I recently discovered Lucullian Delights. It is a wonderful blog in and of itself, but I was intrigued (and yes, inspired) by Ilva Beretta's series, Food Props on Sunday. I couldn’t resist... so here’s a small taste of what is in my photography prop closet!
I have never met a food photographer who didn't appreciate a well worn cutting board! I try to have a good range of tones, sizes, and degree of distress in my board collection. I don't alter them, the random cuts and dings are as found. All go through a good cleaning and sanitizing, light sanding to remove any surface dust, and then a mineral oil finish. From there on, it's a matter of matching the personality of the board to the food we will photograph.
My props are a series of mini-collections. I’m often attracted by certain colors, like this mix of pink vintage and vintage inspired table and glassware. It is not a color I get to use a lot in advertising photo assignments, too precious for most clients, but occasionally I can slip it into a dessert shoot.
My personal prop collection consists of mainly vintage finds from flea markets and tag sales. The stack of linen towels and napkins above just gets better and better with washing. They have super texture, a touch of bright color, and a soft drape that looks great.
The natural fibers of old homespun linens bring an organic touch to the set. They look wonderful whether they are pressed, creased, or wrinkled.
This group is what I like to call my "ephemera for foodies". My paper collection has varied selection of vintage paper drinking straws, fancy waxed papers, and some special finds like a wonderful set of 1930's paper souffle cups.
I suspect this was a salesman's sample kit, as each tiny cup is marked with a size, and comes with different colored edges. There is a portfolio sample yet to be created with these, I guarantee it!
Paula
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Thank you, Paula, for sharing your food props with Ilva's readers!
ReplyDeleteI love the vintage paper souffle' cups, their ephemeral look and yet the sturdy quality are what one wishes to find more often. The color rims are intriguing too, seeing as they are from the Thirties!
Your cutting board selected reminds me to call my elder relatives and ask them to please hold on to their used boards instead of throwing them out.
Looking forward to future posts from you,
Merisi
Wonderful pictures and props! Love to see more!
ReplyDeleteLove the vintage party cups! So cute and the colors are wonderful!
ReplyDeleteYour pictures on your website are stunning. Props, props- they are so lovely, the storage is just such an issuse. Love your taste, it's all very soft and beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThey are taking over the studio...!
ReplyDeleteI have this habit of taking the props for a project out on a "prop table" so I have them right in front of my eyes as I design the shoots, pack them after the project and start the same process with another one. Each author or editor is so specific that I have to stay organized.
Which I could do it according to colors like my friends Matt and Adam (Matt Bites) but my brain can't think like that. I think texture and material first.
Always such a challenge to keep the props organized but accessible. No sooner do I have everything categorized and stored, a new project starts and I need to re-pull that and more! But how else would we be sure we made the right choice, if we can't see the entire selection on the table?!
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