Purposeful Props

Props can spark excitement and interest to your photography if added correctly. Care should be made when selecting the type, color, and placement of the prop. As much spark that a prop can add to an awesome photo, missing the mark on the correct use of that prop can ruin a photo.

Overwhelmed even thinking of props? Just think of them as you would an embellishment on a scrap page. The focal point of your image should be enhanced with a prop. When the prop becomes the focal point, and your intention is not to make a still-life image, it is being used incorrectly. When adding a prop to a photo, think of the following things:

• Purpose
• Placement
• Theme
• Color
• Posing Helpers

Purpose- Props that have a purpose will enhance the focal point of the image. They should complete the story of the image. What is the purpose of the prop? You could use a prop to tell a story; create foreground, background and middle ground; create a barrier for a child; show size ratio; or even to cause confusion and shock.

Tell a story. Many props can tell a story. It could be that special baby blanket, a book to read, a flower to smell, a flower to water, etc. The key is to use that prop to tell the story. Interact the person with the prop, instead of having a little girl standing next to a water can, have her pick up the can and water the flower.

Create foreground, background and middle ground. If a photo is lacking something a little foreground can be added by moving a prop. In this image, I moved one of the tires to the right corner in this image to create foreground. Its original placement to the side of the scene left the image flat and boring. For more information on foreground, background and middle ground, see this article.

Form a barrier. Photographing children can be a challenge. Props can be used as a barricade to enclose a child for enough time to capture your image. I use props for this purpose with small children and active ones as well. Useful items can be washtubs, wagons, rocking chairs, and treasure chests. In this same image, while the tricycle is cute, its true purpose was to keep Charlie enclosed in a small area which I had prefocused on.

Show size ratio. Especially with small infants, it is difficult to visualize their true size. Adding something like an adult hand for the infant to hang on to will show the real size.

I also exaggerate sizes by adding larger-than-life or smaller-than-life props. In the image with the Easter eggs your mind imagines the eggs as normal egg sized and the infant looks even smaller. If I had used true eggs, the baby would appear huge.

Cause confusion and shock. Sometimes adding the "wrong" prop will add interest to an image. Think of what you would automatically use, and then pick the opposite. For example: imagine your surprise when you look at an image of a dirty little boy, jeans, no shirt, playing in a pile of dirt...while his doll baby is laying next to him.

Placement- Apply the same rules of photography and scrapping to placement of props. Lots of artists create layouts with imaginary triangles. You could add interest by placing your props with those same imaginary triangles. By using the rule of thirds, you can use one of these spots for a prop. You can also create leading lines with props. While the tires in the gas station image create foreground, they also create a leading line. The curves on the tire lead your eye directly to the focal point. In the image shown here, the tire was not far enough in front of the child, leading your eye out of the image instead of instead of into it.

Theme - Instead of randomly grabbing items to add to your picture, think of a theme. Adding a bear to a picture of a little girl is nice, but what if she were having a tea party with that bear? You could also add a table, chair, tea set and proper clothing. By creating a theme, the image possibilities multiply more easily. If it were the "child with the bear" image, options could be to kiss the bear, hug the bear, or look at the bear. But, with the party you could have these options: pouring tea for the bear, laughing with bear, or telling a secret, all creating spontaneous expressions that are not directed or forced.

Color - Think of a color scheme when using props. The right colors make stronger images. Since I purchased the "Last Chance Garage" sign specifically for Charlie's pictures, I felt the need to use it. Clearly the colors are too bright and in the wrong color family. It distracts from the image even though it goes with the theme. Though I can fix it in Photoshop, it would have been easier to swallow hard and remove it totally from the scene.

Posing Helpers - Sometimes the sole purpose of the prop is to help with posing. If the color and theme are wrong, I will just add some fabric on top of the item. Great posing helpers are boxes, bicycles, stools, rocking chairs, and other furniture. In this preschool shoot I used the wooden boxes to help the children sit. The back box was to keep the back nice and straight, while the bottom box gave them a place for their elbow. The box on right however... that was purely a barricade!

Remember that props are great to use if they help feature your subject in a natural way. Look for purposeful props that enhance your subject, and don't overpower the final image.