Why Use Photography Props?

Featuring a blog post on photography props is the not first idea that would have come to mind, but given the day I had, I actually thought it would be a good topic to discuss. I have some shoots coming up, especially those with younger children and I needed a chair or prop for the child to sit on.

Looking at photographs from my fellow friends who are also photographers, I have noticed that they use or place certain props in their pictures for all kinds of reasons. I enjoyed looking at some senior photos a few weeks ago and I saw that the subject was sitting in a chair. The subject sat in several different ways in the chair and I realized that a photographer can use props to their advantage to show off their subject in different ways. However, my friend lives in a different state and I obviously can't go shopping to see if I can find the same chair. Also, the subject may own the prop and you can't find another one of the same kind so easily.

Props sometimes aren't always the best way to go. You don't want to place a prop or chair with the subject if it isn't going to enchance the subject or the photograph. If it doesn't look right or it's not needed, don't use it. Learn to know when it is appropriate for the situation.

However, if you are interested in finding certain props for a shoot, the best place to look are antique stores or thrift stores. Now, don't be fooled by the name "antique". A lot of resale shops may have the word "antique" in their store name, but they will most likely sell all kinds of things that aren't too terribly expensive. You can find good buys in these types of stores if you want a certain type of prop.

For example, if you are shooting a family photo session in the fall, you might want to look at buying a long wooden crate for some of the family members to sit on to help balance out the number of people in the shoot. These stores will sometimes have wooden crates or similar props and they can be more than you are willing to pay. However, if it's a good price, it may be worth it for you. I recently bought some plastic pumpkins from Walmart for my family sessions coming up. It gives the child something to hold and will add a nice touch of fall to the picture.

So if you decide to start looking for some props, here are a few tips to take along for your search:

1. Make sure you take a few hours to look at as many shops as possible to see what is out there. I am fortunate to live in a city where they are several good antique shops and there is some variety.

2. When you go inside a shop, make sure you look all around, especially up at displays. A lot of times some of the items will be above your head. If you don't look up, you might miss something.

3. When you pick something up, make sure it is good condition. While I was looking for a chair, I pushed on the seat to make sure it was sturdy and wasn't going to break after one use.

4. It never hurts to ask for a lower price on an item. If you like something, ask if you can take it home for a little bit lower price. The chair that I bought had a tag but I couldn't see the price because it was up high. However, the owner of the shop called the owner of the item and instead of telling him the actual price tag, she asked him for the price of the chair. I ended up paying a $15 lower price for the chair. Don't pay a high price of something if you don't honestly think it's worth it. You can usually find another similar prop somewhere else.

5. Have fun! It is always a good time to look around at antique shops and see what they have to offer. You never know what you are going to find.