Get Your Props On
July 25th, 2007 | Published in Photography | 3 Comments
When you’re first starting out as a microstock photographer, chances are that you will want to experiment with different styles and genres of photography. Whether you end up shooting models or still life, props and costumes can be a fun addition and help kick your inspiration into gear. As you find your niche, you will start thinking about establishing an actual collection. My better half, the very talented food photographer Kelly Cline, will share a couple of her thoughts on props in a bit.
Play with What You’ve Got
To get started working with props, you don’t have to go very far. Here is an exercise that I actually had Kelly put together for me one day, I felt a bit uninspired: She collected a small box of around 30 objects, and I had to work with what she gave me. The challenge was to shoot at least one photo with everything in the box. Some things could be combined into a still life, others worked better as isolated objects. The exercise forced me to think fast and creatively, and I ended up getting a few good shots as well as having a lot of fun. Not all of my photos were good enough for stock, but at least I completed the challenge.
Have a friend or significant other help you out or pick a random box from your attic and shoot what’s in it. That exercise is also a great way to play around with lighting, by the way. Different objects look better in different light and with different backgrounds.
Costumes are another great prop, and you may already have a number of those laying around. That old waitress job you quit and kept the uniform from? As long as it’s not plastered full of logos, it makes a great outfit for waitress pictures. Or what about that summer you got into scuba-diving and bought the whole outfit? Instead of letting it collect dust, put it on a friend and take some pictures against a blue background or even under water. Did you just buy a new pair of overalls and gardening gloves for working in the yard? Dress up and shoot it.
When I say costumes, what I am really referring to is specialised clothing. Day to day clothes are great for portraits, but since this is all about props, we will focus on outfits and uniforms, rather than jeans and a T-shirt.
Investing and Organizing
Since I shoot mainly people, I often have to invest in props that go with a certain idea. For one shoot, I went out and bought everything needed for a police detective. From the trenchcoat to the gun (a replica, but it looks real in pictures). It took me a month of lurking around eBay and other websites, and a couple of trips to my local thrift store, before I had all the props I wanted. But it was fun, and the sales from the resulting pictures have more than paid for everything since then.
When buying props, I really take the time to look for good deals. Since you make only a little at a time, when you shoot microstock, I don’t want to shell out a small fortune and have to wait six months just to cover my expenses. If I have to buy everything needed for a photo session, I try to keep the prop and costume budget under $100. Sometimes I can go a little over, but just keeping that number in mind, helps me not go overboard. Luckily, some props can be used over and over, which means I can make my tight budget stretch even further for every session.
My detective props are now stored in a nicely labeled shoebox, and trust me when I say that the whole labelling thing, as tedious as it may be, is a very, very good idea. As your collection grows, you will have a need for some kind of system. I know that some photographers meticulously catalog and number everything, but I am not that organized. A couple of stacks of labeled shoeboxes do just fine, but then again, I really don’t have that huge a collection.
Kelly Cline on Props
Kelly Cline is one of the most prolific photographers on iStockphoto, and I would not hesitate to call her one of the best food stylists and photographers in the world. Though I admit to being biased, her work does not need my word for it. Her portfolio is both varied and beautiful enough to make anyone hungry. Since food is a genre that requires props for every single image, I asked her a few questions about her collection.
1. When did you start collecting props and how many would you say that you have?
”Once I discovered that I wanted to do photography as a living, the next most important thing besides procurring a good camera was gathering props. So, sometime around 2003 I started collecting props, I currently have an uncountable amount. But if I were to guess, I would have to say in excess of 1500 items from hard hats to teaspoons.”
2. What are some of your favorite props and why are they so good?
”Colored Paper. I know it sounds kind of lame, but you can change the entire mood of a shot with a little colored paper.”
3. Do you plan shoots around props you have or shop for props that fit your ideas?
”I have such an abundance of props that often I can visualize what one item might look like in a certain setting, so I will shot what I have on hand already.
”There are other times though where I don’t feel like I have the ’right’ prop, for what I want the image to turn out like, so I search and scour to find it. I have had some props take me a couple years to locate. I am a stickler, it has to be right or not at all.”
4. How much research do you put into finding the right props?
”A lot of research. If I am uncertain about a particular subject I am about to shoot, I try to educate myself. I have a thing about keeping the subject in context. I don’t want to take a shot of a subject that you have to sit and decipher. You wouldn’t put boxing gloves, an operator head-set, fly fishing boots and a business tie on a bikini clad model or put a grilled steak in a pie dish, right? It just wouldn’t make any sense.”
5. What would you say to new photographers, who are about to start a prop collection?
”Check with your spouse. Prop collecting can get out of hand. Make sure you have room for them, prepare your space with plastic bins to store the small stuff and shelving to store the larger items. Get it organized and try to keep it that way. It is so easy for it to become chaos when there is no organization.
”Choose your props wisely. Don’t add props that are unnecessary to a shoot as it makes the shot less useful and cluttered with items unrelated to your subject. Props should draw attention to your subject and give it context and meaning, they should not make the viewer or buyer to sit and look at it with a giant question mark floating over their head.”
This post is part 5 in a series about my experiences with stock photography, tips and pointers, meant to offer a little inspiration to those interested in such things. The next episode will be an introduction talk about what good stock photography is. For a complete and chronological list of articles, check out the Microstock Photographer’s Guide.
July 26th, 2007at 1:00 am(#)
Thanks so much Ras and Kelly, this is such a useful series of articles!
July 26th, 2007at 2:57 am(#)
Great read.
July 26th, 2007at 10:31 pm(#)
I’m learning from all of this. Got others who I want to get into Stock reading also. Thank You!