We know that a photo can all too often make or break a post, but what is a blogger to do if she can’t afford a DLSR and a fancy light kit just yet?
Today, we have some tips to help you take better images on a budget! This post has affiliate links.
If a full light kit isn’t in your budget yet, you can get a ring light for your iphone for around $10. I love using these for in-kitchen shots as well since my light kit stays set up in my office.
You can also purchase peel and stick wall coverings to use as backdrop against your food. My countertops look like something out of a 1980s home and they don’t make for very classy looking photos. I ordered this roll of faux wood covering for a neutral background that is tasteful and will match most things. Here’s a shot I took on it yesterday with my phone. It clearly needs editing for lighting and such (I just snapped this shot to send a friend to show her I had set it up) but you can get the basic idea of what it looks like.
There are many options, you could get faux marble countertop and different colored wood or even this gorgeous brick. If you don’t have a solid white table to work with, be sure to get a roll of white covering to use as a solid background.
I purchased a table similar to this one from Ikea for staging photos. (The table I have has been discontinued.)
I like that it’s on wheels so I can easily push it to different parts of my home depending on what kind of an atmosphere I need for my shot. It has a shelf underneath which creates storage space for my photo props when I’m not using them. I keep it set up in my office between my light kit.
During the holiday season I keep a mini tree set up complete with ornaments! This comes in handy when I’m staging Christmas photos as early as the beginning of October. You can get a mini tree affordably here.
I also watch Target, Kroger and other stores for clearance place mats or individual dishes.
I like having a variety of dishes to choose from for different recipes, so grabbing something new at a fraction of the price always seems like a good idea. I look for things like clear mugs to show off cocoa recipes, and decorative plates that will work with various colors of food items I might be cooking.
Lastly, if you can invest in the Tasty Food Photography ebook by Lindsay Ostrum, do it! She takes the most AMAZING food photos and her book is filled with actionable, tips that can make immediate improvements to your photos, even if you aren’t taking pictures of food. Her tips would work for other types of blog shots as well.
Do you have favorite affordable photo props? Where is your favorite place to purchase them?
Leave a Reply