What You Need to Create a Simple Food Photography Setup for Your Business

This article is the second part of a 10-part series Bringing Food Photography In-House: A Practical Guide for Businesses. Click here if you missed part 1: Should you bring food photography in-house

Creating your own food photography setup doesn’t have to involve expensive studio equipment or a large space. In fact, most businesses are surprised by how little they actually need to get started - and how big the improvement can be when they have a reliable, repeatable setup in place.

With a small tabletop area, consistent lighting, and a few carefully chosen props, your team can create branded, professional-looking images quickly and confidently.

Keep your setup simple (and consistent)

The biggest mistake businesses make is assuming they need too much: multiple lights, complex backgrounds and piles of props. You really don’t.

What you do need is a minimal, consistent food photography setup that everyone can use - something that removes guesswork and speeds up your workflow instead of slowing it down.

A simple setup offers several advantages:

• It gives your images a recognisable, on-brand look

• It helps your team work faster

• It ensures repeatability from one shoot to the next

You’re aiming for a small, reliable space where the lighting, surfaces, and camera position can be replicated every time.

Your food photography setup: the essential kit

Here’s what I recommend as a starting point for any business creating in-house food content.

1. A dedicated small space

You don’t need an entire studio - just a clear tabletop near a window or in a corner where you can control the light. What matters is consistency: using the same set up each time dramatically improves image quality.

2. A single continuous light

Natural light is lovely if you have it, but it’s unreliable for teams who need to produce content quickly. One continuous LED light gives you:

• the same look every time

• the ability to shoot at any time of day

• control over direction and intensity

You can do most food photography with just one light. Place it to the side or at behind the food for natural-looking shadows. (In Part 3 we will look at how to work with natural or artificial light).

3. A reflector or bounce board

This is simply a white board or foam core that bounces light back into the shadow side of the dish.

It’s an inexpensive but essential bit of kit. I prefer to use a folded board that stands on its own.

4. Photography backdrops

You only need two or three, perhaps one light and one darker and perhaps a textured or neutral option

Wood, stone-effect, matte tiles, or printed photography surfaces all work brilliantly. Avoid shiny finishes - they create reflections that are hard to control.

Choose colours that match your brand identity so your visuals feel cohesive.

Black Velvet Styling sell A1 wipe-clean, vinyl backdrops.

5. A tripod

Although a tripod is important for stabilising the phone or camera, for me its most important role is keeping the frame of view consistent. This leaves your hands free for styling. You can work without a tripod but each time you pick up the camera you'll be at a slightly different position. Take a look at this blog post to help you decide which tripod to buy for food photography.

6. A camera or a phone

Either can work depending on what skills you have in-house and also what the final images will be used for. Continue to follow along with this series to see the advantages or limitations of each. If you can't wait take a look at this blog: Is a phone good enough for food photography?

Why Keeping It Simple Helps Your Team Succeed

A basic food photography setup reduces overwhelm and creates reliability. When team members know exactly where to shoot, which light to use, which surfaces to choose and where to position the reflector, the quality improves quickly, even for complete beginners.

It also means your visual output becomes recognisable, consistent, and on-brand - something that’s incredibly important when multiple people contribute to content creation.

This kind of setup empowers your team to create great images without needing years of experience or expensive equipment.

Watch out for part 3: Natural or artificial light?