It’s not a secret but I LOVE prop sourcing. I enjoy the hours spent going down the rabbit hole of Pinterest and Instagram to find the niche propping for shoots. And of course if I had an unlimited budget and unlimited space, at this point I’d have my own prop house. Here are some of my favorite tips to the trade.

1) Set up a Pinterest account and create mood boards for propping. Pinterest is no longer just for planning a DIY wedding, it has positioned itself to be an ecommerce platform with many brands now using the platform as their largest sales generator. When using the app, you can also use Pinterest lens, an AI tool that allows you to snap a pic and search for the item on Pinterest.

2) Expensive propping is a long term investment. Look, I get it. Shelling out $50 for a single plate is a tough pill to swallow. But what you get in return is usually a piece that is better quality and more bespoke. Propping makes all the difference in a photo and those unique pieces are usually what helps photos stand out. Don’t get me wrong a bargain find is amazing, but what I’m trying to say is that there is a place for the $80 set of napkins too. This really comes into play with flatware as entire sets can get expensive really quickly. I suggest investing is a good basic set, then purchasing the more bespoke pieces individually to round out your collection.

3) What propping do you really need? Propping for food is hard because what you are shooting can vary so much in size, color and even culturally. The most used dinnerware in my collection are smaller plates (usually side plate sizes), pinch bowls, appetizer plates, blates (my personal favorite), small coupe bowls and soup bowls. I rarely use casserole dishes or platters, but I have basics in my collection that I can pull when needed.

To round out your budding collection, source basic linens and napkins, basic flatware and basic drinkware. I tend to start basic in these categories as they are often the supporting characters in the scene and I’d rather my money go to the hero pieces where the food is plates. 

4) The toolkit. So you have props but what else do you need? I suggest having a toolkit consisting of putty, was, museum gel, matte spray, plastic shims, fishing line, floral tape, gaff tape, foam wedges (the kind you use for makeup) and an array of risers. These are the basics that I use most often in my toolkit for propping. 

5) My favorite prop sources.

My favorites include: Anthropolgie, Crate & Barrel, CB2, Cost Plus World Market, Sabre, MTC Kitchen