My 10 favourite props for still life photography

As with food photography, I love hunting for props and backgrounds to put in my images for still life photography and I really like a variety of items. I still adore using colour, but I tend to tone down my colour palette for still life, using more soft muted colours. I love dark and moody or soft and dreamy and an overall vintage feel to my images. I have a few key pieces that I use all the time. You do not need a whole room full, just a few special pieces, some you may already have. So let’s delve into my own personal prop stash for my top ten favourites (in no particular order);

Backgrounds

I like a more vintage styled shoot and love my old grungy timber worktable, but I also use some Hi-Res Images printed onto Tyvek, I have a collection of vintage tabletops, old plaster or panelled walls that serve as my backgrounds, these are great as they are cost-effective and can be stored easily. Alternatively, I used a plain white or black background, so as to not overburden an image. I have large foam boards painted in different hues from bright white, soft pale green to dark charcoal and black, I use these as a corner near a window. If you are shooting smaller scenes small timber boards and tiles can work well too. Don’t discount a plain white door or wall either.

Timber Crates

I have a love of old timber crates, these are fabulous for adding depth or creating shadows, you can set your scene on them, in them or use as a background. The more aged the better the patina, that weathered rustic look. I also have newer ones for a cleaner feel. I have two very old crates, one, in particular, I use ALL the time. These are great for storing items when not in use as well.

Fabric

I adore adding fabric to my images, it softens hard lines. White and neutral coloured linen, including dishtowels, table cloths and napkins, random strips of muslin, chiffon and cotton work beautifully too. I am partial to greys and off whites when it comes to my linens. I also adore cheesecloth and hessian for a very natural feel.

Old Books

I have a small collection of old books that I love to use in my images, often stacked and tied together with string, they can tell part of the story, add some height, create a sense of timeless elegance. They can also be used under fabric to create layers and different heights.

Baskets

A bit like crates, I have a small collection of baskets, from vintage-looking wire baskets to weaved baskets, twigs and timber ones as well. These are great for displaying fruit and flowers, even small toys or collectibles. I have then in different sizes, colours and shapes.

Cutting boards

These are not just for food but can make really good stands and backgrounds to add interest, I love a good timber cutting board, but marble or slate can be very effective as well. I have a collection of different sizes and tones that I use. One good one is a great place to start.

Scissors and Twine

These are perfect for adding just a little something, scissors with fresh cut flowers in a vase or basket. Twine for all sorts of things, just casually looped to give a flow to your image, leading the eye through your photo. Scissors can also help add a personal touch as you have just put them down and will be back in a minute. I personally like to leave my scissors slightly open and always pointed away from the camera.

Teacups and Saucers

Who doesn’t love a pretty teacup and saucer or something a little more rustic in a still life? I really like to colour coordinate my flowers with patterns and colours on my teacups. I also have a few teapots as well. A more rustic enamelware mug is great too. It can help make an image feel warm and cozy and inviting. Be warned collecting these can become a habit.

Vases, bottles and Mason Jars

I have a rather large collection of vases, bottles and jars, in clear and coloured glass and plain white, but have started adding a couple of hand-painted ceramic ones as well, I have a muted blue and a green one that seems to keep popping into my images these days. Glass is great as it can be seen through, white is not distracting and can help flower colours pop. I have all different heights, shapes and sizes. Be warned it can be a slippery slope and you can end up with quite a collection, but start with one or two good pieces you may already have is a good place to start.

Flowers

Fresh, dried or artificial, all are fabulous, all are beautiful. I often buy a bunch of fresh flowers every week, sometimes two, and I can shoot them in the studio and then have beautiful fresh flowers for the week, just to enjoy. Think of trying something out of the ordinary, gerberas, roses and carnations are beautiful, but what about some the more structural plants; cotton, cabbage roses, artichokes, cacti and succulents, hyacinth or wisteria. The list really is endless.

Don’t overwhelm your Hero or the viewer. Take out stuff you don’t need. Take out things from the scene that are distracting and pair down to just one main focal point.  If the scene is too cluttered you will lose the viewer’s interest. When first starting out try to limit items in the scene to perhaps three props or layers which will convey depth and story.

Try to keep props simple, whether it is vases, books, teacups, crates, baskets and flowers. Another thing to remember is a grouping and using odd numbers, ie 3, 5 or 7 when items are kept to odd numbers it is more visually pleasing, a full bunch of flowers is seen as one, whereas individual flowers are kept in odd numbers. Start with your Hero and then gradually add props to build or enhance your image, take a photo at each stage, digital is cheap you can always delete what you don't like later. Add visual depth with layers and heights, but remember they need to work with your hero and define the style, not over complicate it. Often simple is better.