… there is probably a hot mess. Although I consider it a HUMONGEOUS compliment when someone tells me they like my pictures, I also laugh a little on the inside. Someday I would love to have an amazing kitchen with a perfect countertop and stunning backsplash where I can perfectly capture all my food images, or an office with ideal natural lighting that’s just perfect for my craft tutorials, but that is not the case right now. I have one, sometimes two, spots with good natural lighting in my house, that’s it. So although all you see is a tasty cookie sitting in front of a nice backdrop, this is what’s behind all that.

Now, this probably isn’t the cases for all bloggers out there. I mean, we’ve all seen those particular Instagram feeds; they truly do have gorgeous, magazine-worthy homes with buckets of sunlight pouring in. However, today I’d like to share some behind-the-scenes secrets with you just in case you’re like me and only have about a square yard of usable photography space.

I’ve shared before about using bulletin board paper for backdrops and they are still some of my favorite backdrops to use. They’re available in a variety of colors and patterns, and you can find large rolls inexpensively. If they tear or get a spill it’s not a big deal. I usually buy mine from Jo-Ann’s with a coupon, but they also have great prices on Amazon.

 

Scrapbook papers are another great, inexpensive backdrop if you just need a close-up shot. I like to keep a stack of about 10 papers in the kitchen near my sunny photo spot so I can easily get a quick shot between running after my kiddos and cleaning up.

I’m also a big fan of a plain, white background and for those I use a scrap piece of wainscoting from our front entry remodel. I also keep that leaning against the wall right there in my sunny kitchen spot. So you’ll will often see shots like these in my Instagram feed:

Finally, remember those tri-fold boards from your school days that you used for class projects? Well, you can find them at Dollar Tree and they make great backdrops! 

I have two, one of which I left white, the other I did a dry brush technique on for when I want some color. I’ve also draped fabric or my bulletin board paper over them. For the one that I painted on I painted one half pink, and one half blue, so I can get twice as much use out of it. I really love the cross-hatching of the dry brush technique.

Any time you’re painting on cardboard you want to make sure not to get it too wet with paint or else it will warp. Another reason why using a dry brush technique works great for this. You might get the crease of the board in your shot, but it is easily removed in Photoshop.

What are some of your favorite backdrops to use? Or do you have an “Instagram-perfect” house (no hating, I’m excited for you if you do!!)?