Reviews |Photo Boards Review

Photo Boards Review

Perfect photography backdrops for food shoots and more

Photo Boards
Review

Price when reviewed

£18

Check current price

Our Verdict

The Photo Boards are a useful addition to your kit if you enjoy food photography or shoot tabe-top still life and product photography. They can quickly transform a scene and create a realistic image. They’re also long-lasting and wipe-clean. Plus, they come in a cardboard envelope with a heart-shaped cutout to let you see what the pattern is without having to open in. That’s a thoughtful feature if you have a few Photo Boards – and it’s likely that once you have one or two you’ll want more.

For

  • Realistic appearance
  • Wipe-clean
  • Easy to store

Against

  • You always need one more

What are Photo Boards?

Photo Boards are squares of 3mm thick PVC with an image that makes a suitable backdrop for a table-top shoot. There’s an extensive range of subjects including aged floorboards, painted wood, tiles and natural stone.

 

They were developed by Lyndsey James, a commercial photographer who has worked with many boutique brands and spent lots of time searching for the perfect backdrop for her images.

The Photo Boards are available in two sizes, 40x40cm (£18) and 60x60cm (£30) and can be butted up together to create a larger working area. They can be used laid flat, propped up at 90° or both together to create an L-shape.

Photo Boards are available to buy direct from the Photo Boards website.

Specification

  • Construction: 3mm PVC
  • Size: 40x40cm or 60x60cm
  • Reproduction ratio: 1:1 Lifesize

Performance

The images on Photo Boards were captured using 3D scanning and this plus the high-resolution printing ensures they have a realistic appearance.

I have a couple of wood Photo Boards and the grain in them looks very natural.

They also have 1:1 reproduction which means that there aren’t any issues with scale when you’re shooting.  However, be careful of going in very close with a macro lens at an angle to the Photo Boards as this may reveal that they are completely flat rather than textured. Of course, that’s not a concern if you’re shooting a flat lay.

Incidentally, it’s the 1:1 reproduction that means that not all of the Photo Boards designs are available in both sizes, some are only suited to the 60x60cm size

Although you need to take care with the angle and diffusion of artificial light to avoid a sheen on the surface of the Boards, they work extremely well with natural light.

Unlike wood and the porous tiles they appear to be, Photo Boards can be wiped clean, which makes them ideally suited to food photography and anything that creates a mess.

 

There’s a little flex to the boards but they are rigid enough to be stood upright. You just need a couple of bottles or a few books to keep them upright. Alternatively, a blob or two of Blu Tack will hold a Photo Board against a wall with its bottom edge resting on a worktop or table.

The 40x40cm boards are a good choice for smaller subjects, but the 60x60cm boards are a more versatile investment that justifies the extra cost.

Photo Boards are available to buy direct from the Photo Boards website.