10 Props to Use for Portraits

I recently finished a photo-shoot with the lovely Katrina Wollet (check out her blog – it’s fantastic!) and   experimented with a few different props that worked out quite nicely. For those of you looking to jazz up your portrait photography or simply want to try something new, here’s 10 props to try for your next shoot!

1. Confetti – You can never go wrong with confetti. Start shooting a few seconds before your model blows the confetti from their hands to capture the whole process. Afterwards, you can put together a cool photo montage!
 

2. Wooden Letters – I found this wooden wall letter at Hobby Lobby for about 6 dollars. They were having a sale that day for %50 off all of their home decor products, and I don’t think I’ve ever walked into that store when they weren’t having some kind of amazing sale. I highly recommend Hobby Lobby for crafts if you live nearby one!

3. 3. Glasses – For a more professional look, and pair them with a scarf to add some uniqueness. Fortunately, Katrina actually wears glasses so this worked out perfectly! Otherwise, do some thrifting at your local second-hand shops and stock up on some snazzy frames.

4. Vintage Camera – Always a fun prop! You can do some post-editing to give the photograph a vintage finish. I often use these free textures as photo overlays. For even more free textures check out these options.

5. Magnifying Glass – My favorite prop to use. You can do so much with these. Have some fun with it and magnify different parts of your model’s face, feet, hands, whatever! I’ve even used mine for engagement photos; it always creates a cool affect. You can usually find magnifying glasses at antique shops, but if you’re looking for a more Sherlock Holmes one, Amazon has plenty you can choose from.

6. Peacock Feathers – These are lovely props! Another inexpensive craft item that I purchased at Hobby Lobby. A package of two was about 3 dollars.

7. Colorful Sunglasses – I kid you not, I found these sunglasses at Goodwill for only 2 dollars! I bought red ones for a more radical style – they give off that rock ‘n roll vibe.

8. Umbrella – Use an umbrella for a soft, romantic look. Try all different kinds of poses! You can’t really go wrong with this prop.

9. Indiana Jones Hat & BB Gun – Obviously the Red Ryder BB Gun is entirely optional! I used both because I wanted to recreate the feel of the Old West using these two props. I found the Red Ryder at Farm and Fleet for 32 dollars, and the Indiana Jones hat for 15 dollars.

10. Sheer Scarf – Head to the beach on a sunny day and bust out a sheer scarf. The sunlight looks amazing through these! Even try taking some photos next to bright flowers to see the different colors you can get to emanate through the scarf.

• BB Gun
• confetti
• Crafts
• Goodwill
• Hobby Lobby
• ideas
• Indiana Jones
• magnifying glass
• Photography
• props
• Red Ryder
• scarves
• tips
• tricks
• Vintage