You asked so here we go.
Lately I have been getting a lot of compliments on my photography (which literally makes me melt from happiness). Personally I was quite surprised since my backgrounds have always been quite minimal and simple (well, unless you go back to when I first started. But don't - my skills were awful).
I get asked weekly what I use to shoot product photography with, especially in terms of props so I thought it would be nice to do a post and give you some tips as well as confessing some little secrets, the biggest one being that no, it's not a marble table and no, you don't need to spend lots of money to get the same results I do, in fact it's less than £5.
I found my paper from Wilkinsons and it was super cheap but also great quality. It's easy to clean in case any makeup stains it - you just need a wipe - and it is also water resistant! It's that glossy texture that fortunately doesn't show on pictures but bounces light nicely to make the photos brighter.
For anyone who's not into marble, again from Wilko you can get samples of wallpaper for free. In some of my past posts I used fake wood and a white wrinkly background (examples below). Don't worry, you won't look like a weirdo carrying four or five samples home, just pretend you're redecorating your room or something and honestly no one ever approaches you anyway. I have done it many times and never got bothered by anyone.
I haven't found a marble background in their samples pile but a blogger I talked to recently on twitter said she google image searched marble and printed out some backgrounds at home which, hey, it's brilliant. (and in case you're wondering, this post is NOT sponsored by Wilkinsons)
Wrinkly white background.
Beauty essentials for the retail worker - post linked here.
Wood background.
Bagsy post here.
The latest addition has been flowers for me. I thought it would be nice to add a touch of colour to my continuously monochrome style so some wintery blue hues fit nicely with my theme lately. My choice here was from Debenhams since I had some flowers delivered from them. Obviously if you were into other shades, there's a variety of options available! A nice range of Christmas flowers has caught my eye recently and my mum has been lusting over them for the past month.
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Little clear photo of what the actual flowers look like. |
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A way to use the flowers is to add them as full background for product close ups such as this Kat Von D lipstick. |
The way I personally liked using them was as a touch of colour on the side and mostly out of focus.
Cosmo post - here.
So that's it from me, short and sweet.
I hope you found it useful. In 2016 I'll be re-designing my blog and I will add a "blogging" section where I'll be sharing more tips and things I've learnt so far. I can't wait to get started!
XOXO
I need the marble background, at the moment I am using a marble dish for some posts but it isn't quite cutting it. I actually need to head to Wilkinsons soon so i'll be able to have a nosy! x
ReplyDeletehaha everyone loves marble, it's so classy :) I hope you'll find it x
DeleteI am pinning this post I always thought you had fancy surfaces but I never knew that you were just using paper. I will definitely be buying this.
ReplyDeleteThanks for pinning love :) Glad you found it useful x
DeleteFantastic post, Pinned and will be sharing!
ReplyDeleteawww thank you for pinning! x
DeleteThis is AMAZING. Thank you so much for sharing!
ReplyDeleteAmbar | Her Little Loves
THANK YOU for stopping by and reading :) x
DeleteI have a marble surface on my drawers now but I actually love the rustic wood look xxx
ReplyDeleteBlondeOfCarbs
Oh yeah, the wood look is my second favourite :)
DeleteI have a marble background and I must say its so useful and I absolutely love it! I definitely need to find some more background variation though.
ReplyDeleteI love the look of woodsy backgrounds however I don't have anywhere in my house that has any 'wood' that I really like, it's all been painted or is a weird colour :( such a shame really.
I love the idea of the flowers, and also the textured white background - so so pretty!
Such a helpful post lovely.
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www.isabellekategm.co.uk ♡
Thanks lovely, glad you enjoyed it! Glad you liked the flower idea as well, it's so nice :) x
DeleteI need a background for my photos. Love the ideas you gave!
ReplyDeleteAw yay, so glad they were all helpful! x
DeleteI've got a stash of wallpaper samples I use for backgrounds. It's such an easy and super affordable way to mix it up. Great post!
ReplyDeleteBecca
www.QueenBeeBecca.com
This is so useful. I will be looking into this.
ReplyDeleteI've been using tinsel and Christmas decorations recently x
ReplyDeleteHeather | Of Beauty & Nothingness
This is brilliant and so useful, I need to get down to Wilkinson ASAP!
ReplyDeleteGeorgia x
Georgia Petite
This is such a helpful post - thank you for sharing! :) x
ReplyDeleteMelanie | Lilies Beauty
This post was super interesting!
ReplyDeletehttp://themakeup-gypsy.blogspot.com.au/
Some great ideas here!
ReplyDeleteSara - She Who Is Short
I don't do as many product shots any more but I definitely want to pick something like this up for when I do (and for cooking/food stuff instead of my worn kitchen work surfaces!)
ReplyDeleteMilly
Mini Adventures
I know these backgrounds are becoming a bit of a blogger cliche...but personally I love the style and think the photos look so good! Wilkinsons is a great tip, I'm definitely checking them out!
ReplyDeletewww.jessicainyourear.com
Such an ingenious tip and trick! I loved this post - your writing is not only superb, but your humour also made me laugh out loud while reading your revelation to us about how you carried free samples back home from the store, lol!
ReplyDeleteYour pictures are lovely! Thank you for this fun and informative post. I need to head to Wilkinsons for some backgrounds ASAP. xo
ReplyDeleteLove the marble background idea!!
ReplyDeleteSuch a helpful post, can i keep you in my pocket and let you run wild on my blog?
ReplyDeletewww.carlyrowena.com
I really want a wood background! Thanks for sharing this!
ReplyDeleteDefinitely need to get myself along to my nearest Wilko!
ReplyDeleteMeg | A Little Twist Of…
Thank you for this post !!! It's so helpful and your ideas are amazing !!! Thanks for sharing !!!
ReplyDeleteSome lovely ideas here Kristina, thank you for sharing! I've really been enjoying playing with different backgrounds and props for my photos lately :)
ReplyDeleteJess xo | The Indigo Hours
I am in love with the marble background. I have seen a few bloggers use it and it's just so simple and chic.
ReplyDeleteGreat tips, thanks for sharing :)
Self confident and astounding in equivalent measures, an unquestionable requirement read.
ReplyDeleteflower wallpapers