Product photos are a key factor in how customers perceive your product. Using props can help to enhance the look of your product photos, making them more visually appealing and helping them stand out from the competition.
In this article, you’ll learn how to use props to create captivating product photos that will draw potential customers in and boost sales.
Why Make Use Of Props For Your Product Photography?
Using props for product photography can make or break the impact of the final image. Props help to provide context and a creative backdrop that draws attention to the product itself (see also “Product Photography Techniques For Beginners“), rather than detracting from its features.
The right props can bring out the best features of any product in a fun and interesting way. When used creatively and strategically, props can tell a story about the product without having to resort to highly descriptive language or get into extensive details.
This can be effective if you’re trying to make a product look appealing or demonstrate certain advantages it has over competitors’ similar products.
For example, setting up items near chairs and tables could display how well they would fit into an existing living room aesthetic or suggest how someone might use them in everyday life scenarios.
Giving customers an idea of how something might look in their own home, gives them a better understanding of why they should purchase your item instead of someone else’s.
How Do You Make Use Of Props To Enhance Your Product Photography?
Props are a creative way to personalize and add interest to your product photo shoot. They add texture and color, can be used for theme-based shots, and even help tie in a particular lifestyle or message with the product.
Size And Shapes
When using props for a photo shoot, it’s important to consider their size, shape, texture, and color. They should complement the product and make it look its best.
Finding the right props can be tough, so it may help to start by gathering inspiration from your surroundings, such as searching online for trends or brainstorming ideas involving relevant themes.
Experimentation
Play around with different options of props until you have something that works best. It’s possible to treat the space like a set where lighting, backgrounds, and furniture could all bring the final design together.
Instead of simply putting your product on a white background, put some items around it which will draw more attention towards the product instead, creating an interesting shot that stands out against other photos in the industry.
You could also incorporate lifestyle elements such as having a fashion model holding the item or adding flowers around or near the item etc.
Storytelling
Storytelling is an important part of a product’s marketing strategy and can be used to connect with buyers in an emotional way. When creating a narrative for your product, think about the feeling or story you want your buyers to feel when they come in contact with it.
Visualize a real-life situation that could evoke this emotion and use props such as colors, shapes, atmospheres, and objects to illustrate it.
For example, imagine a customer being so moved by the beauty of your outdoor furniture they decide to host an outdoor gathering with friends and family.
You can use visuals to depict the customer’s joy as they sit amongst their loved ones on the patio set, basking in the sun’s golden rays.
The vivid colors and artful shapes of the furniture create an atmosphere of peace and relaxation surrounded by nature’s beauty.
Steps To Consider For Enhancing Product Photography
Mood Boards
A mood board is a great way to visualize the story of your project. It helps you ensure that colors and shapes are working together to tell the story as you intended by offering creative ideas and inspiring visuals.
Through your mood board, you can create a unified aesthetic for your shoot that is harmonious with your brand. It gives you a visual reference point to draw from when crafting the concept of your project.
Shot List
Having a comprehensive shot list is essential for any photoshoot. It allows the photographers and their team to have all the items in place so that no time has to be wasted looking for them during the shoot.
By creating a shot list ahead of time, you can ensure that everything goes smoothly, that no shots are forgotten or left out, and that you have all the props necessary to create the perfect photo.
Purchasing Props
When selecting props for product photos, it’s important to consider both the quality and color of the chosen props.
Quality props tend to lead to better-looking photos, but it’s also essential to choose colors that are strongly representative of your brand and complementary to the product itself.
This is key in creating a visually striking image that once again reflects your brand identity and ethos.
Product Photography Props That Can Benefit Your Photos
Using props helps showcase the story behind your brand or product by highlighting a message about where it comes from, how it’s made or used, who is using it, etc.
For example, lifestyle props like running shoes could be used with a fitness tracker to demonstrate its use case, while natural elements such as leaves or flowers might be incorporated into pictures of products made with only earth-based ingredients.
By combining both lifestyle and product imagery together, you can create compelling visuals that will capture customers’ attention and push them over the line when making their buying decisions.
Lifestyle
Lifestyle props can be advantageous when it comes to elevating the visual aesthetic of marketing materials. Adding related props that evoke a certain lifestyle, helps to better showcase your product and its intended use in context.
This “real life” context reinforces the product messaging while also immersing viewers so they better understand how it might fit into their own lives.
Packaging
Packaging is a crucial part of the customer experience for any product. Not only does it ensure safe delivery and communication of what’s being purchased, but it can also be used as an effective form of marketing and branding.
Product packaging sets expectations in terms of how a customer will receive the item they purchase.
Natural
Natural props are also great for creating strong visual stories that instantly convey the idea behind your product.
You can pair potted plants (see also “How To Photograph Plants“) with home decor items to showcase a modern living room, or feature coconut shells with summer beachwear looks – the possibilities are endless!
Whatever you decide, remember that incorporating natural elements into your photos will bring a unique look and feel to your images, as well as breathe some life into them – something digital imagery just can’t do.
Mirrors
Mirrors are an essential element of contemporary fashion and beauty photography, adding another layer of visual interest to any image.
Through the use of mirrors, photographers can bring depth, reflection, and dimension to a picture, creating beautiful images that invite the viewer to explore the piece further.
Mirrors come in a variety of sizes and shapes, from hand-held mirrors to wall-mounted varieties.
They also come in different hues, from gold and silver for a touch of luxury, to various colored pieces for an unconventional edge.
The reflective quality of mirrors is ideal for making subtle or drastic changes that can transform any photograph. This makes them popular choices for creative fashion shoots featuring multiple angles and focal points.
Geometric Shapes And Blocks
Wooden blocks and risers are a great way to enhance the look of any interior decor. Not only do they come in different shapes, sizes, and colors, but they are also incredibly easy to use.
You can choose ones that perfectly match your own individual taste, or you can take the creative route and give them a different look by painting them with whatever color best fits your style.
Miniatures
Miniatures are a great way to lend fun and creativity to your photos. At such a small scale, the possibilities of what you can create become endless; and the results can be unique, whimsical, and eye-catching.
Perfect for product photography, miniatures don’t overcome or distract from the actual item being highlighted. Yet at the same time, they add interest and depth when shooting on locations that are perhaps too small or uninteresting otherwise.
Using miniatures is also an economical alternative to shooting in sophisticated surroundings with expensive gear.
Final Thoughts
Using props to enhance your product photos is a great way to add visual interest and stand out from the competition.
Whether you opt for natural elements or man-made items such as mirrors, geometric shapes, or miniatures – there’s no doubt that props can help you create unique and eye-catching images. Experiment with different types of props and have fun!
Frequently Asked Questions
How Much Should You Plan To Spend On Props?
As with any type of purchase, there are different levels and quality of product photography props you can buy or rent, and how much you choose to spend depends entirely on your photoshoot needs and accessibility.
Some props can be sourced for free – such as nature items like leaves or twigs – while other more technical items may cost you $100 or more.
Hey everyone, and welcome to LemonadeAndLenses.com. My name is Laura and I am the founder of this site!
For as long as I can remember, I have loved taking photographs. There is nothing I love more than looking back through old pictures, and having all of the memories come flooding back.
If you want to learn about how to take professional images, and to run your own photography business, then I can help you out, here at Lemonade And Lenses.
