If you’re thinking of taking some personal brand photos for your business then one thing you need to be considering is what props you could include in your photos.
Don’t panic though, when I say props I just mean things you can hold and interact with, or have near you in the photos to tell a bit more of your story.
So think about including things that you use most days as part of your work, like a yoga mat or blocks if you’re a yoga teacher, and things that reflect a bit about who you are as a person, like a green juice if you’re a health nut or a copy of your favourite book.
The kind of props I would use in my own brand photos include my camera, my laptop, my favourite coffee mugs, and brightly coloured notebooks.
If you’re still not sure on the benefit of including props in your brand photos then here are 3 reasons that might convince you:
1. They give you something to do with your hands
It’s completely normal to feel a bit awkward and stiff in front of the camera, especially for the first few photos.
So having a prop like a coffee cup, your laptop, or your phone to hold is brilliant for giving you something to do with your hands.
And holding something familiar has a strange way of helping you feel more relaxed, so your posing relaxes too and you can get some really lovely, natural photos.
2. They give you more variety in your photos
Adding a few different props to your photo session means you can get a bigger variety of images that you can then use across your website and on your social media pages.
When they’re meaningful to you and what you do, you don’t even really need to be in all the photos with the props! You can crop closely to your hands holding them, use them in flatlays, and take close-up lifestyle images of them.
These kinds of photos can be great for social media in particular, overlaid with text to share something about your business.
3. They can help tell your story.
Adding tools that you use in your work, products you sell, and things you love, in your brand photos can really help to tell the story of who you are and what you do.
If you’re a florist, for example, and your brand photos include lots of gorgeous bouquets, pretty ribbons, and stunning single blooms, then it’s immediately clear to anyone who sees them that you’re someone who knows a lot about what they do!
The more personal items like mugs and books can tell more of the story of who you are a person, which helps potential clients and customers build that know, like, trust factor that you need to grow your business.
So before you get in front of the camera spend some time thinking about what it is you want your photos to say about you and your small business, and pick out some props that will help with that.
And consider having a few different types of props to change up the types of photos you get. So you could include your laptop and notebooks in some pictures for a more businessy feel, and then swap them out for a drink, a cupcake, or a fun scarf or hat that you can just have some fun with.
Just make sure whatever you chose feels authentic to who you are and what your business is.
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