Throughout my blog, you may notice I mention how much I enjoy using props. I’ve been collecting objects to use in photoshoots or still lives for nearly three years. Always on the lookout for elements to spark my imagination, my favorites props have a vintage feel and simple design. I think they deliver a poetic layer to any picture that’s really cool!

I was excited to find this vintage plane model in a Goodwill store. It’s perhaps one of the coolest things I’ve found in recent months, so as soon as I was set to meet with Natasha for a casual portrait session (minding social distancing), I didn’t hesitate to bring it along with my camera gear. I like how that vintage plane resonates with the idea of freedom and grounding.

How I choose to use any given prop determines its position in the frame. Filling the frame with a face always makes an interesting picture, and to add a small object certainly brings a different depth to that type of image, so with that in mind, I decided to include this carousel in my bag of props when I recognized it could add balance to a close-up portrait.

Coincidentally, on a later trip to that same Goodwill store days before my shoot with Natasha, I found yet another airplane model, a modern jumbo jet, and so I brought it along for this photo shoot which completes my entire set of props for this shoot. I love the geometric shape it creates in black and white when seen from beneath, and with that in consideration, I photographed Natasha from below eye level and set some visual tension.

Before meeting with Natasha I provided reference pictures of the props I intended to bring with me, and that helped her with her styling decisions. Photoshoots are always best when there’s a clear understanding from the start. Props give any image a touch of storytelling and meaning to the end product. When using props I feel I’m not only building an image but bringing life to a dream.