7 Prop Ideas For Your Brand Photo Shoot (Part 1) - The Stationery Edition
If you’re looking for ideas for stationery photography props for your next brand photo shoot, then you’re in the right place.
You know the feeling: every time you have to take brand photos for your website or for your next promo materials, or work with a brand photographer to get custom photos, one of the things that stops you is wondering what you’re going to use as props in your photos. 🤔
If you’re reading this and asking yourself “But what are photography props, Giselle?” So glad that you asked!
Photography props are all the things that you include in your pictures, like pencils, mugs, books, magazines, clothes, stationery, and so on.
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My experience using photography props in brand photos
When I started experimenting with styled stock photos a couple of years ago, I made the mistake of buying cheap stuff that, in reality, I have never, eveeer used as props.
Triple freaking slaps face. Like this → 🤦♀️🤦🏻♀️🤦🏾♀️
After a while, I realized that I could incorporate things that I really loved buying for my home and my hobbies as props too, so that’s what I do now.
This also helps me a lot when I have to find a place to store all my props. (So there’s an excuse to buy things that you love. You’re welcome! 😉)
Whatever you have at your disposal at home right now is enough to take beautiful photos for your brand. Remember that next time you think you don’t have enough photography props.
So let’s get to those stationery photography prop ideas for you.
Stationery photography prop ideas for your branding photo shoot
Enamel pins
I collect cute enamel pins to include in my brand photos, many of them with inspiring words, because that’s my brand’s vibe.
They’re easy to store (so you can have many of them in a cute little box, like moi) and they can give your photos a little touch that makes a difference.
Colored pencils
Colored pencils are a great way to have versatile props. For example, in this image I utilized a color palette mostly with blue, purple, and teal, so I selected some colored pencils that belonged to the same color palette.
Depending on the color palette that you’re using for a series of brand photos, you can choose different colored pencils to adjust your photos to that palette.
Time out. ⌛
Update:
The color palette that I used in the photo above belonged to my prior website.
This new version of Soulful Girls has a more limited color palette, but I freaking love it. That midnight green + pink that you see everywhere on this website? I wanted to try that color combination for ageeeees. And now I’m in love. ♥️ (I’m weird, I know. 🤫🤭)
Books & magazines
How many books and decor magazines do you have at home right now? If you’re like moi, you have a lot. 😍
Update on May 10, 2023:
Last night, I counted how many printed books I have at home, just for curiosity.
1K+ was the final result. 🤓 📚
Mix a couple of books or magazines a bit with a cup of coffee, a notebook, your smartphone, or whatever you want to include as props for your brand, and you can take many different photos with them.
Cute notebooks
If you love stationery, then maybe you also collect cute notebooks, which are great to add beautiful details in your brand photos.
Washi tape
Like the enamel pins, washi tapes are also easy to store, so you can have a couple of them without wondering who has the room to store all the props and backgrounds. 🤔
They’re also a good way to add color to your photos.
And if you travel regularly, like moi, you can take some washi tapes easily in your bag, so that you can be consistent with your brand photos while traveling.
I usually take some enamel pins, a little notebook, some brush pens, Polaroid-like images and postcards that I created with my photos, and washi tapes in a little clutch bag that I place inside my leather backpack whenever I travel.
Pretty cards or tags with quotes
You can buy some pretty little cards or tags with quotes at a stationery shop to incorporate in your brand photos, or you can create your own cards in apps like Canva, or whatever software you want to use.
If you have inspiring messages that you repeat over and over in your brand, you can create your own cards or tags with those words, print them in thick paper (so they don’t bend easily), and then include them in your brand photos.
Craft punches with different shapes
Craft punches are a good way to add a little color to your brand photos.
Their tiny size also makes it easy to store them in a little box (or you can create a stationery box, like I did, and store many of your stationery supplies in one place).
At least, I started with one stationery box, now I have 3…
More Photography Prop Blog Posts
This post is part of a series of blog posts about different photography props that you can use in your brand photos:
10 Prop Ideas For Your Brand Photo Shoot (Part 2) – The Art Supply Edition
10 Prop Ideas For Your Brand Photo Shoot (Part 3) – The Home Decor Edition
7 Prop Ideas For Your Brand Photo Shoot (Part 4) – The Kitchen Edition
Now it’s time to find your stationery props! Which ones are you going to use in your next brand photo shoot? 😍
With all my love,
Giselle
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Meet the author
Hi, beautiful! I’m Giselle.
I provide female entrepreneurs, like you, beautiful and soulful images, Flodesk templates, and Canva templates that they can use in their personal brands.
I also write resource tutorials and reviews to make your blogging life easier, and have fun designing and selling printable planners.