Hey guys, 

I'm having trouble getting a good picture of my cakes. I do have a decent and newer digital camera, but without perfect lighting or a background I don't know what to do. How do you make your backgrounds? I've tried using nice sheets and hanging them up behind the cake. The picture was zoomed in so you couldn't actually tell that  it was a sheet, but it still looked really cheesy to me. I don't really know what else to use as a background… it's so disheartening because I work so hard on a cake and the pictures just don't ever do them justice.

PLEASE HELP!!! Any tips you can give me on what to do for a background would be so appreciated! I feel like my cakes won't be taken as seriously because they don't look professional. 

I think Craftsy was offering a cake photo class if I recall.  Found it.  http://www.craftsy.com/class/building-your-business-beautiful-cake-photography/4266;jsessionid=549006CE15BB1998E10FF3BE5BA91B74.ccr001?initialPage=true

Here is a blog post about photographing cakes.

     http://thecakeblog.com/2014/09/beautiful-cake-photography.html

and this place sells back drops for cakes.  http://www.sugarhighinc.ecwid.com/

I don't do anything this fancy but recalled seeing these posts recently from The Cake Blog on facebook.

AI was thinking about putting wrapping paper on a foam board as a little DIY backdrop but I was afraid the flash might catch it and distract from the cake. Those look great, but just a smidgen expensive since I'd love to have a few background to go with the theme.. thanks for all your help though!!

AI definitely find sheets to be really cheesy. I did that for awhile, and also used cuts of fabric, so I've been there. As long as your lighting is good, and you [B]don't[/B] aim your flash right at it, the background doesn't matter so much. Now if it's cluttered and messy or has focal points that draw the eye away from the cake, yeah, that's no bueno. I usually take mine in the front parlor in front of my tall windows, get far away from the cake and zoom in tight (gives the background some blur) and make sure my flash is aimed at the ceiling. I have a big external flash on a swivel, which helps.

I picked up two pieces of white foam core board,  one for the bottom and one for the back ground works great.

Thank you! I've actually photoshopping the backgrounds on my pictures because i hated them so much! However, doing that to every single cake can be so time consuming. I'd rather just get a nice background on the first shot. 

Do you prefer white or black backgrounds?

I use a cheap white roller blind from Ikea that rolls up out of the way when I'm not using it. It's wide enough and long enough to be the background and the surface the cake pedestal sits on so there is no join at the back edge. You can fix it to the top of a wall or to your ceiling, wherever it won't bother you when it's rolled up.

And I use a tripod and, like AZ, stand a long way from the cake and zoom in - it stops distortion of round tiers.

Sugar High Inc.  sells some really nice photo backdrops.  Google her.  I think they run about $30

I use a science project board. You can get them at Michael's or Walmart. I like it b/c you can get different colors and it's 3 sided so you don't see the chair next to the table, etc.

Great idea! I didn't think about using a tri-fold board. Has anyone tried to use a board for a background, under the cake, and then two for the sides? I wonder if that would make the lighter better as well. 

A

That's genius. A piece of thin poster board works well: you bend it gently so it's under and behind the object being photographed but I was at a loss as to how to adapt that method to a larger cake.

I bought some printed paper in Michael's Craft Store.  It's made for bulletin boards, etc.  They have different solid colors, jungle print, blue and white sky, plank boards print, and are on a roll 4' by 9 '.  I've used it as a back drop and they've looked real nice.  I've only used the sky and plank boards, which is a little rustic looking.  Cost isn't too bad if you use their 50% or 40% off coupons.  I cut off about a 5' length and you can use them a long time, or until you accidentally mess them up.  The paper is heavy duty too and holds up well.  Just a thought!!    I'm a hobby, home baker who occasionally bakes for $$$.  Bake mainly for family, friends, church, and grandchildren.

P.s.  The cost for the rolls of paper is only $9.00, without the discounts.

I use long rolls of wrapping paper.  They're not expensive and you can find almost any color or design.

I tape the paper at the top of the window behind my table. You can tape it up on a bare wall.  Don't cut it, just make the bend and bring it under your cake and out.  Zoom in so you don't see the edges of the paper.  When you're done, just roll it back up and save it for next time.  I also don't focus any light at the cake itself.  The reflected light is so much softer than a direct glare.

Used pretty scrapbook paper taped to a three sided board. The ones I got gome 10 papers to a book and they have glitter, prints or stencils on top. The books are like 5 or 6 dollars.  I don't bake that much so I no longer bother :)

Here's one where I used it. 

AI use a roller blind like dayti. I also will get fabric from the wholesale store and glue it to foam core board from dollar tree if I want a fancier background, I still use the roller blind I just put the fabric covered board for the vertical background.