Props for food photography help bring your creative vision to life. It’s important to think through your creative vision first and let that be your guide when selecting your props for your photo shoot. So, let’s talk about how to choose the best props for food photography.

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Props for Food Photography

Food photography props are basically any extra elements that can help tell your food story. Props can include things like:

• Linens
• Plates
• Bowls
• Glassware
• Cutting Boards
• Silverware
• Ramekins
• Surfaces & Backdrops
• Pots
• Pans
• Platters
• Baking Sheets
• Parchment Paper
• Ingredients

Where To Find Food Photography Props

Props are everywhere. You just have to keep your eyes open and get creative. I find a lot of food photography prop inspiration from the following:

• Garage sales
• Antique shops
• Salvation Army
• Goodwill
• Your own kitchen
• Friends and family’s kitchens
• Etsy
• Pinterest
• Anthropologie
• Crate & Barrel
• West Elm
• Home Depot
• Restaurants
• Prop Stylists’ Collections

Food Photography Prop Best Practices

When you know your creative vision for your photo shoot, it will serve as your guide to what types of props to get. Remember, you want your props to support the food, not distract from it. The food should always be the star no matter what kind of ‘mood or look’ you’re going for.

Dark & Moody

If you’re going for a more dark and moody look in your food images, you may want to stick with dark and moody props. Some considerations would be:

• Black plates & bowls
• Dark gray linens
• Moody colors like maroons, violets or dark greens
• Black flatware
• Darker surfaces & backdrops

Light & Airy

If you’re going for a more light and airy look, you may want to stick with lighter props. Some considerations would be:

• White plates & bowls
• Silver, matte flatware
• Light colored linens (white, neutral, tan, light gray)
• Soft, pastel colors
• Lighter surfaces & backdrops

Rustic

If you’re going for a more rustic and natural look, you may want to find some more rustic props to work with. Some considerations would be:

• Tarnished flatware
• Textured plates and bowls
• Seasoned baking sheets
• Seasoned cutting boards
• Burlap linens
• Linens that drape and curve easily
• Wood surfaces & backdrops

How To Choose Props For Food Photography

When choosing what props to have on hand for food photography, I usually ask myself is “Will I be able to use this multiple times?” Some props are so special that they really only hold their value for one photo shoot. When you use special props multiple times, they can start to feel redundant instead of unique.

I try to focus on building a prop collection that I can use in a variety of different ways without the props feeling too redundant. I do this by sticking to the basics and renting props from prop stylists when I need something more specialized that I may only use once or twice.

Basic Dishware

My basic prop collection includes:

• Different sized bowls
• Different sized plates
• A few cutting boards
• Linens
• A variety of glassware
• Silverware

Tones/Textures/Colors

Within my basic prop collection, I have a variety of the following:

• Black & dark tones
• White & light tones
• Neutral tones
• Colorful tones
• Different Textures
• Matte finishes

READ MORE ABOUT: TIPS TO IMPROVE YOUR FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY COMPOSITIONS

Food Photography Backdrops & Surfaces

Food photography backdrops and surfaces are an important “partner” to your props. They set the foundation for the image and can help guide the prop selection and placement. It’s important to have a variety on hand to work with – similar to your prop collection – so you can create different moods for your food images. And, you can always rent them from prop stylists too!

For my backdrop & surface collection, I also look for the following:

• Color
• Texture
• Size
• Material
• Weight

The backdrops I love the most are from Best Ever Backdrops. While there are a variety of options on the market, Best Ever Backdrops are not only beautiful, they’re a matte finish, offer good sizing options, super durable (including stain & water resistant) and lightweight. Read more about them below and if you decide to purchase, use my CODE REGANBARONI to get 15% OFF.

READ MORE ABOUT: THE BEST FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY BACKDROPS

Props for food photography are an important part of your food images. I hope this post helped you discover that there are endless prop ideas and inspiration out there, if you just keep your eyes open. Remember, let your creative vision be your guide so you get the right types of props to support the food story you’re trying to tell.

And, when in doubt, ask a prop stylist! 😉

Happy Creating!

READ MORE ABOUT: FOOD STYLING TOOLS EVERY PHOTOGRAPHER SHOULD HAVE

This post may contain affiliate links which means if you click or make a purchase through my site, I might make a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only promote products that I actually use and support for my own photography business.

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All images ©Regan Baroni 2022.