Best Props for Food Photography

As a food photographer and stylist, one of the things I hear most frequently by clients, aspiring photographers, and family and friends is: “Your kitchen must be full of the best stuff!”

That’s true, to some extent. But in reality, as a Chicago prop stylist, my basement storage unit is filled to the gills with containers of all shapes and sizes to fit the huge collection of props that I’ve acquired over the years for clients of all sorts.

A few weeks ago, I sat down and cleaned out my prop closet. This took a while. There were plenty of props that I had only used once in the last five years that I opted to stop storing. On the other hand, there were a few props that I keep in my house because I reach for them on such an often basis. While I was cleaning out my prop stylist closet, I decided to photograph my most-used pieces to create a catalog for clients.

What are the best dishes for food styling?

The answer, like most answers for creative direction and styling, is: it depends. Depending on your style, the subjects, and the end use of the assets you’re creating, you can pull any number of props to style any given photo. Here are the ones I reach for the most:

Pinch Bowls

Pinch bowls are some of the props I use most often in a wide variety of client photo shoots. I have pinch bowls in a huge variety of textures, colors, and styles, and I use them all the time when I’m prop styling in Chicago and beyond.

Colorful Cutlery

Cutlery is a universal element of food photography and styling. I love using the vintage cutlery I’ve sourced at estate sales and the custom cutlery I had made in France to add a fun pop of color and personality to client’s food photography.

Linens on Linens

Not a dish, I know! But linens are a great way to add texture and personality to a food photograph. I’m always on the lookout for linens and tablecloths to use to add a unique layer to my clients’ food photographs. Even if it’s just a corner that peeks in from a corner, linens can make a huge difference.

How do I make a prop list?

Once you’ve gotten your shot list nailed down, work with your food photographer and prop stylist to develop a prop list for your photo shoot. Sometimes your prop stylist will call this “pulling” props. The list of props that you’ll use for your photo shoot will depend on the shoot itself, of course, and will often be arranged to match the order of when they are needed on set.

Where can I buy props for food photography?

I buy my props mostly from resale and vintage shops—everywhere from Goodwill to boutique vintage homeware shops. I find that it’s best to source props from stores that have unique items instead of big box retailers. Having a completely unique set of props to offer my clients makes the prop styling I provide in my Chicago studio completely customizable to their brand and visual identity. You can read more about my photography and styling here.