Backgrounds and surfaces are indispensable for product and food photography. I have been amassing a collection for years now. Finding what I can at yard sales, flea markets and even classifieds but when I can’t find exactly what I am looking for I make my own. I might get some wood and make a tabletop or just paint a piece of Gatorboard, a lightweight but rigid piece of foam. It can be helpful to have a bit of texture in your backgrounds. When I feel like I Ineed texture a coat of plaster can do the trick. Now I have I have a bunch of options but you can really never have too many backgrounds… if storage wasn’t an issue.
Sometimes I will use the terms background and surface interchangeably but for the most part a surface is the base that the objects will sit on and a background will of course go behind the object like a wall. Where things get confusing is that I mix the up a bit from time to time, A surface might make a good stucco wall or a paper background might go great as a tabletop, sometimes a background will be slung from under the object to the background in what is usually referred to as a sweep in order to create a seamless transition from surface to background.
Storage is a pain! Early in my search for textures I was desperate and would buy a whole table just for the top, it was expensive and took up far too much space. When possible I would unscrew the tabletop from the legs and store it away for when inspiration struck. I still have a zinc covered table and just recently added a marble dining table to my collection. The dining table gets used for photos but serves double or triple duty as an actual dining table and for staging props during shoots.
In my experience with food and product backgrounds I have learned simple is often better. I like surfaces that don’t compete too much with the product or food. If I want to make it a more exciting shot I would rather get creative with lighting or use dramatic shadows.
A few more, mostly wood surfaces. The two bits of marble are computer prints, they can be convincing since marble has no texture, the shadows can be a giveaway when using artificial surfaces with texture, still not my favorite, I usually try and use the real thing.
These shots are just a fraction of what I have and use in my studio, paper sheets and rolls, acrylic mirrors and white and black acrylic sheet play a huge roll in my product and food shots, although I have a slightly different technique for each. Product shots rely on a cleaner and more minimalistic setting. Most brands are very careful about curating what messaging is present in their advertising so usually the product is the main event, everything is calculated to magnify the branding and not detract from their messaging. Food is a little more of a narrative, we might push a feeling by using rustic surfaces or textures that remind us of home or good times.
Backgrounds can inject a little magic into a shot, I will often start shooting a subject and feel it is missing something and then with a quick change of background find that everything falls into place beautifully. It is all about having the appropriate amount of detail to entertain the eye without distracting it.
These textures have authenticity, marble metal and wood always look good. The colors are sheets of color aid and this is just a sample, I have probably 100 of these. Color Aid is super useful, it is silkscreened perfectly matte paint on paper, it has a flawless finish and a richness and intensity of color.
If you have any questions about surfaces and backgrounds send me an email, I would be glad to help. I am passionate about product photography and helping businesses promote their brand, If you are looking for food or product photography in the Philadelphia area and have a project in mind I would love to hear all about it,