A Closer Look at Photography: To Prop or Not To Prop, That is THE Question

Hello friends and welcome back to my monthly post for Seth Apter’s Creative Team on the topic of Art and Photography.  Today I am focusing on the subject of “To Prop or Not to Prop”, surely an interesting discussion by novices and professionals alike.  Although my skill set is located somewhere in the middle of both, I definitely have my own thoughts on the subject and will be exploring it closer here.  If you have not read my first photography article, I highly recommend going here.  (It’s the StencilGirl Talk website). It’s a beginners course for learning the ins and outs of taking nice, clear photos without requiring an in depth course of study, countless purchases (no fancy cameras) and over the top terminology and application.  Basically, I  broke it down into laymen’s terms so that you are able to accomplish what you need and are able to pursue that which engages you most, namely, your passion.    

So what are props and what are they used for?  When and where should we use them? When is too much?  Too little?  How do they work with the product being featured?  Lots of questions and again, lots of opinions on the subject.  Here are mine…

Let’s first discuss what are props. For this post today, we will direct this towards art projects.  Props are simply objects that lift up, support, enhance or give light to the featured work. Props are not the leading element and that statement alone is key.  Good props can tell a story about the project and can be vital to getting the message across.  For example, laying out an art substrate that has stencils and paint in it, can be enhanced with the actual stencils and paint being placed on or behind the art. This not only tells how the project was created but can also be a selling point for a particular product. (You will need to decide what your goal is.)

Another example is that of ephemera used in an art piece.  Choosing to use some old books, pages and materials lets the viewer see where and how the project was designed.

The color generated by props should and could be a consideration as well. Sometimes a muted prop is a perfect compliment to an art object with contrasting colors. Below I took a pic of my art in a bed of copper leaves.  Super basic background, definitely contrasting, but it lent itself to the art piece, not by the materials, but by colors, and the leaves just happened to work with the bird. That was by pure luck. 

 If any prop outshines the lead, it needs to be removed or be placed in an obscure place.  If several props generate more attention than the featured artwork, they need to be changed. And if you simply can’t decide, less or none is actually best. Just make sure there is adequate lighting and a clear picture. Those two are imperative and should never be sacrificed. Here are two examples of pretty plain backgrounds with very few props. I wanted people to see the art, not the decor. Ya’ll this first one is a piece of worn out muslin! Cheap, it was in my own stash and I threw it all up on a piece of black poster board. This was probably my favorite photo that year. Project went to a sweet new friend, Bee Shay, for Seth Apter‘s Book Collab.

My art station with my art substrate center stage.

A great way to take a nice photo is to GET CLOSE, or a take a “tight shot” as it’s called. Nothing like sinking deep into the heart of your art! Props may get cut out. That is fine! Ironically, this piece of paper is 2″ x 2″ but it sure looks bigger in this tight shot.

Oh and another great way to use props are if they are actually the process by which something is made. This was my shibori vat. YUMMMM.

So now that I have shown a few pictures of different ways to use props, let’s look at what kind of props there are. I took a picture of some of my favorite props that can be used to elevate your artwork. Not all will work. Not all are necessary.  Sometimes, and often times, less is best.  But there are times when adding a few items can make a difference, like I mentioned above.  Eventually you will have your own choice of props that work with your own style of art.

Some props for consideration: (These are for art projects in particular.)

Notice I have a lot of neutrals. That is because a lot of my mixed media work is in this range. If you check my instagram, you will see I use markers, inks, flowers, cardstock, etc. to bring out things that are bright.

Background Itself- Discussed in November’s post- Here

Paintbrushes

Organic Elements-Leaves, Regular and Dried Flowers, Plants

Fabrics-Sheer and solid, light patterns or solids

Books-Worn or New

Products used in the art project, ie., stencils, paint, stamps, die-cuts, ink, etc.

Thread

Ribbons

Scissors

Baskets

Pots

Candles

Boxes

Printer’s Tray

Photos

Wood slices

Plates

Rusty, Vintage Items

And, the list goes on!

So, what’s next? It’s all up to you. It’s homework time!

Start hunting for those things in your house that can work. It’s great to purchase some things but so often times, it’s right in your own work space. You all remember this project I created after my trip to the Flower Mart? I tried setting up a shoot with different props and it just wasn’t working. Finally, I tossed this onto my coffee table display, that has been there for like months btw, and WOW! So there’s that!

If you have lots of smalls next to your work, you may want to shoot closer so that the objects don’t look like accidental items left on your table. Again, that tighter shot works best.

Practice. Biggest tip I can give you. Take a picture. See what’s drawing your eye. If it’s not your art or if your eye is not moving entirely around the body of work, it’s time to rework it. It won’t take long to discover how little it takes to make it all come together.

Hope I left you with some tips and tricks to better photography. Can’t wait to see and hear what you have discovered!

Supplies vary for the projects above but I do have my favorites:

PaperArtsy Paints, StencilGirl® Stencils, Seth Apter Products (StencilGirl Stencils, IO Stamps, PaperArtsy Stamps), Ephemera, Distress and Oxide Inks by Tim Holtz for Ranger,