Best Places to Get Food Photography Props

Food photography props are one of the main contributors to a beautiful photo. Of course, the food itself, how its styled, the lighting, shooting and editing all play important roles as well. However, if you nail all of these areas but choose to put the gorgeous food on a tacky plate that does not appeal to your target customer, the photo will be lackluster and you will not achieve your goal of connecting with your audience. In this post, we’ll discuss our favorite stores for purchasing food photography props so you can craft images that help you reach your marketing goals.

What We Look For

Let’s start by talking about what we look for when searching for food photography props. 

Matte black plate shows little to no shine or reflection of the light

Matte Is Where It’s At

Firstly, we typically look for low-shine items such as matte plates and non-reflective cutlery. Why? Because in our field, the food is the star of the image and we don’t want anything competing for the viewer’s attention. High shine products reflect light in a manner that can be distracting. Just picture an image where one spot is excessively bright. Your eye goes directly to that bright spot. Considering our goal is to keep the focus on the food, anything that distracts from that is an anti-goal.

Props colors are neutralized to ensure it doesn’t take attention away from the food

Stay Neutral

Secondly, we mostly look for neutral-colored items. Greys, earth tones, and pastel colors are ideal. Again, this is to reduce distraction. We don’t want a bright yellow cloth napkin or ramekin stealing the show. There is, of course, an occasion for festively-colored props. If you’re creating an image for a holiday like Cinco de Mayo or Christmas, it would be absolutely appropriate to include colorful props that play into that theme. In those cases, in addition to the food, the purpose is to tell the story of the celebratory theme. In some situations, it may also be appropriate to select vibrant props that help bring out or compliment the colors of the food.

Wood cutting board offers a nice texture to this image

Favorite Materials

Thirdly, there are certain materials that we seek out because we know they look great in food photos. These materials include woods, marble, rustic / low-shine metals, and concrete or slate. The stores we mention below typically carry a nice selection of props that integrate these materials which is part of the reason why they landed on our favorites list!

Where To Buy

I numbered the list below but there is no ranking system applied. It’s just a matter of what you’re looking for and what you have available in your area!

Marble cutting board from TJ Maxx / Home Goods

1) TJ Maxx / Home Goods

TJ Maxx / Home Goods offers a nice, affordable selection of one-off kitchenware including single plates, cloth napkins, utensils, and cookware. The collection is diverse but you are rolling the dice a bit because the products differ from location to location so you may find some gems one day and completely strike out on different day. Plus, their matte and low-shine product selection is typically low. For those reasons, we wouldn’t recommend going to Home Goods if you’re looking for something in particular (unless it’s something simple like a cutting board). But we would definitely recommend stopping by regularly to see if you can spot some good additions to your prop collection.

Bowl from Good Will / Great example of when a vibrant bowl brings out the color in the food

2) Good Will

We love Good Will for many reasons. Firstly, it enables you to find a new use for perfectly good items that might otherwise go to waste. Secondly, items sold at Good Will are typically sold in single quantities as opposed to sets when you buy them new. Thirdly, it’s extremely cost-effective. And lastly, the money goes to a good cause. Yes, you’ll have to poke around a bit to find the diamond in the rough but the process can be quite fun and when you do dig up something good, it feels very satisfying!

Matte bowl from H&M’s online store

3) H&M

Did you know H&M has a home goods department? Well, at least the online store does! It’s home goods section offers a myriad of matte plateware at amazing prices that you can buy as single pieces. And the quality is good, too! Check out their online home goods here.

4) CB2

Of all the options laid out in this list, CB2 is the one of the priciest. However, the kitchenware design is always impeccable, the quality is excellent, and they almost always have a few gorgeous pieces of dinnerware and low-shine silverware. We love the minimal and sleek designs of their products – great for showcasing sophisticated and modern lifestyles.

Wood cutting board from Target

5) Target

Who doesn’t love target for nearly all household needs? Well, it also covers food photography prop needs! Target typically carries beautifully-designed pieces of dinnerware, servingware, and other kitchen gadgets that make for great elements in any visual food story. Plus, they offer great clearance sections and let’s not forget the famous Dollar Spot at the front of the store which is wildly attention-grabbing (we’ve spent more money here than we’re proud to admit!).

Table surface is made of a thin laminate marble sheet from Home Depot

6) Home Depot

Home Depot is a great spot for shooting surfaces. All the flooring you see in the store can be used as a shooting surface! They also sell laminate sheets (that are meant to be glued onto kitchen countertops) that you can use as a table surface or backdrop for your images. Then there are the wood sheets that you can use to paint and/or stain yourself to produce custom surfaces – just be sure to use a waterproof, matte finish!

Textile / cloth napkin from World Market

7) World Market

World Market is another one of the pricier options. However, they often have clearance on their textiles / cloth napkins and other props and gadgets. In general, they have some good stuff that are well designed and modern – you’ll just be paying a bit more for them.

Other Tips

There are some stores (H&M, CB2, and Target) where you can search for the products online, find what you’re looking for, and make the purchase to be shipped to your home. However, for spots like TJ Maxx / Home Goods and Good Will, it’s more a thrift-shopping process. You won’t always strike oil, but you have to keep on drilling. That means drop by regularly for the sole purpose of adding to your general collection of props. As long as your purchase isn’t too quirky, we promise you will find a use for it in due time.

Once you’re ready to use a prop, be sure to wash it right before usage and hand dry. This will clear any dust, mildew, or water spots from the items. The last thing you want is to have a beautiful prop with a bunch of unsightly specks on it.

..And that’s all there is to it! Propping is certainly an art and there are professional prop stylists out there whose job is to expertly source props for specific images in a high production shoot. For the average food photographer like all of us at Julee Ho Photography, our prop collections are extensive and ever-growing. But for those of you looking to do ad-hoc photo shoots as your companies ramp up, visiting any of the above stores should get you to a good place. Happy propping!