Tips for Propping and a Guest Post on Gourmande in the Kitchen

Recently, Sylvie of Gourmande in the Kitchen asked me to do a post on prop styling as part of her Language of Photography series. It is one of my favorite blogs for so many reasons, so of course I happily accepted! Both Sylvie & I have been asked on numerous occasions just how we go about selecting props, and where we draw our inspiration from. I came up with a list of suggestions to help channel the process. This can be especially challenging if you are new to food photography, but believe me, everyone hits a creative dry spot now & then, much like writer's block.

The thoughts I've posted on Gourmande in the Kitchen in my guest post focus on building a set around a chosen prop, using more unconventional food presentations, and storytelling. I'd like to finish up here with another approach, using the elements of art and design. Sylvie covered this in her second post of the series, highlighting these elements used compositionally. I've chosen some of my portfolio images where the props add a strong element of art to the image.
In terms of styling, it is a more abstract thought process than the others I've suggested.



Photographer: Stephen Hamilton


Color: everyone knows by now that white on white creates a clean canvas that makes food color pop. You can use color to do the same thing, if it is well chosen and the proper hue, as in the above image.

This is an intense color palette, but both food and prop elements stay within the same color families to unify the shot and still make it comfortable to look at despite all the patterns of food and props.



Photographer: Jennifer Marx

Form, shape, space: the shapes of the props are very clean and simple, a great contrast to the organic forms in the salad. The position of the fork is dramatic, but works because of the weight of the marble plate.




Photographer: Stephen Hamilton


Texture: the photographer and I wanted to play up the spiciness of this Bloody Mary. There is a layering of coarse texture in the pepper, wood cutting board and background, and the linen towel.




Photographer: Michael Maes


Line: the pan and knife both have very strong straight lines, which provide visual contrast to the softer lines of the tart and rolled parchment paper.



Photographer: Stephen Hamilton


Movement:We shot this dough a few different ways, with and without the linen. The design element changes from shape to movement with the addition of the fabric, and it becomes a more dynamic image.



Photographer: Stephen Hamilton


Balance: Even though the upper portion of the photo has more propping, the image feels well balanced. This is due in part to the strong line of the cutting board, and the shadow that breaks up the negative space.




Photographer: Stephen Hamilton

Proportion and scale: the bite size brownies below maintain their sense of scale because I've chosen props of standard proportions. Had I put them on a tiny plate with a small spoon and cup, the small size would not be evident.



Photographer: Tate Hunt for Studioside/Publications International

Pattern: the embossed repetitive lines of the pie pan create a framework for the focal point of the shot, the spoon and berries.



Photographer: Justin B. Paris

Truthfully, it is rare that I consciously think about the elements of design. I have learned to trust my eye and can usually feel when something is working, or when something is not quite right. Selecting the images for this post reminded me of how I draw on these principals every day. They are to essential to prop selection, styling and composition and the foundation to keeping the focus on the food. Learn them, and they will serve you well!

Paula