Collecting food photography props can be expensive, but it doesn’t have to be. This post of my has some of my favorite food photography styling tips and ways to find affordable food props on a budget. I’ve been dying to share some of my favorite props with you that I use all the time and that I got for under $8!
All the props I’m going to mention came from three places: Walmart (yes, Walmart!), Goodwill and a flea market.
here are some of my favorite Walmart food photography props
Nordic Ware Quarter Pan – Bigger isn’t necessarily better when it comes to food photography so when I saw this cute little pan [at Walmart] on sale for $8 I knew I had to have it. A little secret is to put it through the dishwasher a couple of times. It helps to rough it up a bit and give it more of a vintage look.
Tea Strainer – This strainer was just $6.71 and worth every single penny. It’s so simple and tells a story by using this strainer in an action shot or styling. It is a really nice touch and it’s easy to to use as a food photography prop in your photo.
Brown Lunch Bags – I love using these brown lunch bags for $1.07 to add layers and textures to my photographs. And speaking of layers and textures, you can also get Wax Paper, Parchment Paper and Newspaper to use in your food photography.
Pink Dessert Plates – Everyone asks about these plates every time I post a photo using them! They are undoubtedly adorable and they are only 95 cents! YES, you read that right, these sweet pink plates are just $.95 each at Walmart. These are perfect for when you’re looking for when looking for needing affordable food photography props.
reusing some of your affordable Walmart finds
There are also a some creative ways to reuse some of the items you’ve already bought. With these re-usable containers it makes the food photography props even more cost effective.
Maple Syrup Bottle – Get this Great Value brand maple syrup for $6.88 and keep the bottle for your prop collection!
Glass Yogurt Container – I can’t take credit for this great idea because my dear friend, Sam at Frosting and Fettuccine originally posted this idea on her Instagram stories a couple of weeks ago. This adorable and simple look was created by using a Oui by Yoplait container. When I saw it I immediately ran to Walmart and bought a few for just $1.34 each.
P.S. she’s full of great ideas, recipes and beautiful photos so go check out her blog!
Okay, it’s time to leave Walmart and head over to Goodwill (or Goodwill online) or your local thrift store where I promise you can find a few of these props!
finding beautiful thrifted and vintage props
Vintage Cookbooks – There hasn’t been a thrift store that I have found that didn’t have an over abundance of old cookbooks. Vintage cookbooks make the perfect food photography props on a budget. I like to remove a few pages and use them as layers.
Linens – Used, worn in linen looks best and you can almost always find tablecloth linens at the thrift store for just a couple bucks.
Utensils – Pizza cutters, cheese graters, knives, cutlery whatever it is, you can find some good stuff at your nearby thrift store.
Vintage Cutlery – BUT if you are looking for more vintage stuff, head over to your local flea market. This is a great way to find unique touches for your food photography styling that no one else will have. I usually find BINS of vintage cutlery to dig through that usually go for around $5 each.
Ebay is one of my favorite website to peruse when I’m bored. I found two vintage cutting boards (pictured below) for $19! That’s less than $10 each. Although online it might be harder to find props for less than $8. If you add on shipping it will probably go above the $8, but it’s still a great place to source unique food photography props.
Vintage Cooling Rack (Ebay) Vintage Cutting Board (Ebay) Pizza Stone (Goodwill) Vintage Cookbook (Goodwill) Vintage Cutlery (Etsy) 
Vintage Cooling Rack (eBay) , Newspaper, Parchment Paper, Maple Syrup Bottle (Walmart)
want to read more about my food photography equitment?
I’m a firm believer that you don’t need the most expensive camera, lights or backdrops to get gorgeous photos–you just need to understand light, composition and editing. With that being said, you don’t have to dish out thousands of dollars on camera equipment to achieve success in this industry. I promise you that whatever camera you have, you can make beautiful photos using it! Anyway, more about all that in a future post.
Find the link here for the rest of the post!
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