Photo Background Boards

Since I started blogging, I have realized the need for quality blog post graphics — whether through illustrations, typography or photography. One tip that has helped me with photography is to utilize interesting background textures. I have compiled a few easy + inexpensive solutions that have added depth to my photographs!

Side note: Even if you don’t have a great camera, these textures can add sophistication to your images. I typically use my Nikon DSLR, but for the purposes of this post graphic, I used my iPhone. Proof that you don’t need the fanciest equipment to get started!

Foam Board

When taking styled photographs for your blog, foam board is a necessary purchase! You can find foam board in various colors at Hobby Lobby, Michaels, or your local art supply store. I recommend purchasing at least black and white. Not only do they provide a clean background for your photographs, but they also can be utilized as reflectors to bounce light off of. If you aren’t shooting down on your image, you could also use the foam board as a non-distracting vertical background.

If you don’t have the specific color foam board you desire, you can always follow my previous

tutorial

for modifying the background of your photograph, if it was taken on white foam board. Good to keep in mind!

Contact Paper

One of my recent discoveries has been the use of contact paper to create background textures for styled photographs. I recently purchased

white marble contact paper

 for about $10, and applied it to the backside some foam board I already had. I have been on the hunt for white marble/granite texture for food photography, or other styled photographs, but struggled to find anything that was affordable + not too large or heavy! Through a friend’s recommendation in a twitter chat, I began using the marble contact paper, and have been thrilled with the results!

See it in use in my recent

Instagram

photo below:

Wood

You don’t have to have a beautiful wood table, in order to have that nice wood grain as a texture in your photographs. You can purchase 3’ x 3’ pieces of wood from Lowe’s or Home Depot, that are only about 1/4” thick. They are pre-cut, and inexpensive! I like the raw wood color, but you could choose to stain or distress it if you prefer.

Wainscoting 

If you are searching for a wood paneled surface, I suggest purchasing wainscoting (about $10 at Lowe’s or Home Depot). The boards come in a few pieces that you can easily fit together. If you are feeling especially ambitious, you can purchase multiple boards and paint the set of boards different colors, distress them using Annie Sloan chalk paint, or stain the wood. The wainscoting comes in white or a natural wood color. It provides a great textured element to photo shoots, and is easy to store if you are limited on space.

Tiles

When roaming through the home improvement store, I found several tiles that would be great for blog photo backgrounds. Did you know you can actually purchase single tiles for about $2? I purchased a large slate tile, that has become one of my favorite backgrounds for more moody photographs. The downside to the tiles is that they are fairly heavy, making it hard to move them around if needed.

There are many other options for photography backdrops. What has worked best for you? I would love to hear in the comments below!