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    Masala & Chai » Resources

    Published: Feb 16, 2021 · Modified: Apr 25, 2021 by Shweta Garg · This post may contain affiliate links

    Food Blogging: How to Shop for Props

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    How to Shop for Props

    Building your prop collection is one of the hardest, most expensive parts of building your business as a food blogger. My food photography went from amateur to professional in a short amount of time. I owe a lot of that to my addiction to beautiful props that help present my recipes and clients products in the best way possible.

    Chai Liqueur in glass with star anise garnish

    WHAT TO LOOK FOR

    It's important to be purposeful with the items you choose to represent your brand. You'll want to note and look for several things:

    • Texture: Whether it's backdrops or plates, texture is a huge part of food. Does the wooden backdrop look realistic, or is it kind of tacky and look cheap? Do the ridges in a plate add depth, shadows, or interest? Do the cute etchings on a cup actually allow you to see what's in it?
    • Matte: Depending on your handle of lighting, buying pieces that are matte are so important. Lighting will reflect off of shiny surfaces, creating glares that take away from the image. This is why food bloggers purchase mostly ceramics.
    • Color: If you haven't already, you'll want to choose 4-5 colors to represent your brand. Head to Coolors, which will help you generate a cohesive palette. Your brand colors should help your viewers identify your style of photography. Shop for white and neutral props. But also purchase your pieces of interests, the ones that make your hero pop, in your brand colors. Maybe that means you have a cocotte that's bright red, or you have an army of pink linens, or you use edible flowers!
    • Unique: While having basics is important, having pieces that are unique captures your viewers eye. I can't tell you how many times I've gotten DMs or engagement on IG because of a specific piece I have. Shop around your local vintage stores and look for interesting pieces.
    • Story: Do the pieces tell a story in any way? Maybe the silverware is tarnished, the plate is pink and dainty for desserts, or the baking sheet is rusted showing off that you're an avid baker. Maybe you're an Indian food blogger (like me!) and look for pieces in gold, props that are bright, or have designs reminiscent of my culture.
      • Another thing food bloggers do is use the ingredients in the dish to surround the hero. So if you were baking, you can use cracked eggs, a cookie scoop, a vintage sifter, etc.
    • Small: I know this sounds weird, but you really only have so much space within a frame to take a photo. I actually don't own any dinner plates (10 inch), and typically go for salad plates for savory food or dessert plates for cakes or appetizers. If you do need a large plate, at that point you should probably just use a platter.

    PROPS

    Depending on what your niche is, you'll need to find items that help support your process photos and hero shots. You can get the exact same items I've personally purchased below! Note that these are affiliate links, so you'll be supporting me by using them at no extra cost to you.

    3 Deep Dish Gingersnap Cookies with Ice Cream in Le Creuset Cocottes with ginger powder and cinnamon sticks in ovenex sheet tray

    PLATES AND BOWLS

    Plates and bowls are probably the bulk of what your collection of props will consist of. Different sizes, textures, colors, finishing, edges, designs... these will all make your food stand out! I recommend dessert plates and salad plates in terms of sizes. In terms of bowls, I recommend soup bowls and pasta bowls that are wide and shallow.

    a single slice of flourless nutella cake on stacked plates with another slice on the bottom left

    PINCH BOWLS, MEASURING BOWLS/CUPS, POURERS

    Pinch bowls make for great space fillers in your frame, as well as show off a specific ingredients. Pourers/creamers help with video, stop motions, or action shots. Measuring bowls/cups are used for recipe videos or ingredient flatlays.

    CUTLERY AND COOKING UTENSILS

    If you make recipe videos or have process shots, cute cooking utensils are great to have on set. Also having vintage or matte cutlery placed strategically helps move your viewers eye across the photo while helping tell a story.

    COOKING VESSELS

    Also great for process shots, hero shots with the cooking vessel sticking out a bit, or for treating yourself if you cook/bake a lot.

    In my personal collection, I have: grill pan, two frying pans, cocotte, mini cocottes (for baking or ramekin substitutes), large baking dish, small baking dish, square pan, half sheet baking tray, quarter sheet baking tray, vintage baking trays, spring form pan, sauce pan, and a loaf pan.

    SERVING DISHES AND PLATTERS

    If you've just made a recipe that serves more than 4 people, a good platter or serving dishes will make the food look abundant and help you style around it. If you bake, you'll want a variety of cake stands to show off your cakes and cupcakes.

    DRINKWARE

    Whether you're into cocktails or coffee, you'll want different styles of glasses that match the drink you're photographing. If it's a martini, use a martini glass! It's best to buy drinkware in pairs of 2 or 3.

    LINENS

    Linens are key for adding texture, layering, movement, and a pop of color.

    BRANDS

    CERAMICS AND DINNERWARE

    paneer filling on a hot dog bun with cheese sauce and crinkle fries on the side
    Earth and Element
    a spread of indian food with rice, roti, chicken, and egg curry
    Fatima's Clay & Lost Quarry
    • Earth and Element
    • Fatima's Clay
    • RV Pottery
    • Boston Pottery
    • KJ Pottery
    • Blue Pheasant
    • Lost Quarry
    • Fishes Eddy's (NYC)
    • Anthropologie
    • West Elm
    • Crate and Barrel
    • Home Goods

    DRINKWARE

    • Crate and Barrel
    • Anthropologie

    CUTLERY

    • Anthropologie

    LINENS

    Whipped Ricotta Toast with flaky sea salt in plate and olive oil
    • Etsy: Great for cheesecloths or "baby wraps" that fall perfectly
    • Anthropologie: It's better to shop for them in person at Anthro so you can feel the texture of it yourself
    • Crate & Barrel
    • TJMaxx
    • Alex Pokas

    KITCHENWARE

    • William Sonoma
    • Sur la Table
    • Lodge
    • Le Creuset
    • Staub
    • Our Place

    BACKDROPS

    In my opinion, your backdrop sets the entire mood, tone, and color scheme of your photo.

    Single Slice Lemon Cardamom Olive Oil Cake on a plate
    Pearl Stone by CBL

    White backdrops go with just about anything and the "white and bright" aesthetic is incredibly pleasing... But you should never buy just any plain white backdrop. Look for a white backdrop that is marbled or has some sort of texture. The other side of the spectrum is obviously black or grey for moody shots.

    If you like playing with color and food like I do, push yourself with colorful backdrops. I promise you'd be surprised at the type of scenes you can create!

    Cilantro Mint Chutney Overhead in Le Creuset Cocette with CIlantro and Serrano Peppers and Half a Lemon with Cilantro
    Malachite by CBL
    • CBL Backdrops: These are by far my favorite backdrops. They're vinyl, which makes for easy cleaning. You can buy several and store them in small spaces. They're also fairly long which helps for shooting a large scene!
    Nutella Lava Mug Cake in a mug on a plate with a spoon
    Edinburgh by Woodville
    • Woodville: Woodville makes boards that are very realistic and textured. They're phenomenal! Order 3-4 weeks ahead since they come custom made from Russia. The cons: they scratch and even rub off color to other boards if not stored properly, require storage space, and spills may stain.
    egg, cucumber, pomegranates, halloumi, chives, and labneh on homemade toast on a purple plate
    Pastel Marble by Everyday Co
    • Everyday Co Backdrops: This Australian based backdrop company sells amazing quality vinyls in solids, patterns, and other fun textures in a plethora of colors! These are super great for product photography. | Code: SHWETA20 for 20% off your order
    strawberries stuffed with cheesecake topped with chocolate and graham crackers in a plate
    Rose Marble by Replica Surfaces
    • Replica Surface: I'd be wary of Replica, simply because their backdrops are too small for an entire scene. If you shoot up close, they're usually fine. Their light colors also scratch way too easily. That said, I have gotten great photos and videos using their backdrops.
    chole in a white bowl with lemon wedges
    Homemade backdrop
    • Make your own backdrops!

    If you have any questions or suggestions of independent ceramicists to check out, please let me know in the comments or email me at info@masalaandchai.com! Happy prop shopping!

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Viola says

      February 16, 2021 at 8:00 pm

      Thanks for sharing sources for all your beautiful pieces. Building a beautiful prop collection definitely takes time and effort. Your collection is absolutely beautiful!

      Reply
      • Shweta says

        February 16, 2021 at 8:07 pm

        Of course, so happy to share!! It's definitely costly and takes a lot of time, but also so fun! Thank you so much, Viola!

        Reply

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