Choosing The Right Props For Your Product Photography

Choosing the best props for your product photography may seem like a minor detail, but it can make or break a photograph for your client. For the past 15 years, MO Studios has learnt that you don’t need to spend too much money on props for product photography. You likely have the props you need in your home, ready to go. See our blog here about how we used props for professional product photography before.

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First, decide what you’re going to use as props for your photography shoot, then style the photo, so you make the most of the props you have for the shoot. 

How Many Should You Use

Depending on the type of product photography, you’ll need to determine how many props should be used. For example, you’ll rarely need a prop for a traditional packaging shot. Packaging shots use a clean, white background, and distractions are kept at a minimum to keep the viewer’s attention on the product. However, depending on the platform being used to sell products online, there may be guidelines to follow for your product photography shots. 

If you’re taking lifestyle photography in your shoot, you’ll likely need to be using more props in your photo than for a packaging shot. Using more props is due to lifestyle photography’s goal: to feature your product in a natural setting that suits the product. 

Choosing Props for Product Photography

Finding the best props for your photography shoots depends on the brand style that has hired you. For example, if you’re taking photographs of high-end perfumes, it’s important to use props to reinforce that message, such as ingredients or items that match the scent. 

In this photo, we took a picture of the Emperial kitchen equipment in a kitchen along with fruits and other equipment you’d see in the kitchen.

Best Props for Product Photography

So what is best for product or brand photography? Here are a few favourites for many product photography shoots across photography studios worldwide.

• Plants: Many studios love using plants in their product photography. You can use them to show the natural aspect of a product. Or maybe add a pop of colour to the background of a scene. Props can also be behind camera to create an interesting shadow in your photography. As a result, plants are easy to add for more elements to any product photograph.
• Simple Backdrops: Adding a simple, textured backdrop can become a prop for your photography if you choose a good colour. You don’t want to overwhelm the product. Experiment with texture and colour to see what works best. You can also use a solid colour backdrop as a background to add contrast to a photo.
• Stones and shells: Stone and shells are perfect for any beach scene. Additionally, they can provide a more natural feel. If you are taking photos for a more natural brand, try natural items. You can add stones, shells or some plants and flowers.

Choosing props for product photography can be a daunting task, but it shouldn’t be. Instead, consider the purpose of the photo, the visual identity of the brand, and what you have already. For more of our blogs, visit here.