Behind the Scenes: My Food Photography Setup

Here's a peek into my very makeshift, continually evolving food photography setup.  I took some time this weekend to organize some of the props I use most often, and they're now stashed right underneath the trusty wooden board that serves as a backdrop for almost all my photographs.

Just so you know where I'm coming from, here is a "before" picture I shared this fall on Instagram.  I used to take all my pictures outside on the balcony, but when it got cold, I moved my piece of wood inside and propped it up next to my kitchen window on top of the large cardboard box our trash can came in.  Needless to say, it was not extremely sturdy.  I had to put all the heavy things right in the middle to avoid having the whole thing fall over.

Now, my board rests much more securely on top of these wire shelves.  Right underneath I tucked in a few linens that I sometimes use in photo shoots.  I'm looking for more linens--know of any great sources for cheap & affordable cloth napkins and tea towels?  I have a lot of patterns, but am finding that solid colors work better to keep the focus on the food.

See all the great light streaming in from that window?  I move all around the board while I'm shooting to get backlit shots, and shots with the light scraping from the right and left.  When the light is low, I shoot with the curtains open, and I close them to diffuse strong light.

Underneath the board I have a shelf of dishes I use frequently, a box of fun food styling essentials and small props, and a copy of Plate to Pixel, an awesome food photography book.  Not pictured is Tasty Food Photography, which is a fabulous e-book that I pull up on my computer & reference all the time.

Here's what I have in my seagrass basket: fun straws (featured in this coconut frappucino), dried chili peppers (pictured with this mocha mexicano), a mini wooden cutting board (seen throughout this post), Celtic Sea Salt for garnishes, Q-tips for cleaning up small smears, toothpicks (see them here in chicken meatballs), ice cream cups, sauce dishes, one of my favorite jars holding mini spoons, a mini whisk, and a mini spatula, a glass carafe (seen with these mini quiches), a pack of reusable chopsticks (of Vietnamese Pork & Vermicelli bowl fame), cinnamon sticks (check them out in this pumpkin ice cream post), and a few corks (I haven't used corks in a shoot yet, but you never know when they'll come in handy!).

If you're looking for some great free food photography tips, Lindsay from Pinch of Yum has an awesome series of really helpful posts: 5 Time-Saving Tips for Food Photography, Ten Household Items That Can Improve Your Food Photography (plus ten more!), and Artificial Lighting Tips for Food Photography.

I hope you enjoyed this little view into my favorite kitchen corner.  I had a great time photographing something other than food for a change!

Do you have any favorite food photography resources, go-to props, food styling tips, or ideas for keeping it all organized?  I would LOVE to hear about it in the comments!

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