrops.

Make Cheap Food Photography BackdropsFood photography boards come at a hefty price, including vinyl backgrounds, so I decided I couldn’t continue buying them every time I wanted a colour change. So it was off to my local DIY store in Cork in search of raw materials! To find the perfect wooden board is impossible unless you can find old table tops or doors at a second hand store or car boot sale. I didn’t have this luxury as I wanted the backdrop TODAY not next week! So the next best thing was to buy individual slats of wood and glue them together.

Make Cheap Food Photography Backdrops

The fastest way to do this is to use No More Nails. This is a strong adhesive which eliminates the use of nails, so there are no worrying moments of your board falling apart. It also dried very quickly so you are ready to paint your board within an hour!

Make Cheap Food Photography BackdropsSimply place a few dots along the edge of the slat and using a paintbrush quickly spread it evenly before arranging the slats together.

Make Cheap Food Photography BackdropsLeave to dry for an hour minimum or longer if you prefer. I was in a rush to I stuck to the minimum!

Make Cheap Food Photography Backdrops

You can also use chip board if you want the board ready in record time! I used both as the chipboard gives a nice effect as a backdrop.

Make Cheap Food Photography BackdropsToday was a great day to start as I was lucky enough to have my helpers today! I used a matt turquoise paint. It is important to use a matt paint rather than gloss or sheen. Any shine in the paint will be reflected in your photos. Matt paint avoids glare and shadows in the photograph and doesn’t reflect light. I recommend adding a clear matt varnish or wax to the surface as it will avoiding staining from food spills. I normally use wax and apply it with a dry brush. Leave to dry for 10 minutes and wipe off the excess with kitchen towels. Leave to dry for a few hours.

Make Cheap Food Photography BackdropsAnd voilá. Here is the finished product.

Make Cheap Food Photography BackdropsTo complete the perfect food photo just add your plate of food to your new boards and style it the way you like. I feel this certainly conjures up the atmosphere and colours of the Mediterranean!

Make Cheap Wooden Food Photography Backdrops

Who knew how easy it would be to make cheap food photography backdrops!

 

 

Filed Under: Learning and Inspiration Tagged With: Food photography backdrops

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Welcome to my website! My name is Fiona and I am an experienced food and product photographer with skills in food styling and recipe development, creating visually appealing images and mouthwatering content for audiences. I hope to help and inspire you with my food and product photography, tutorials and recipes ❤️

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It may be summer but it seems that Mother Nature h It may be summer but it seems that Mother Nature has a different plan for Cork today! The rain is pouring down this morning but let’s hope that there is some sunshine around the corner ☀️On a day like today it’s the perfect excuse to meet friends at a local cafe, swap summer stories over steaming cups of coffee while indulging in delicious homemade desserts 💛 Here are some photos taken at a photoshoot at @cafeizz where incredible coffee and cake awaits. I hope wherever you are today you are savouring coffee in the rain or basking in the sunshine 💛💛
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I am loving everything lavender at the moment so I I am loving everything lavender at the moment so I decided to add a twist to my baking routine by making lemon and poppy seed madeleines with a little extra lift. To make them extra special I topped them off with a heavenly white chocolate lavender coating 🥰Absolutely divine and true to say lavender love is in the air 💜💜
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Ok so we may not be enjoying the best summer weath Ok so we may not be enjoying the best summer weather in Ireland this July but who says you can’t bring summer to the table? I love strawberries in my salads as they add a pop of sweetness and a vibrant colour to your table. You can slice the strawberries and toss them with greens like lettuce or spinach. Finish off with your favourite dressing, like a balsamic vinaigrette and enjoy the refreshing combination of summer in a salad ❤️
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