How Do You Do Your Backdrops For Your Photos?
Decorating By Periperi Updated 25 Aug 2011 , 8:17am by Relznik
I'm just a hobby baker who makes cakes for family and friends. Since I can't legally sell my cakes, I haven't really gotten too serious about the quality of photos I've been taking. I would like to get a job in the cake industry some day and was thinking it would be a good idea to have some sort of portfolio of the work I've done. So far all my pictures are of my cakes sitting on my kitchen table. I think the curtains and the wood table take away from the cakes and "cheapen" them. How do you hang your background and what do you use? I want my photos to look more professional and would appreciate any advice you might have. Thank you!!
I'm just a hobby baker, so I don't really worry too much about the photos. I have, however, read that some will use scrapbooking paper for smaller items like cookies, cake balls, cupcakes, etc. I have also read about using fancy sheets (silks, satins), but you can also use curtain shears, tole, fabric. You could use a large piece of cardboard painted white, black, gray etc. You could use a large piece of gift wrap. Anything that provides a nice backdrop to your picture. You can even use a nature background. I've seen this done with outdoorsy type cakes.
Periperi -- I thought I'd saved something regarding cake photography from here at CC, but can't locate it just yet.
In the interim, here are a couple of links with excellent suggestions:
1. http://jessicakesblog.blogspot.com/2011/05/my-photo-booth.html
2. http://www.weddingcakesacrossamerica.com/WCAATips_CakePhotography.cfm
3. http://www.flickr.com/photos/kim_thibodeaux/3048831377/
Hope some of those provide insight for you. : )
Take care, PDX
I use the typical tri-fold display board students use to display projects. I set that up, then I drape fabric over the board and onto the table in a color that works with the given cake design. I buy fabric that doesn't wrinkle easy, and is nonreflective (for the flash). Then I put the cake on a turntable and onto the fabric and start taking photos. I can easily turn the cake this way and get all angles of it.
I like tissue paper because it gives some texture. I have a big old rubbermaid clothes bin filled with all different colors.
I like tissue paper because it gives some texture. I have a big old rubbermaid clothes bin filled with all different colors.
I do mine with a piece of black fabric on a clothes drier and a coffee table!! .... like this
Love it! I'll have to try this next time I have a cake to photograph 
I use a tri f0old cardboard like the kids use for projects in school...I use black and it fits nicely around the cake and snapsnap
Like Relznik, I bought some black fabric to use. IT's terrible on black cakes though, as an FYI, so if you do many of those (Thankfully, I have only done two), you might want a second color. I think I got a microfiber one to use. It works very well.
I too use a trifold with black fabric draped over it.
I'm in a similar position as you, and was fed up of cheap looking cakes because of cheap looking photos, so I made myself a light box and this morning I took a photo of my apple streusel cupcakes with a yellow pillowcase taped to the top corner of the box, draping down under the plate!
http://www.studiolighting.net/homemade-light-box-for-product-photography/
http://cakecentral.com/gallery/2135842
*edited to include the link to the resulting photo*
All really great ideas. When I have time, I usually will set up a black sheet and photograph in front of that. (I tried the light box thing, but my daughter smushed it)
The cakes I made before I bought the sheet and the ones that I don't have time to pull out the sheet and set it up, I edit out the background on Paint Shop Pro. It is really simple if you have some sort of photo editing program. I zoom in really close and use the paintbrush tool to paint black over the background. Most of the pics in my gallery are done this way.
I just use two pieces of foamcore. I have white, pink, and blue with plans to add green and yellow too. I just put one on the table and one behind the cake and start shooting. I make sure to use all-natural light and I'm mindful of the time of day. Early morning and late afternoon are when I get the best light. You can see what my set-up looks like on my site--
http://totallysweetcakes.com
I do mine with a piece of black fabric on a clothes drier and a coffee table!! .... like this
This is similar to how I set up my cake photos. I purchased some black remnant fabric at a discount store. I prop up a piece of cardboard and drape the fabric over it. I always, always, always, try to take the photo near a window for natural lighting on a sunny day. I also take a ton of digital photos to find the perfect 'one'.
Recently I have learned that simply cropping the picture can make a big difference.
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