Welcome to Palates & Palettes, a series of (food) photography posts exploring various elements of food photography because we savour the colours of the food as well as the ‘canvas’ it lays upon.
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Creating backgrounds can be done in a variety of ways. Everything from paper to fabric is fair game. Did I mention wood? Today, my focus is on creating coloured backdrops from wood.
Creating wooden backgrounds are simple and cheap.
Step 1: Find the wood
A forage in your garage or backyard might unearth prime material for this venture. The alternatives – DIY shops and home decor outfits, where samples are often abundant and cheap, if not free. Other options? Markets: from general wares markets (the very place where I bought a set of 6 small, plain, unpolished chopping boards for about 3 euros) to flea markets and garage sales. Though I haven’t been blessed to find gorgeous antique wood surfaces, my hopes are not yet dashed.
Step 2: Decide on colour
Ikea, again your garage/home stores, craft stores, DIY shops and even supermarkets are superb hunting grounds for a variety of paint to work into your design projects. I got a can of blue paint – a rather large one though for a few euros. Someday, I may embark on painting our dining table a cool blue….perhaps not. I’m sure you can find smaller tins/tubes to experiment with. And to be honest, it wasn’t at all a big deal. I simply followed the instructions on the tin of paint, ensured my workspace was well-ventilated and got to work.
After a couple of coats, I decided that I wanted richer colour and applied two more coats. In a day, my board was ready. For use. And that’s step 3. for the next step.
Step 3: Sandpaper to highlight wood grain (optional)
Thanks to Kris of Bake in Paris, who left a comment after I published this post: ‘Just an idea… you might want to use sand paper to scrub on the blue surface to achieve unfinished look.. you can highlight the wood grain in this way too’. So I did. And updated the text.
Step 4: Dive in and use
Decide how you want to the painted boards to feature. Like I did and while this isn’t ‘great’ use of the board, I have more planned!
Other cool links
llva of Lucullian Delight’s Food Props on Sunday, Part 2 (of 8), on backgrounds
Diane of White on Rice couple on Food Blog Forum, Making textured backdrops for food photography
What are you favourite backgrounds for your food photos?
[wpurp-searchable-recipe]Palates & Palettes: Painting Backgrounds for Food Photography – – – [/wpurp-searchable-recipe]
sandpaper! I didn’t think of that. This is a helpful article. Thank you!
Thank you for your great idea!! i have been looking for a perfect wood piece for food photography. love the aged, acid rain look
I always mean to do something like this but rather like my jam making, it never happens! I have asked my dad if he’s got any rustic old wood for me though.
Anne, hope you find some great wood scraps!
Mimi, thanks. IT was also fun to ‘create’ something
Such a clever idea. I’ve been using scrapbook paper from the craft store, it’s inexpensive about $1.00 a sheet and you can toss them when they look to ratty.
Mimi
Brilliant, genius!!! I seriously need to get new backgrounds, I’m so bored of my brown dining table! Will start hunting for wood today, wopeeee! 🙂
Thanks Nic & Megan
What a great idea! I have been using scrap book paper, my kitchen table, and deck for most of our photos. The only thing I don’t like about using paper is that it can get ruined so easily by spills. (which I am clumsily responsible for most of the time). I have been trying to think of some new things to do and I love this idea!
Great idea, and lovely colour that you used!
WOW – that is an amazing effort. The colour is perfect. The photo is great. Wouldn’t it have been easier to prop a piece of coloured card stock on the wall for your colour? I need to take a photography course!
🙂
Valerie
Valerie dear, my fave photo-taking spot is by my kitchen window. It is a very tricky place to put up paper/card, cause all the light goes through, it isn’t stable…I could go on but I love to create and discover new things and this was one of them
What a great lesson for all of us!! thanks for the tips! I use beautiful napkins in linnen or in colourful paper.
Sometimes, I use placemats, nice fabric or my black wooden table as a fine contrast!
Kisses from Brussels!
This is an area that I am sorely lacking in knowledge/time/skills so will be great to see your clever tips, oh teacher 😉
Thanks Anna, Conor, I hope you find the tips useful too. Promise you more!
Shaz :-), this board is about A5, fit only for really tiny things!
Great tips Oz! I went to my favourite paper shop and bought a stack of decorative paper in different colours/patterns to use as backdrops. The only drama is that they come in A4 size, so sometimes they’re not big enough to use 🙂
This is a lovely idea, so thanks for sharing. Im only just starting with food photography, so very timely.
Nice ideas that you shard with us. I try to keep my photographs very simple. For many photographs, I use a black table. If the sunlight is not harsh ( dusk is a good time), I will photograph by my rosemary bush on the patio.
I really like the idea of painting wood. Great idea. Sometimes using colorful cutting boards are good too.
Margot, send me his email address and I can talk to him:-)
Oyster Culture – thank you
Alta – I’ll keep my eyes out for quilting patches!
Velva – I love the black table cause I like the atmosphere dark backgrounds create
Wow, love painting the wood! I have a wooden cutting board that’s worn that I sometimes use, but more often I use these small pieces of fabric (sold just for quilters).
I need to get better about my photos especially after seeing all the wonderful ones that you put forth. You have got so much talent. Love the blue of the wood.
So long I’m asking my hubby to bring me some wood so I can paint for backgrounds… now he has no choice! 🙂
I use mostly fabrics, old napkins I inherited after my granny or paper.
Just an idea… you might want to use sand paper to scrub on the blue surface to achieve unfinished look.. you can highlight the wood grain in this way too..
Sawadee from Bangkok,
Kris
What a fantastic idea. Thanks Kris – I’ve sanded it down and updated the post – superb!
I love using texture and I will go to the op shop and get place mats. 🙂
Sarah, sweetlife, Joan, Christine, Monet and Penny, Thanks.
Love this! I’m always looking for more photography tips and you have such beautiful photos…I know I can trust you! I love using my wood cutting board, but I’ve never thought of painting some wood scraps for variety. Great idea!
This is a really cool post! We don’t have very much space in our apartment, but one of these days, I’ll really look forward to creating such spectacular backgrounds as yours.
No wonder your photos are over-the-top great…you put thought and effort into it. I look forward to more in this series of tips.
great post, great idea to paint wood…I use tissue paper in some of my backgrounds, very cheap and food gets on it…i can toss it
sweetlife
Your pictures are always so good! Look forward to all of your ideas.