Poppy Bee | Handmade Backdrops and Food Photography Education

Handmade backdrops and food photography education

for creative humans who are looking to improve their photography, find community and bring their own brand of genius to the conversation

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Light & Airy Photography Backdrops

Dark & Moody Photography Backdrops

Bold & Colorful Photography Backdrops

Stone Photography Backdrops

Painted Photography Backdrops

Wood Photography Backdrops

Unique Photography Backdrops

Metal Photography Backdrops

You've used backdrops. You haven't used ours.

Created by an artist and a photographer, by hand, from start to finish.

No factory shortcuts.
No AI generated designs.
No lookalikes.
100% HANDMADE.

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Our flagship course, The Art of Food Photography is now available! LEARN MORE

“
Poppy Bee surfaces are the best vinyl surfaces I’ve found by far! Great quality and really lovely textures. Old vinyls I’ve purchased sit rolled up on a shelf gathering dust because they have a low res look. But my poppy bees are always in use! They work great as a both a surface or a background. My favorite thing is that I finally have high quality, lightweight options to bring on location! Game changer.
”

Meagan Klementowski

nutmeg imageworks

“
I've purchased surfaces from just about every company out there. No one beats Clare, Joe, and Poppy Bee Surfaces. Their handmade backgrounds are beautiful, of course. But what makes them stand head and shoulders above others is the quality. The printing is superb, the colors are true, and the material is thick and non-glare. My only regret? Having spent a bundle on others' surfaces that I haven't used since falling for Poppy Bee.
”

David Leite

leite's culinaria

“
Poppy Bee is one of my go-to suppliers for rollable surfaces. They are perfectly matte and photograph well. I don’t have to worry about glare or texture issues. Their grey and brown surfaces are some of my favourites in my collection. Even with the duties I pay to ship to another country, the cost is worth the quality.
”

Rachel Korinek

two loves studio

“
I LOVE my Poppy Bee Surfaces. Unlike other similar backdrops, Poppy Bee Surfaces have actual texture, making them look and feel real and incredibly beautiful. They have a wonderful matte finish too. Highly recommended.
”

Kimberly Espinel

@thelittleplantation

“
I've always been skeptical about vinyl surfaces—I've tried several other ones in the past and you can always tell something's a bit off. But these shoot SO well and have been such a lifesaver when I was shooting remote during Covid.
”

Andrew Bui

@andrew.bui

“
I have several Poppy Bee Surfaces backdrops in my collection and they're my favorite! The high quality and realistic texture in these beautiful backdrops will bring your photos to the next level. I look forward to their release for new textures and colors to add to my collection and highly recommend Poppy Bee Surfaces.
”

Vy Tran

@beyondsweetandsavory

“
I was hesitant at first because I was unsure how realistic and reflective the surfaces are. My worries were quickly put to rest. The quality is superb.
”

Dave Pluimer

@davepluimer

“
Poppy Bee Surfaces should be part of every food photographer arsenal. They are great quality and work amazingly well with both natural light as well as artificial light. They are matte and don't have a shine. The surfaces are sturdy and don't crease. They also work great with liquids and drips.
”

Julia Konovalova

@imagelicious

“
I love Poppy Bee Surfaces and how they've added another dimension to my food photography! The backgrounds are beautiful, easy to clean, portable and matte, making them versatile for a variety of angles to shoot from. I highly recommend them!
”

Emily Miller

@resplendentkitchen

“
Poppy Bee Surfaces offers a unique line of on-trend backdrops that photograph beautifully and that I can use with versatility.
”

Doaa Elkady

@doaaelkady_

“
If I were restricted to one surface for the rest of my life, it would be Dorothy! Thankfully, I don’t have to choose just one because all my surfaces from Poppy Bee are excellent. They are versatile as a surface or a backdrop; I love that they are glare-free, and the colors and details photography beautifully.
”

Niki Cutchall

@nikismalec

“
I truly love all of my Poppy Bee surfaces. They are such an easy way to add texture, color, and styling to my photoshoots. Plus they are easy to store and clean making them absolutely essential in my work.
”

Anna Ramiz

@gatheredatmytable

“
Poppy Bee Surfaces are game changers for our creative industry. They are portable, lightweight, sturdy, affordable, super matte, and photograph beautifully. These surfaces provide the perfect solution for any art director, stylist, or photographer.
”

Korena Sinnett

Korena bolding studio

“
You guys inspired me to go for some vibrant colors that I haven't used before as backdrops like purple or bright yellow for example, and I'm super happy with the way everything turned out. The backdrops are super easy to use and clean and although they are vinyl backdrops especially when shooting with artificial light they have a beautiful structure, almost like a 3D effect. I just love the "Bruno" backdrop it makes me think of autumn instantly and the "Neko" makes me dream of sea, sand, and vacation.
”

Adina Chitu

pancake planet

“
Let’s see. Continue to lug around a 60lb slab of slate that stains, chips, and strains my back or use a lightweight, gorgeous to look at, easy cleanup background from Poppy Bee? After using multiple colors the decision was easy: Poppy Bee all the way!!
”

Steve Czerniak

Steve czerniak photo

“
OMG, I LOVE THESE SO MUCH!!!! As a surface or a backdrop, they shoot SO WELL!
”

Matt Armendariz

matt armendariz photography

“
Your backgrounds are the best I’ve come across of any printed products. The finish is impeccable, no glare, true to color and easy to handle.
”

Sam Hanna

Sam Hanna Photo

“
Light, portable, dynamic and durable photo surfaces. Truly, works of art. I have now purchased MANY as I look to downsize my (now unnecessary collection of) rusted metals and heavy marble slabs. I cannot recommend Poppy Bee Surfaces enough!
”

Charity Burggraaf

Charity Burggraaf Photography

“
I love my Poppy Bee Surfaces! They look so realistic and add beautiful texture to images.
”

Alanna Taylor-Tobin

The bojon gourmet

“
Loving my Poppy Bee surfaces. They have such rich looking texture and color and photograph beautifully. The best part is that I can roll them up, move them, get them wet or dirty, all without worrying that I’ve done anything wrong. They wipe clean in a snap. They’ve become a staple for my cocktail styling. Looking forward to growing my collection!”
”

Carolyn

@carolinaverbena

the humans behind poppy bee

Hi! We are Joe and Clare; artists and makers, partners in life and business, proud parents to Hugo (human) and Cleo (canine), West Coast natives who now reside in New England and lovers of pretty much all things creative.

Joe is a painter, printmaker, musician, furniture builder and avid tennis player. He’s also a kickass pie maker and home cook, fixer of all the broken things and a damn good dancer.

Clare is an award-winning food and lifestyle photographer, an obsessive prop collector and a lover of all things magical & mysterious. She is a master salad maker, a fan of interior design and a big believer in the importance of good lighting.

We have been living, working and collaborating together for over 20 years and are so passionate about what we have created with this business. Poppy Bee is an opportunity to combine our skills and decades of experience and create innovative photo surfaces that are perfect for food and product photographers. All of our backdrops are 100% handmade by us in our Vermont studio.