Product photography is more complex than simply clicking photos of the products. It requires careful attention to detail and using props to create impactful visual compositions that help bring out the brand’s unique story and personality. Besides, these elements enhance product features, make the products memorable, and help them stand out in the crowded marketplace.
So, if you want to elevate your product photography, The G Story product stylists have a 101 guide on props that you can use for your next photoshoot!
What props should you use for your product photography for product styling?
1. Flowers and foliage
Using fresh flowers of different types and colors as props can evoke delight, joy, love, elegance, and nostalgia. Roses can enhance feminine perfumes, while lilies pair well with high-end skincare products. On the other hand, foliage gives a natural, fresh, and serene look and feel, making it suitable for home decor, wellness products, and organic food products. For men’s products, dried botanicals work like a charm!
2. Lighting
Fairy lights or candles showcase comfort, well-being, and coziness, making them perfect for home decor, fashion accessories, festive items, and wellness products. You can even use a table lamp or standing light to spotlight a product.
3. Books and magazines
Books and magazines are ideal for luxury product photography, such as shoes, eyewear, cameras, or elegant furniture. Self-care brands can use cut-outs of motivational words or quotes in the background, while recipe books would be best for food products! Chunky books can be stacked together to create height for your products.
4. Food and ingredients
Food and ingredients are some of the most fun elements all product photography stylists love. You need not limit the use of these props when photographing food and beverages. Fresh fruits can highlight key ingredients in skin care products and perfumes, while spices and dry fruits are ideal for organic oils.
5. Fabrics
Fabrics help add various textures, colors, depth, and interest to the products. You can place the material underneath your product, use it as a curtain backdrop, or fold it uniquely to draw attention to your product. Experiment with different fabrics, such as cotton, wool, linen, velvet, silk, satin, chiffon, or faux fur, depending on the look and feel you wish to create. For instance, The G Story often uses silk in luxury product photography, such as high-end cosmetics or perfumes.
6. Ribbon A curled-up ribbon can make all the difference when your composition feels too flat or empty. A fun element that comes in various colors and patterns, it can genuinely raise the vibe of the image.
Placing your products on blocks of colorful foam, wood, clear acrylic, or stones can help draw attention toward them and add depth to the visual composition. Blocks and plinths are one of the most versatile props for any product.
Mirrors are widely used in product photography as they serve multiple purposes to enhance the overall visual composition. They can effectively create reflections, illusions, and symmetry, adding depth, dimension, and balance to the images. Mirrors also allow you to simultaneously showcase different angles of the product in a single shot.
9. Stationery and electronics
Stationery and electronics are other favorites of product photography stylists because of their diversity and accessibility. They are majorly used to provide context and demonstrate the functionality of the products. Apart from that, stationery adds fun and play to the composition, while electronics set a modern and tech-savvy vibe.