The Wide World Of Prop Styling: An In-Depth Look at the Styles of Styling.
Edited by Giulietta Pinna
Photo by Kristin Teig, Assist by David Koung, Prop & Set Styling by Limonata Creative, Food Styling by Judi Orlick & Victoria Granof, Props & Surfaces from Prop Up Shop, For the World Central Kitchen Cookbook
Imagine you’re an architect, an airline pilot, or a tennis pro. You can head to a dinner party with confidence, knowing that when someone asks the inevitable “What do you do?,” conversation will flow. And you won’t be met with a head scratch, a blank stare or a barrage of questions to clarify.
Most people have never heard of “photo” or “prop styling”…It’s an obscure profession to, say the least.
Photo stylists don’t share this luxury. Most people have never heard of “photo” or “prop styling,” or they have a hard time believing that anyone can actually forge a living hunting down objects and arranging them for the camera. It’s an obscure profession, to say the least.
But despite how niche and narrow a field it may seem, photo styling has as many specialties, sub-categories, and titles as there are genres of photography. And many stylists do pick a lane (or two) and specialize.
A stylist may fall into a niche by design or by default. Some are crystal clear from the very start about wanting to work with cosmetics, accessories, food, or interiors. And for them, the path is simple. They find the right stylist to assist and work on building a portfolio to reflect the kind of work they want to pursue.
But for many the journey is a bit more accidental. Opportunity knocks and we follow. Relationships form, portfolios grow, and before we know it, we become known as the best at tying bows, arranging shoes, or making mandalas out of fruit.
Photography by Tom McCorkle / Prop Styling by Limonata Creative
Photo by Vivian Marie Doering / Styling by Limonata Creative
And while there’s a lot to be said for working within your comfort zone, some stylists do choose to mix it up, to change the focus, change the scale, and keep things interesting. Lipstick smears on Monday, an interiors shoot on Wednesday, a burger ad on Friday.
Let’s have a look at the different styles of styling.
FOOD AND TABLETOP STYLING
Photography by Kate Grewal / Food Styling by Culina Creative / AD, Prop & Set Styling by Limonata Creative / Wardrobe Styling by Danielle Wood / Studio & Props by Prop Up Shop
Photography by Kyle Dorosz / Food & Drink Styling by Emilie Fosnocht / AD, Prop & Set Styling by Limonata Creative / Wardrobe Styling by Danielle Wood / Props & Studio by Prop Up Shop
Instagram will tell you that food is big. And there seems to be an endless flow of work styling recipes and ingredients for cookbooks, blogs, and advertising. Some even say, it’s recession-proof. When times are tough, we stay home, make our own meals, and fuel the fire for more and more content about cooking and food.
To be clear, prop stylists working on food shoots generally do not shop for, cook, or style the actual food on set. Instead, they set the scene. They choose dish ware, glassware, flatware, surfaces, and backgrounds. Or in the case of a process shot, the equipment and tools for creating a recipe. Meanwhile, a food stylist prepares the food.
There are cases when a client may ask you if you’re comfortable working with food. This is often the case when raw ingredients are used to make a still life, and this can certainly fall in the domain of prop styling. A good rule of thumb is that if there is a recipe involved, it’s the job of a food stylist. If the food is decorative, used like an object, or shot in its natural state, it’s prop styling.
Food shoots are often shot in a studio. The crews tend to be smaller consisting of just the photography team, a food stylist, an art director, and client. There can be lots of downtime for the prop stylist as the food stylist works to cook and prepare everything. The most notable downside is that the sheer number of props needed can be staggering which means a LOT to pack and unpack—and most of it’s fragile.
INTERIOR STYLING
Photography Annie Schlechter / AD & Interior Styling Limonata Creative / Props Prop Up Shop
Interior shoots usually involve photographing a space that’s already been designed. Think: Architectural Digest or The World of Interiors. But aside from editorial work these shoots can be commissioned by architects, designers, hotels and real estate developers. And they do sometimes involve bringing in furniture to round out or finish a space.
An interiors stylist works closely with the photographer to find the best angle, then clean up, and finesse the space for each shot. Flowers, books, pillows, throws, and art are all in heavy rotation.
A major upside is the chance to see some spectacular homes and spaces. Travel is common as well.
DECORATING
Decorating shoots are a close cousin of interiors, but decorating shoots involve styling out a space from scratch. Magazines like Domino and Martha Stewart used to do these by building a studio set or going to a location, clearing out the existing decor, and refurnishing it to tell a story. Catalogues and furniture companies are also big sources of work for these types of stylists. Expect heavy lifting, trucks, and lots of little details to consider. The reward is lots of creative control.
Photography by Kyle Dorosz / Food & Drink Styling by Emilie Fosnocht / AD, Prop & Set Styling by Limonata Creative / Wardrobe Styling by Danielle Wood / Props & Studio by Prop Up Shop
ON FIGURE FASHION, WARDROBE AND LIFESTYLE STYLING
Another larger-scale genre is the on figure shoot. As the name implies an on figure shoot means that the product (or in the case of editorial, the subject of the story) is modeled by a person. On figure shoots can be conceptual or reality-based. The latter is called “lifestyle” and these shoots are often shot on location, indoors or out. Lifestyle props can range from simple everyday items like newspapers, phones, and coffee cups, to larger ones like cars, dogs, surfboards, or a giant bunch of balloons.
Conceptual shoots often involve designing and building a set.
On figure shoots have a much larger crew with hair and make up, wardrobe stylists, models, and management. There can be less focus on props, and when budgets are tight, creative directors and producers may find a way to work without a prop stylist or set designer.
SOFT GOODS STYLING
Soft goods stylists work their magic on clothing shot off of a model, as well as on bedding, towels, linens, and other fabric-based products. Think: a colorful stack of cashmere sweaters, a t-shirt shot from above with just the right amount of movement, a perfectly plumped pillow, or a throw draped lyrically on the edge of a chair.
A soft goods stylist travels light, bringing just a well edited kit to set, and they generally don’t have prep days. A lot of soft goods stylists work predominantly in e-comm and on catalog shoots. Steamers, irons, pins, batting, and a delicate touch are the tools of the trade.
ACCESSORIES
Fashion accessories command their own genre of still life photography. Bags, shoes, jewelry, watches, eyewear, and wallets are a major source of revenue for many top fashion brands and so budgets for these shoots can be generous and the work both lucrative and creative. Sometimes creative direction calls for a small set to be designed which can be conceptual or made to look like a small slice of reality, a poolside moment, restaurant table, or corner of a living room, for example. Other times the sets are simple, a solid piece of plexi or seamless. On set, in either case, the focus is on the product. And the stylist’s challenge is to make the product shine, finding the most compelling angle, and making sure all the details are perfectly placed and polished.
BEAUTY AND FRAGRANCE
Photography Kate Grewal / Styling Limonata Creative
Another highly commercial niche within the world of photo styling is beauty and fragrance. And because these images are often very macro, the work is precise and specialized. Cosmetics photography can involve shooting products in or outside of their packaging, and once a product is decanted, the work falls somewhere between art and science. Stylists use make up to paint swatches onto surfaces, craft the perfect bubbles on a bar of soap, or whip lotions into a perfect peak. Often times obscure ingredients are at play as many clients like to showcase the rare botanicals in their formulas. And yes, it’s the stylist’s job to find them.
The work can be high end, think Tom Ford Beauty, or mainstream, as in Dove, though the shoot budget may be as big (or bigger) for the drug store brands. Cosmetic stylists work with palette knives, spoons, brushes, glycerin, spray bottles, and an endless supply of paper towels to clean off surfaces, hands, and tools. Many stylists use acetate for their swatches which lets them practice and prepare without endlessly wiping down a surface, and it also allows them to use a more porous surface, like paper or limestone, as the background. These shoots often have a lean crew of just the photo team, a stylist, and stylist’s assistant.
STILL LIFE STYLING
Photography Kate Grewal / Styling Limonata Creative
This is a catch-all category for still lives that don’t fall into one of the above groups. These might be an arrangement of products for a market round-up or catalogue or something more conceptual, often to illustrate an idea.
These images can require a fair amount of rigging to make objects appear like they’re floating, precariously balanced or otherwise defying the laws of nature. And because the scale of these images is smaller, the selection of each individual prop is vital to the success of every shot. A delicate touch, a discriminating eye, patience, and a sense of whimsy are vital.
BOTANICALS AND FLORAL STYLING
Photography Matt Dandy / Interior & Floral Styling Limonata Creative / Interior Designer Jennifer Fisher
While most photo stylists regularly source and work with plants and flowers, some choose to specialize in this area and become known for both their artful arrangements and their ability to source and procure uncommon specimens such as fruit with their foliage intact.
While anyone can take a fresh bouquet and drop them in a vase with water a floral stylist approaches their craft much more like an artist. Their work is somewhat of a hybrid between painting and a sculpture. Selecting the right colors, shapes and how they all interact with each other and within a space is key. Having a wide selection of vessels, a full pale of water in a cool temperature location (to keep them fresh on shoot day). Adding specialty tools like floral frogs, clippers and wire will help elevate any stylists floral game.
KIDS
Lifestyle, decorating, craft, food, and even still life or beauty shoots that focus on kids and products for kids are a genre of their own as they require a certain kind of whimsy and a child-like sensibility. And since not everyone is comfortable working with child models, a kids shoot stylist can easily fall into this niche. Kids shoots are ripe for creativity and making kids art, cozy nooks, and pulling at the heart strings of parents everywhere is all part of the game.
CRAFT/PAPER
Some stylists make a living making things. These stylists generally work for magazines, blogs, or brands that create how to stories for crafters. But some also get hired to work on more conceptual shoots building intricate forms from paper or other materials. You can find some great examples of this kind of work in T Magazine’s series of T photos from the 00’s.
Armor For Stylists
Regardlessly where you land on the spectrum of styling we’ve found that having an iron clad contract that is tailored for the wide world of styling is key to protecting your buns and making sure you are being compensated fairly by your clients.
About our guest writer:
CINDY DIPRIMA MORISSE
Cindy DiPrima Morisse is a storyteller. She trades in pictures and words, styling images and language to inspire, inform and engage. She uncovers the essence, the beating heart and soul of her subject, then won’t stop short of finding the perfect word, the perfect phrase, the perfect prop to relay the beauty that lives there.
Cindy began her foray into storytelling in 1998 as a Senior Style Editor for Martha Stewart Living where she worked to create the visual content of the magazine. Interiors, flowers and food were a heavy focus and she was right at home.
Eager to apply her craft to a wider range of brands, Cindy left Martha Stewart in 2002 for the life of a freelance stylist. In this role, she’s collaborated with some of the greatest photographers and creative teams in the world to create images for magazines and ad campaigns alike.
In 2014, with a personal passion for wellbeing and a drive to build something bigger, Cindy co-founded CAP Beauty, an all natural beauty store and spa in New York City’s West Village. CAP was the first of its kind, blending truly natural products and the lifestyle that surrounds them with a modern sense of luxury and style. Cindy served as its creative director overseeing all of the writing, images and design for the brand. With her business partner, Kerrilynn Pamer, Cindy co-wrote her first book, High Vibrational Beauty: Recipes and Rituals for Radical Self Care (Penguin 2018).
When Cindy isn’t working, she’s a wife and mama, a health nut, yogi, runner, avid cook and gardener. She’s happiest planning dinner parties, hunting for furniture and seeking the sun.
To learn more about Cindy and view her work visit her site!
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XOXO,
