If you’ve never worked with a prop stylist before, you may be unsure about what they do and the value they can bring to your upcoming photoshoot. Prop stylists can be a major benefit to have on hand, not only on the shoot day, but in preparation for the shoot and after the shoot as well. There are so many pieces of planning that go into having the perfect food, lifestyle, or product photoshoot and a prop stylist can be a massive help!
What do prop stylists do?
Prop stylists create a story through the environment the product sits in to ensure the product looks its best throughout the shoot. For example, a prop stylist at a food shoot may bring along plates, linens, napkins, dinner ware, and cool textured surfaces to make it look like the plate full of food is sitting on an old wood dinner table instead of in a sterile studio.
For a lifestyle shoot, they would make sure all the elements in the photo match the brand so if it was a living room setting, they would ensure all the throw pillows correlated with the brand colors and style. Prop stylists might also help models pick from their own clothes they brought to set to best fit the shoot, brand voice, and audience. On a product shoot they would help create sets, source colored backgrounds that match the brand, and have lots of tools and tricks to make sure the product looks its best throughout the shoot day. Essentially, prop stylists help ensure the look throughout the shoot remains cohesive and on-brand for the client.
What is working with a prop stylist like?
When it comes to working with a prop stylist, you engage directly with them so they can learn more about the brand, brand voice, target audience, and more. They then create a mood board for the shoot to show the kinds of props that would fit the color story and create a list of props needed for the shoot. After the list is created and reviewed with the client, they source all the props! Prop stylists have a lot of avenues for getting different things that everyday people may have a challenge finding by engaging their network of contacts and utilizing prop houses, etc.
Once it’s all sourced, they pack and organize everything. They then show up on shoot day with all the props in-hand and ensure everything looks its best in tandem with the photographer and any other stylists on set that day, like a food stylist. After the shoot, they return any props that were rented and refund any money not used in the prop budget to the client.
Prop stylists truly take a lot of work off of your plate. There’s a lot that goes into planning what is needed for a shoot, sourcing it, organizing it, making sure it’s all there on shoot day, returning it, and so much more! I love working with prop stylists and I highly recommend it to any of my clients that can.
Here are two prop stylists that I love working with:
Missy Crawford
Missie Crawford is based in Birmingham, Alabama, but she travels to Atlanta for work! She has worked with popular Atlanta brands like Chic-Fil-A and Chicken Salad Chick. You can learn more about Missie and check out some of her work on her website!
Spin Style Agency
Spin Style Agency is a full service creative styling agency! They have a great selection of prop and wardrobe stylists that do great work.
If you have any questions about prop stylists, I’d be happy to help. Feel free to email me with any questions at angie@angie-webb.com. If you’d like to inquire about working together on an upcoming photoshoot, I’d love to assist! Fill out the form here and I’ll be in touch soon!