5 Props You Should Bring to Your Product Photo Session
A few months ago I wrote a post about what to bring to your personal brand session (you can read it here) and today I’m writing for those of you who have product-based brands. Although some props translate across most brand photo sessions, there are some specific things that are more helpful to have in different kinds of sessions for different kinds of businesses.
While your product-based photo shoot will largely be contingent on your actual products (the heroes of the images) it is important to draw out certain features using props. These features will differ greatly between brands and types of products. In this post, I will attempt to put out some larger categories and ideas for what may be helpful for your product shoot but it is impossible to speak to all brands in such a post, so don’t forget to check with your brand photographer on this subject as you go into your own product shoot to make sure you have all the things you need to create stand out images.
Ingredients
Fresh (and in some cases dried) ingredients are some of my favorite props, well beyond food photography! Not only do they brighten up your product photos, but they enhance the story of your product and bring scents and flavors to life visually. Scented candle? Prop with the ingredients that make up the scent. Lotion? Prop with ingredients. Oils? same. Baked goods? Definitely fresh ingredients. Drink? You betcha!
2. Linens
Linens add so much texture and interest to your product photos! They can also add a pop of color or a coordinating color story. Whether you’re photographing a food scene, a bathroom scene, or even a living space scene, linens could be used in the form of towels, napkins, throw blankets, pillows…in fact, maybe a more all-encompassing term would be textiles? 😅
3. Platters/Trays (and other dishes)
Product photography doesn’t always have to make perfect sense. For instance, most of us aren’t layering plates and trays underneath our coffee mugs or lotions BUT it works in photos! As long as it’s not completely outrageous (for instance out in the middle of the street) it’s okay to get a little extra fancy with layering dishes and trays underneath product. It’s a great way to add interest through texture, color, and height and can really pull a photo together.
4. Greenery/Florals
Where are my plant moms? 🙋♀️ You get this one, right? 😉 That pop of green adds so much to a simple photo, keeping it fresh and all-around lovely. If you scroll back through the other examples in this post you’ll notice quite a few of them with that pop of green or flowers nestled in the background.
5. Brand Collateral (and other things in brand colors)
Your business cards aren’t just for handing out to strangers and your branded boxes aren’t just for packing product in them! Use them in your photos to reinforce your brand messaging! Take it a step further and keep your eye out for other props that have your brand colors prominently displayed on them. I love it when I have a client who tells me every time they go to target they pick up a handful of things in their brand colors just because they might come in handy. I can assure you, as a brand photographer, they always do!
As you scroll through the prop ideas and examples in this blog post you’ll see some repeated themes. Many of the photos I shared use several of these prop categories all in one. And if you really wanted to distill all of this into just a few words to remember, I’d say to pay careful attention to COLOR and TEXTURE as you think through what props you should have for your product-based brand photo shoot.
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