Props are just as important as the food in a food photograph. In this post I’m going to talk about how you need to become a little prop hunter to take your food photos to the next level.
The props in the image above belong to my good friend and prop stylist Amy Paliwoda. Amy and I teach classes together and she has an amazing collection of props and backgrounds for shooting. She has soooo many that she decided to create a new business with it. You can now rent her props and backgrounds. Her new business is call The Surface Library – based in Hollywood, CA.
If you are going to blog regularly and take lots of pictures, you will need lots of props. You simply can’t use the same props over and over. You have to mix it up in order to keep your photography interesting.
Sometimes I get inspired to shoot something just from one prop. That one prop can inspire an entire story. See my post about the little olive oil dish that I just had to buy and photograph. If you have a blog on baking there’s tons of fun antiquities to hunt for.
I am often trolling around on Ebay and Etsy for my antique props. Here is a list of phrases that will pull up all kinds of different props. You have to start learning what people call the things you are looking for. The descriptions are sometimes things you wouldn’t normally think of.
Search Phrases for Ebay and Etsy:
- Wilton Armetale RWP
- Pewter Plates
- Vintage or Antique anything – pie pans, pie tins, etc
- Enamelware
- Vintage bake sheets
- Ovenex (the beautiful textured muffin pan above bottom right photo would be this) – they have several patterns – Starburst, Waffle Patterns, Crisscross
- Ekcoloy (same kind of antique bake ware as Ovenex)
- Bake King
- Milk Glass
- Kitchenalia (means misc. kitchen utensils or anything found in a kitchen)
- Vintage Farm Towels
- Primitive Kitchen or put Primitive in front of what you want – Primitive Utensils
- Primitive or Antique bread boards or cutting boards
The best way to get loads of interesting silverware pieces like you see above, is to look for “lots” of antique silverware on Ebay. There are two kinds, the antiques that are in perfect condition and are hundreds of dollars OR the “mixed lot” kind that are usually described as great for crafts. I spent $125 for 30 lbs of silveware and that is where all those beautiful pieces came from.
All these bread boards came from Ebay. The search phrases were “Antique Bread Boards” and “Primitive Bread Boards”. When you find nice ones like these be prepared to pay. The round one was $125 and the rectangular one was $150. There’s a ton of competition to get these and I looked for months as I was refusing to pay that much, then realized it’s just what they cost at the moment.
Don’t get caught in the “auction frenzy”!
So, here’s the deal. Create a budget for your props and stick to it. There will always be more things for sale. I use a website called Auction Sniper (not a paid endorsement). This way I don’t get all worked up about having to win the auction. You set your price on Auction Sniper for the item you want to win, then WALK AWAY. Auction Sniper does the rest. It will bid for you and warn you if the auction goes over the price you are willing to pay so you can readjust.
Other options for hunting antiques
This list is obviously for times when we are not social distancing. Let’s hope we’ll be able to support these sources again soon.
Not into Ebay or Etsy? That’s totally fine. You have loads of options for your hunting. Simply go to the following types of stores:
- Goodwill
- Salvation Army
- Thrift Stores (in Burbank CA on Magnolia Blvd. there are a ton of antique stores within blocks of each other – then, after your hunting you can go to Porto’s Bakery)
- Church Bazaars
- Antique Malls (usually a large warehouse building with loads of vendors selling antiques)
- Yard Sales
- Estate Sales / Moving Sales (check local listings on www.craigslist.com)
- Garage Sales
- Flea Markets
There are often antique store communities like the one I mentioned above in Burbank. There’s another one in Long Beach, CA on 2nd Street – they have a large antique mall as well. A blogger just told me about some antique malls on PCH in Long Beach too.
In Los Angeles we have tons of flea markets. To search for your area, just google “your city, flea market”, and see what comes up.
- 1st Sunday of every month is the Pasadena City College Flea Market
- 2nd Sunday is the biggest – the Pasadena Rose Bowl
- 3rd Sunday is the Long Beach Antique Market
- 4th Sunday is at the Santa Monica Airport (also on the 1st Sunday as well)
Update – I just found this great website to look for antique malls in your area. It covers the whole country: www.antiquemalls.com
Some not so antique options
When I shoot with Amy (prop stylist), she will often mix some old pieces with some new pieces. I love that look.
We usually try to make things look a little timeless unless we’re going for a specific era or time period in a shot.
Here’s a list of stores that we often pull from for jobs:
- Crate and Barrel
- CB2
- Williams Sonoma
- Sur La Table
- Pottery Barn
- World Market
- Pier One
- Macy’s
- Bloomingdales
- Home Goods
- Anthropology
- Michaels
- Hobby Lobby
- Smaller independent local shops that curate beautiful items
Now – if you have time before your shoot, here is a list of online stores that have some great props:
- CanvasHomeStore.com
- Gilt.com (this is a membership store)
- SerenaAndLilly.com
- OneKingsLane.com (membership store)
- HeathCeramics.com (located in Los Angeles on Beverly Blvd)
- Rodales.com
Ok so I have to mention Mud Australia porcelain. I’ve been told many stores don’t carry them anymore because it takes 6 months for them to fill orders and they sell out extremely fast. Amy has several Mud pieces and they are really beautiful, and shoot really well. If you order any online, most of them are not made yet, so it will take weeks for you to get it. Oh, and they are very expensive too, like little works of art.
Backgrounds – you gotta have a background! (arms flailing right now)
The other element in your food photo is going to be some sort of background. Even if it’s just a white surface – that’s still a background.
I grew up with my dad doing lots of wood working, so I am very comfortable painting and varnishing things. I usually go to Home Depot, get cheap fence planks or floor boards, and paint or varnish them. They don’t need to be painted to last so it’s actually very easy. I also get Home Depot to cut them down to a manageable size. Some floor boards are 12 feet long so I cut them in half.
The background in the shot above is made from painted floor boards. I painted the wrong side of the boards so that you can see the rough texture and you can see the wood grain. See this post I have where I show you how to make your own painted wood plankshow to make your own painted wood planks.
Amy has become quite the painter and has loads of beautiful surfaces that you can rent, like this one below:
If rustic wood surfaces aren’t your style, you can always use a real wood table instead. Please, just don’t shoot every one of your food shots on the same table. That will get boring real fast.
Also, a note about a traditional table, many times their surfaces are reflective – so that can be an issue if you don’t want reflections in your shots.
There is always fabric! I love fabrics and have acquired a huge collection over the years. Here is a shot of the colors we tend to use most often. I have lots more upstairs in my studio that we don’t use all that often as they were very specific colors for a certain project with a specific client.
Fabric is just a great way to bring in a complementary, or contrasting color to your food shot. If you use the wrong color, you can ruin your food shot too, so be careful when choosing colors. Notice that nothing in my collection has a pattern as that tends to compete with the food. It’s all about making your food look it’s best.
Here’s a great example that Amy and I did together. She loves pink and it really went well with the citrus. The pink acts as a frame and really brings out the color of the citrus.
Where To Get Fabrics:
Again, these suggestions are for times when we are not social distancing.
I need to mention where to get good fabrics for a reasonable price. I always get my fabrics a large wholesale stores. Check for a garment area in your town. In Los Angles we have the garment district are there are a few blocks of warehouse spaces full of fabric stores. It’s a bit like the open market and you can negotiate when you buy lots of fabric. I do go to Michael Levine, Inc a lot and I know Amy goes there too.
I always buy 2.5 to 3 yards of fabric – it’s a total drag when you don’t have enough to cover a surface.
Also, look at the remnant sections in fabric stores. A great way to save some cash on smaller pieces.
Tablecloths are very expensive and usually you are not seeing any edges of the fabrics anyway so no need to have fancy stitching on your edges.
Some propping rules – Do’s and Don’ts
So now that I hopefully got you all excited about propping and backgrounds, I should mention several rules here that you really need to follow so you don’t get too crazy with this.
The basic rule when using props and backgrounds is they are to compliment and support the story you are trying to tell – not distract from it. So if you are looking at a food shot and are thinking, “wow, that’s a great plate”, you’ve failed in creating a great food shot. You are not selling your plate, or your napkin or your surface either. The first read should always be your food, then your eye moves around to look at the props to see what the story is.
- Stay away from big bold patterns
- Generally speaking, you should also avoid bright patches of color in places as that will also take your eye away from the food. Use bright color only when it directs your eye to your food.
- Use small plates – always plate your food so that it fills the plate. You don’t want huge quantities of food either. We are always shooting on salad plates or smaller unless we are actually plating an entire meal and need the room.
- Don’t pack your shot full of props. Be subtle with your story and edit your shot down to just the items necessary to tell your story. Again, you’re selling your recipe and food, not the props.
- Be careful with shiny surfaces that reflect light. Blaring highlights can be very distracting. If you have a prop giving off a gnarly highlight, spray dulling spray on it to take the shine down.
- If you are placing silverware, spend time placing it in your shot. Try it in several locations to see where it looks the best. It’s very hard to place the fork in just the right spot. It’s not always obvious where it should go, so try a few places and take pictures of each one and see what you like.
Well, hopefully this has inspired you enough to try some new props or backgrounds or both on your next food shoot.
If I’ve left any wonderful online stores off of my list (there’s so many out there), please comment below and let me know so I can add it.
You might also like:
10 Tips For Working With Fabrics
The Best And Worst Colors For Photographing Food
For more photography tips and tricks – check out my ebooks:
Tracy
I just want to tell you this was SO helpful to me as I am starting my food photography journey! I am a total noob when it comes to props and styling and this gave me somewhere to start. Thank you!
Christina Peters
Hi Tracy, congrats on your new food blog. Glad this helped and thanks for reading the blog.
nancy
Great post! Thank you so much! I own a bread bakery and have been searching for props. I am in love with your “Old English” loaf pan. Where can I find one like it?
Christina Peters
Hi Nancy, I believe that one came from a thrift store or Ebay. It’s actually Amy’s so I’m not 100% sure.
Jessica @Timeout with Mom
Hi! Thank you so much for this awesome post. For your fabrics, do you just go with solid knit fabric or is that like a jersey knit? Thanks!!
Christina Peters
Hi there, I never use knit or jersey fabrics, only linens, cottons, and linens blends. You can find the texture of linen in a knit fabric.
Michelle @ My Gluten-free Kitchen
Do you know what those pieces are called that are in the upper right photo of the collage, that are oval with a tight scalloped edge? I really like those!
Thank you for all of your tips! I’m going to have to check out some of the places you recommended when I come to LA area next year. I’ll start looking more in my area too, though I’m not familiar with anywhere here that has this type of stuff.
Christina Peters
Hi Michelle, I’m not sure if they have a name and it is hard to find plates like that. Glad you’re enjoying the blog!
Cherie @ FoodRecipesEasy
Thanks for the big list of sources. Are there any exclusive online resources for ordering PROPS?
Christina Peters
Hi Cherie, there are no exclusive online resources – I call it prop hunting. You will always and forever be looking for that perfect plate, dish, bowl, fork, spoon, surface, fabric, you get the idea.
Voyteck
those props are awesome!
Christina Peters
Thanks Voyteck! Wish they were all mine!
Priscilla - She's Cookin'
Yes, valuable info! So lets make a date to go to the Long Beach market – I haven’t been in two decades, way before blogging was even a word. Unfortunately, I think this Sunday is the 3rd Sunday, but I’m leaving for Shanghai on Sat. How about August or maybe an adventure to Pasadena – I’ve never been…not an early riser 😉
Christina Peters
Oh Priscilla- that’s a great idea! We should do a little food blogger trip – one to LB and one to Pasadena! We’ll set it up when you get back.
Susan
Thanks for this wonderful post, Christina! I live in Ventura County, so look forward to exploring some of the antiques districts you mentioned!
I think you’ve brought up some relly valid points and am excited to incorporate some of your suggestions into my photos.
Christina Peters
Hi Susan! You have some great antique store options in Ventura on Main St, Camarillo, and Oxnard too. Happy shooting!
Elizabeth @ SugarHero.com
Great article! Thanks also for the head’s up about The Surface Library. I’m in the LA area and am hoping to do the photos for my next cookbook myself, and if that works out I will definitely become a Surface Library regular. 🙂
Christina Peters
Oh, you’ll love it – all the backgrounds and props you that you could ever imagine! And good luck with the cookbook too – congrats!
Danielle Nichols
It was so nice meeting you this afternoon at Erika’s. Now I want to go prop shopping at all of the thrift stores we have in Burbank 🙂
Christina Peters
Nice meeting you too Danielle – Burbank is a gold mine and sooo much fun to shop!
Jeannette
I love the matte silver monochromatic look. This clarifies for me. I was always taken in by the perfect, but bright colored backgrounds of certain food shots. My first backdrop purchases were fabrics with such dominating themed-prints that I never could use them. This is a much better approach.
Christina Peters
Hi Jeannette, working with prints is very hard. Everything in the shot has to be there in order to direct your eye to the food, make the food look great, and maybe tell a little story, without distracting from the food. It’s hard working with props and backgrounds, but they can really take your shot to the next level.
Gerry @ Foodness Gracious
What an awesome post with tons of great info! I consider myself lucky being in Long Beach…there’s some really cool places here and the Vet Stadium market is amazing. Thanks Christina 🙂
Christina Peters
I Gerry, I have yet to go to the Vet Stadium but I hear it’s amazing. LB really has a lot of antique lovers.
Erika Kerekes {Not Ketchup}
Hugely helpful. I will add two tips on fabrics. First, I often buy ends and remainders at great prices at the fabric store, and I look for both regular fabrics and upholstery fabrics, which often lend more texture to the background. Second, have an iron or steamer handy. That, by the way, is a “do as I say, not as I do” tip, because I have neither, and my fabric backdrops are always wrinkled. Which bothers me…just not enough to find the iron.
Christina Peters
Oh, great suggestion – totally left out where I get all my fabrics from – I’ll update the post – and yes, I had a power steamer ’till it lost power. They are awesome on linen and tough wrinkles but they don’t last long at all. Thanks Erika!
Cathy | She Paused 4 Thought
Wow, such great information per usual. Thanks for the lists and tips.
It was very helpful.
Christina Peters
Glad you liked it Cathy! I do love hunting for props. I always feel when I’m buying a prop for a shoot it’s such a good excuse to buy it!
Jayce
Thanks for the great post. I thought I would try my luck on Ebay and got 2 vintage aluminum Bake King Heart Cake pans for $.99 + shipping. Thanks again!
Christina Peters
Oh that’s a great price for those!!! Now you are an official prop hunter. I also look at what time of day the auction ends. If it ends really late at night or early morning, like 2:00am, less people will be fighting for it so your chances are better for winning the auction.
Kate Dunbar
Great list, thank you Christina!!
Christina Peters
Glad you liked it Kate!
Amy
Thanks for the shout out, Christina Peters! You’re my favorite…xoxo
Christina Peters
We can do an update when your website is up and running Amy!