Ilva at Lucullian Delights is hosting the successful Food Props on Sunday series. Over 8 weekends she has published tips on crockery, linens and backgrounds.
A round up, “Show us your props,” will be published at Lucullian Delights on 4 July. Ilva is also a contributor to the sensational photography blogging collaboration, Between Hemispheres.
Props, as food bloggers know, can help create fantastic photos. My collection mostly comes from sales with vintage items inherited from my grandma (such as plates in the chocolate aubergine cake post or sundae dishes here). The cellar shelves groan with odd glasses and plates. My back bedroom has Ikea boxes stuffed with napkins, odd cutlery and small dishes. Never mind the kitchen. After just 12 months’ food blogging!
Small is good when looking for props. A full size plate or spoon can look enormous in proportion to the food. I constantly have an eye out for dinky cutlery and containers or dishes.
Quite often if you have a set of napkins or small dishes, it’s boring using them repeatedly in photos. What better way to broaden your collection than to swap your spares with other food bloggers?
At Food Blogger Connect earlier this month, there was a brilliant food prop swap. Armed with a bag full of spare napkins, place mats, cute boxes and ribbons, I picked up new props cast off by other bloggers.
Here’s what I got:
- a selection of patterned paper napkins;
- 2 x stripey cardboard popcorn boxes;
- 4 x African style wooden spoons;
- 3 x Oriental style spoons made from shell;
- 3 x shaped plastic serving dishes;
- cute packet of cocktail sticks decorated with miniature fruit (centre of picture, difficult to see)
- and a box of rabbit cookie cutters!
So do expect some of these items to pop up soon in my food photos. I wish I could tell you who else shared their stuff but apart from Sarka and Guilia above, my memory fails me – my eyes were more on the table!
Other booty gained at Food Blogger Connect: GOODIE BAGS!
This year we were treated to:
Foods Unearthed Biltong and Snacking Chorizo
Maldon Sea Salt Flakes
Randalls Country Chutney in various flavours – mine was tomato and courgette
Purely Pesto Pesto (they also make things like hummus and taramasalata)
Barking Nuts Chihuahua Chili Nuts by Olives et al
An information pack from Vive Le Cheese with some wonderful cheesy recipes I hope to use soon
And a yummy chewy bar which unfortunately I’ve forgotten the name of the company.
Not forgetting, on our chairs upon arrival, delightful (and award winning!) elderflower marshmallows from Caroline at Sugargrain.
If you are fortunate to be meeting up with any lovely food bloggers, why not suggest a prop swap of your own?
Finally, props are only part of the story. For further advice on improving food photography, check out Neel’s invaluable blog, Learn Food Photography. He has recently published a two part post summarising the tips that Meeta and Mowie delivered in their Food Blogger Connect presentation on food photography which is well worth a read whether or not you saw the original talk.
Such a fantastic idea for food prop swaps!! Reminds me of that tv show i'm watching now on BBC, Twiggy's program..the one that do fashion swap..pretty interesting!
That food blogger swap is a really great idea! Looks like you got some fabulous finds. Also, I need to get some of that snacking Chorizo – how good does that sounds?! Thanks!
Fun! I love the idea of a prop swap. I hoping to come home from vacation with a few new props.
Woot woot…another something I feel sore at having missed at the FBC – a food prop swap! Sounds like nirvana Sarah. Love what you picked up, esp the African and oriental spoons! Must do a props post for Ilva. Sounds like fun. Missed hearing about the event and am gladded I stopped by here! Big Hugs…
Hehe so true my shelves are full to bursting with different props and pieces of cutlery! 😛