When we shoot images for clients, their hero food is our main focus. However, it’s rarely the only item in the shot.
Our featured foods are nearly always surrounded by hard-working props. Props are one of the tools we use to show a food in the most appealing way. When planning a photo shoot, we choose props to construct an appetizing scene around the food.
Although props are supporting characters, they must have just the right look. They should enhance the featured food without drawing too much attention. Because they are so important, we spend time and attention on our prop choices. And we involve our clients in the selection process, so there are no surprises on shoot day and they are delighted with the end product.
When evaluating the multitude of prop types we have or can get, we’ve developed a process for narrowing down which will work best. Here are the guidelines we consider when selecting props for a food photography shoot.
Your brand
Many clients have a brand style guide that spells out key aspects of their branding. Examples are a client’s tone (sophisticated, playful, celebratory, natural), brand colors (PMS or Pantone), and other photography-specific preferences. These preferences directly affect the props we choose in terms of pattern, color, and style.
Also a factor: The type of client we are shooting with. For a sit-down restaurant, we’d likely show a finished table setting (drinks, silverware, napkins). For a food product meant for home preparation, our props would likely be kitchen tools used in the process (measuring cups, colander, cutting boards) or a more casual table setting.
Your customer demographics
We also take into consideration what clients tell us about their typical customer. Their customers’ preferences, especially when it comes to design, are key to choosing the right props.
Age is one aspect of demographics, but it’s not the whole story. We also want to know if they favor modern or traditional design, and how closely they follow design trends at all.
Based on this information, we choose plates, flatware, barware, and fabrics that are likely to appeal to the customer. (For clients with trend-conscious customers, we’ve also incorporated live plants lately.) Depending on what’s needed, we source from our extensive prop collection or an appropriate store.
Some of our go-to stores for props are CB2 or West Elm for a modern style, Crate & Barrel or Williams Sonoma for a clean and/or traditional style, Pottery Barn for farmhouse style, and World Market or Target for a variety of styles. For hard-to-find items, we utilize large prop houses such as fellow Chicago business Prop Mart Chicago.
Where the image will be used
If we’re shooting for a website banner, the orientation is a severe horizontal that offers lots of space. So we often need a number of props to fill out the shot. For tighter shots, such as square product images, just a few props will do.
Sometimes, we need a prop to work for both tight and wide shots! That’s because we work with clients to make the most of their shoot day by planning multiple versions of each shot. Having shots in different sizes and orientations gives clients flexibility for different uses — perhaps uses they can’t even anticipate now.
When we choose props for multi-shot purposes, they must be quite versatile. For example, we’ll choose a larger cutting board that would work for both a tight and wide shot. In the tighter shot, only part of the board may be visible, but in the wider shot, likely we’ll show the whole board with lots of other props on or around it.
The season we’re shooting for
As you’d imagine, seasonality has an impact on the props we choose. The tricky part is that we’re often shooting seasonal images in advance — sometimes far, far in advance. That makes it challenging to get our hands on the right props to create the perfect scene. So how do we do it?
Most commonly, we dip into the vast collection in our prop room, which contains themed sections for Superbowl, Easter, 4th of July, Christmas, and many other celebrations, as well as each of the four seasons. (As you’d imagine, we love shopping a good end-of-season sale for deals on props!)
If by chance our prop room doesn’t have exactly what we need, it’s time to get creative. A few favorite tactics:
We order a seasonal prop from an online source, such as a nursery that grows out-of-season plants in greenhouses.
We consult local prop houses, which maintain an even larger selection than we do.
We’ve even been known to snip plant sprigs (for example, evergreens) from own our backyards.
The bottom line: We make sure you are totally satisfied with your food photography props
After considering all these aspects of prop selection, we make prop recommendations to our clients. And if those aren’t on target, we are always prepared with backup choices.
In short, we do everything we can to make sure that the scene — from props to lighting to hero food — is just what the client envisioned.
