Introduction to Best Backgrounds for Handmade Product Photography
Photography Tips for Crafters Series – This article is part of my growing collection of photography tips for makers. You may also enjoy:
- How to Photograph Your Creations for Marketing
- My Handmade Product Photography Checklist – 10 Things I always Check Before Publishing
If you have missed my previous photography tips you can see them here
When photographing your handmade creations, it’s easy to focus entirely on the item itself. However, the background plays a huge part in creating an attractive photograph.
A carefully chosen background can help your handmade piece stand out, while the wrong one can distract attention away from all the time and effort you have put into creating it.
Over the years I have experimented different backgrounds for photographing my own handmade crafts, and I have learnt that you don’t need an expensive photography studio to achieve lovely results.
I do like to use an overhead phone mount with a ring-light for my handmade product photography – this is the exact one that I personally use right here.
Here are some of my favourite best backgrounds for handmade product photography options.
White Backgrounds
A plain white background gives your photographs a clean, fresh and professional appearance.
White works especially well for:
- Jewellery
- Resin creations
- Clay ornaments
- Keyrings
- Bag charms
It allows all the attention to stay on your handmade item without competing for attention.
Wooden Backgrounds
Wood is one of my favourite choices because it instantly creates a warm, handmade feel.
Whether it’s an old tabletop, a wooden serving board or a photography backdrop designed to look like wood, it complements many handmade products beautifully.
Wooden backgrounds are particularly effective for:
- Air dry clay crafts
- Rustic home décor
- Seasonal decorations
- Handmade gifts
This is one of the characters from my Mary-Anne Collection ‘The Girl with the Long Plaits’ collectible Bag Charms.
Photographed on a light wooden background, I needed the white plaits to stand out, but I also did not want to lose the colours of her dress and hat. I think the wooden background works well, it has added warmth and is not distracting your eye away from the details of my handmade bag charm character.
More information about The Mary-Anne Collection can be found here
Fabric backgrounds
Soft linen or cotton fabrics can create a gentle, cosy look.
Neutral shades such as cream, beige, light grey or pale stone usually photograph much better than bright colours.
A simple piece of fabric can completely change the mood of a photograph.
Slate, stone and concrete
If you make modern crafts, resin jewellery or contemporary home décor, darker textured backgrounds can work extremely well.
Slate tiles or stone-effect boards often add interest without taking attention away from your work.
I have photographed these handmade clay, and resin coasters, on a concrete slab background, and even with the plant shadow in top left corner, your eye is still drawn to the coasters.
In this case the concrete background, adds texture to the image, without distracting away from my handmade products.
Natural outdoor backgrounds
Sometimes nature provides the perfect setting.
A wooden bench, garden table or patch of greenery can add life and colour to your photographs.
Natural daylight also helps show true colours far better than many indoor lights.
Just remember not to let the background become too busy.
This is another character from Mary-Anne Collection ‘The Footballer’ I thought it would be fun to put him on grass – it does work.
However for listing on sites such as Etsy, I will also do some Photos on a white background to show details of my handmade product.
Backgrounds to avoid
One mistake that many of us make when starting out is choosing backgrounds that compete with the item itself.
Try to avoid:
- Busy patterns
- Bright colours
- Shiny reflective surfaces
- Cluttered tables – (Which I am sometimes guilty off !)
- Household objects that distract from your craft
‘Remember, your handmade creation should always be the star of the photograph’.
Maz’s Top Tip
Before spending lots of money on photography props, have a look around your home.
A wooden chopping board, a neutral placemat, a plain tile or even a sheet of coloured card can make an excellent background.
Some of my favourite photographs have been taken using simple everyday items that cost very little.
Final Thoughts
Choosing the best backgrounds for handmade product photography, does not have to be expensive or complicated.
However you may like to use a small tripod with your phone like this one here from Amazon Please see my full disclosure as an Amazon associate on my affiliate disclosure page
Simple, uncluttered backgrounds help your handmade work shine and allow potential customers to appreciate all the little details that make your creations unique.
Do not be afraid to experiment. Try photographing the same item on different backgrounds – you might be surprised how much the overall feel changes.
The most important thing is that your photographs reflect the care, creativity and personality that you have put into making your handmade creations.
If you missed my last blog on photography tips for crafters you can see it here
Coming Next:
My next blog post will be about selling on Etsy and why handmade items are never exactly the same. When it is published I will post a link here.