I’m certainly no expert on blogging, taking pictures for your blog, editing those pictures, or really, anything else in my life. In the spirit of blogging in general though, I’m going to share in a series of posts how I’ve done certain things here on Not Exactly Bento. I’m a big believer in learning by example (since that’s how I learn things). As I share how I have set up a Wordpress blog (choosing a theme, etc), creating a blog banner, taking and editing food photos, and more, I hope it helps any of you working on them same things. Hopefully, the mistakes I’ve made will help you learn before you make them too. At the very least, it should give you a good chuckle as we go through the trials and tribulations of Not Exactly Bento. (Boy, does that ever sound dramatic! It’s not.)
Now, on to the post….
One of the things I’m always on the lookout for is backgrounds for my bento pictures. If you’re a regular reader here, you’ve seen many a background. Lately, I’ve been the most attracted to really great greens. I try to choose backgrounds that go with my color scheme.
In the last post, I shared this picture with you:
It’s a simple picture of one of my latest bento box purchases. I like not only the box but also the backgrounds. Let’s talk a bit about backgrounds and where to find them.
The background the box is sitting on I found just yesterday at Pottery Barn in their kitchen section.
Here it is in all its glory. It costs $9. This is the most expensive background I’ve purchased to date. Three factors made me purchase this placemat: its color, its design, and it’s construction. This is a hard, cork-backed placemat with a nice smooth, slick surface. This means if any food falls out of the bento box during picture setup, it can be easily wiped up from the background (a problem I’ve had in the past). This wonderful little background (placemat) also comes in burnt orange. I’ve decided I might need to go back and purchase that color as well.
Placemats and napkins tend to be my backgrounds of choice since they are washable. Here are a few I’ve used in the past:
Placemats I’ve used as backgrounds:
sushi mat ($2), green placemat ($3), large brown placemat ($5)
Purchased at Sur La Table, World Market, and Pier 1 Imports respectively
The large brown placemat is a great example of never get ready of anything! LOL! I purchased that placemat 5 years ago from Pier 1 Imports as a background for jewelry pictures. Unfortunately, it just didn’t work out. When I started Not Exactly Bento, I decided to try it out as the mat my bento box would sit on. This didn’t work out either. I’ve come close several times to giving it away. Something has always kept me from doing so. Lucky thing. It’s become a great background in another way.
Napkin I’ve used as a background
Purchased at World Market ($2-3)
Another thing you can use is scrapbook paper or art paper, both of which are easily found at arts and crafts stores like Hobby Lobby or Michaels. Even places like Wal-Mart have a craft section where you can pick up scrapbook paper for cheap. My only issue with paper is its non-washableness (whew, what a word) in the event of spillage. Maybe this isn’t an issue for most folks; it is for me.
Now back to the original photograph. Here is one more time so you don’t have to scroll back and look.
Now here is the setup of the background:
Super simple right? I have the green placemat for the bottom background and the wooden placemat standing up for the back of the setup. These wooden placemats, where the slats are hooked together with some form of weaving or string, work wonderfully to make a stand-on-its-own background. This whole set-up cost me $9 for the green placemat and $5 for the wooden placemat, for a grand total of $14 (minus taxes). Fairly inexpensive in the grand scheme of things.
Of course, you can make it even cheaper if you look around your home for things to use as a background. You might have a piece of fabric, a napkin, a leftover piece of floor tile, or something else that would make a great background. I use stone floor tiles as my backgrounds for my jewelry pictures. You can normally purchase just a single tile at Home Depot or Lowes for a whopping $2-$3. If you want to go even cheaper, spend 88 cents on a piece of press-and-stick floor tile that looks like stone! They make great backgrounds, and don’t have a bad glare.
If you’re looking for background ideas, take a look at Adventures in Bentomaking. I love how she showcases her bentos, most especially her backgrounds.
That’s the end of this little glimpse of life here at Not Exactly Bento. More to come this evening!
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