Following a callout to feature on our website, we were inundated with generous offers of content to share. It inspired us to showcase how some of our wonderful customers work with white backdrops,
It might feel like an obvious, easy or even cliche backdrop choice, shooting on white, but they've become a firm favourite for a reason; they're just so damn versatile! White goes with everything and can be used throughout the year for different products, food, moods, styles and lighting effects.
LOOK 1 - SIMPLE, LIGHT + AIRY BY AMANDA HAY
'When creating my photos I like to have the food be the main focus and love using the white backdrops for a clean and bright background. I keep my set up simple and photograph on my kitchen table using natural light from a large window.'
We love it! Just goes to show how less is often more and good natural light (or natural light managed well) can be all you need.
‘Believe it or not this gelato shoot took place in the middle of a shopping centre after closing! It was shot for a Gelato stand in Milton Keynes. I created a simple set up with one soft box from the left which created a nice soft light that drifted off to the right. I needed a background that was subtle but still added some texture to the shot.’
We really like how Bhavisha used two different backdrops to split the frame and give more contrast behind her subject - it gives a really nice feeling of depth to the image and its clever how she used another neutral colour to let the food shine.
'Dried okra: I simply placed everything by the kitchen window and experimented with the harsh afternoon light. The dried okra has an incredible and unique appearance, and this photo was all about highlighting its strong texture. The white backdrop with a cracked paint effect perfectly complemented the wooden plank and the okra.'
'Lemony drink: Despite its simple appearance, this photoshoot took a long time to get right! I struggled to capture the image I envisioned. I used a flash to ensure the liquid appeared as crisp as possible. I aimed for a monochrome scene with a bright backdrop, wanting a rustic and homely feel rather than something too polished. The "flaky" old painted wood backdrop, very subtle in the background, worked well in my opinion.'
We couldn't agree more! And that soft focus foliage in the foreground creates the most inviting, etherial frame pulling you into the scene.
Dominique created this look with
FLAKEY.
‘I really enjoy photographing meals that I make and posting them to Instagram. Apart from the lovely people I have met doing this, I find it’s a great way of keeping track of the meals I cook throughout the year and also a lovely creative outlet'
My photographic set up is very simple. The vast majority of my photos are shot in my south facing kitchen in front of 2 large French doors using natural light. If the sun is too bright, I use a large diffuser to soften the harsh highlights and shadows. I have a Nikon D750 and a tripod with an overhead arm. For these two photos, I used a 24-70 zoom lens. I shoot tethered and import my photos to Lightroom for editing. My ‘look’ is light and bright, so I really love these two backdrops and use them often in my photos.’
We always say natural light photography is 50% in camera, 50% in the edit and we love how the high contrast and punchy highlights give these images a really dynamic pop.
Now we're wondering how Annie edits them in Lightroom! Hmm, maybe thats another topic for a blog feature!
LOOK 5 - BRIGHT + PUNCHY BY EUTONNE TAM
We love these punchy edits by Eutonne. Its very effective to use monochrome colours in the backdrops and set styling to make the subject really jump off the page. We like how Eutonne has left the highlights and whites super bright too - many photographers might disagree, but we don't think there's anything wrong with over-exposing a bit according to your editing software! (as long as you're not losing detail or interest where you need it),
Eutonne created these shots with the
SALT and
LONDON backdrops.
LOOKS 6 & 7 - MODERN + GRAPHIC BY ED STEMP
ICE CREAM SHOT
'We aimed to highlight the rich colours and textures of the raw ingredients, ensuring each scoop of ice cream is not just a treat for the taste buds, but also a feast for the eyes. The simplicity of the top-down shot allows the natural beauty of the ingredients to shine, while the marble background enhances the luxurious and traditional aesthetic.
To achieve the perfect lighting, we utilised bounced light from our studio setup, creating large, natural-feeling light sources. A ceiling reflector and a smaller beauty dish added highlights and shine to the fruit and ice cream, capturing their lusciousness and freshness. The matt laminated background played a crucial role, making clean-up easy and ensuring that any melting ice cream did not mar the pristine setup.'
FOOTWEAR PHOTOGRAPHY
'Trainers from Calla Shoes, presented in a stylish still-life setup. We wanted to give these shoes a unique look by making the foot appear to float over an inverted cube made from a salt stone texture. This setup turns a simple shoe display into an eye-catching visual.
We mounted three sheets of salt stone texture onto MDF boards, holding them in place with c-stands and clamps. This straightforward arrangement provided a strong and appealing backdrop. Our lighting design aimed for a high-contrast look, mimicking the effect of a sunny but slightly hazy day. The warm tones of the lighting were chosen to enhance the trim colours against the white leather, making the shoes pop. Our lovely client Jenni modelled the shoes, bringing them to life. We also snapped a fun behind-the-scenes shot of her dog (Billy), who couldn’t resist joining the shoot!'
We especially love seeing how you've used our backdrops as 3D sets! Ed created these shots with the
SALT and
SHIRLEY backdrops.
LOOK 8 - CLEAN OVERHEAD STYLING BY EMMA BRIDGEMAN
'I love to use white and light backdrops for my food photography, I really feel it lets the food do all the talking. I always shoot with natural light, right next to my patio doors which are south-east facing, so it’s a great spot in the mornings and early afternoon.
In terms of set-up, I use a low folding table with an A1 foam board I put on top of to make the surface a little bigger before laying down my backdrop. I also use a white foam board at the top and the opposite side of the table to my light source, held up by backdrop stands. This helps to reflect more light onto my scene and soften the shadows. If the sun is out and shining directly on my set up, I’ll hang a light diffusing sheet in front of the door to soften the light. '
We can't believe this was shot with natural light; its so clean! Emma created these shots with the
SHIRLEY and
LONDON backdrops.
'This shot was for a local food company, The Foods of Athenry, I was shooting in their canteen, near a big patio door with loads of natural light. The brief was fresh and clean images. I set up near the window and when I was taking this shot, the sun really came out and cast a lovely shadow over the products, almost like direct flash photography, so instead of a flash, we had direct sunshine! So I went for it! And loved the result!'
And we couldn't agree more! You see a lot of this flash style on flat colours and graphic backdrops but the texture of our
Salt backdrop works beautifully to give a softer, more relaxed lifestyle feel, even with the hard shadows. Edel created this look with the
SALT backdrop.
'Both images were shot last summer when the temperature is hot and gatherings with friends are frequent! The tomato and peach salad shot came about because my garden was overflowing with tomatoes and I needed a good recipe to use them up!
The colours of the fruit and veggies paired with the dressing created a really striking colour palette that was emphasized by the specular highlights I was able to capture using hard light from a bare speed light. To make it feel like this was an appetizer being served at a dinner party I shot three different versions and then made a composite image that shows all three hands in frame.
The chips and salsa photo was completely on the fly! I was wrapping up a shoot for the beer shown in the photo when I had an idea for this particular image. Similar to the peach and tomato salad photo, I wanted to tell a story of several people enjoying each other's company while also enjoying some good food and drinks!
The hero of this shot is the salsa, so it was important to me that it was in the centre of the frame, perfectly in focus, and all the different ingredients were visible. This was another composite image made up of three separate photos. My husband generously offered to be a hand model for this one so it's not just my hands this time!'
Such a brilliant atmosphere in these shots; the light feels dramatic and warm which we think can be tricky on white, but Audrey has kept it feeling fresh and vibrant while giving golden hour vibes! And we love the hands - they really help give a sense of the joy of sharing food and good times.
Audrey created these shots with the
SALT backdrop.
Its great to see our white backdrops in Christmas photography! Usually we go dark and cosy for festive styling but we love how soft and tactile these images are - there's a lot of texture and detail to enjoy but the minimal colour pallet of red, green and white in both let the food shine. Mridula shot her mince pies on the LONDON backdrop and Emma created her strawberry tree set with our NOAH and HVAR backdrops.
LOOK 11 - CAKE PHOTOGRAPHY BY EMMA WALLACE
'Believe it or not, these photos were actually shot in my bedroom on a fold out table. This room has a lovely wide window and, after a certain time in the day, gives lovely natural light. I try to always keep an element of ‘realness’ in my photos. It could be a hand doing an action (like sieving icing sugar), crumbs being scattered over the backdrop, or simply a half eaten cake (which I’m more than happy to accommodate, haha!).
I chose a neutral/light backdrop and props for this particular cake, as it’s what I would call an ‘evergreen recipe’. Meaning, it’s something that people might make at any time of year.'
So true! White backdrops are timeless in style and season and work all year round. Emma's also very good at creating lovely soft shadows to help shape her food, as well as flowing compositions that leave space for an airy feel - beautiful! Emma created these shots with the
SALT backdrop as both the base surface and back wall surface - another neat trick for creating a cohesive look without a contrasting horizon line.
