Styling your model shoot, use what you have

This article was translated from Dutch with the help of AI. Read the original.

When I started with model photography, everything was fun. A model in front of the camera was already enough, and the background? Well, a paper roll in a nice colour.

But you soon get tired of the colour. At first, this is still manageable. Every new colour gives you new inspiration, but believe me, there usually comes a moment when you think: 'Goodness, I'd like to try something different.' So where do you look?

Of course, you can look online at specialist companies for props and photography accessories, but you soon discover that it is all incredibly expensive. And if you soon get tired of paper, you will certainly get tired of a recognisable prop just as quickly.

Look, a background is essentially... well... a background. It does not really take part in the photo. Mind you, a background can and will absolutely influence the look of the photo, but in fact it is a fairly forgiving element of the session. An accessory is not.

Think of a tennis racket, for example. If you used that in every photo... Pfff, it would get very boring very quickly. So how do you solve that?

Well, it is actually quite simple. Do not spend any money.

Sounds crazy, doesn't it?

But it really is that easy. You have no idea how many different accessories we already have in our own homes. In this article, I will show you a few examples of photos I made in the past that use rather unusual but very common accessories.

First, the pallet.

At the time, we still had a computer shop. Naturally, lots of pallets of goods came in. So one time we took a pallet, put the model behind it and...

It did not work at all.

But when I put my size 48 against the pallet to break it, things got better. The model behind it and shouting... Voila, that was better.

Total cost: 0 euros

But an animal crate can work too.

If you do not have one yourself, you probably know someone with dogs. I would recommend borrowing a crate from a slightly larger breed. I know few models who would fit comfortably in a dachshund's crate...

On the other hand... It could be fun
Play around a little with expression and something fun is bound to come out of it.

Total cost: 0 euros

Do not panic if you do not have any of this.

You probably still have some wallpaper rolls somewhere?
Or wrapping paper, or... fill in the blank. You can actually make something fun out of almost anything.

Here, Nadine has been working with very cheap materials. Because of the combination of colours and the background, I have to admit that I am quite charmed by the result.

Total cost: 0 euros
Time, knowing Nadine: Quite a lot

Conclusion

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