Styling a photoshoot: Paper Goods

By now we all know how important photos are when selling your work online but even so, it can be hard to know where to start when planning a photoshoot. After our look book, post a few readers wondered about how to style other products like paper goods + stationery. I decided to ask Bridgett from Perideau Designs to share some of her tips on how to style a product photoshoot.

Hi everyone! I’m so honored that Isa has invited to me visit! Today, she’s asked that I share a bit about styling your products for a photo shoot. She teed up this post two weeks ago talking about creating a look book which I believe is a terrific way to promote your products! But some of you may wonder what goes into styling a photo shoot?

First, let me preface that I am in no way an expert but after being in business for a little over two years I have tried and failed a few times. But without failure there is no success, right? Well here are 4 main points I keep in mind when styling my products.

1. Choose a color theme. It can be daunting trying to determine what props to use, where to shoot, etc…but if you have one main focus, everything else will come together. In my most recent shoot for my whale invitation suite, I chose teal because it worked well with the design and I knew it would give that extra pop in the pictures. I could play around with having the final images be bold or more muted and subtle. I straddled the line on that one as I’m pretty indecisive.

2. Work with what ya got. Now that you have your color(s) chosen, set out to find what you have around the house that is similar or contrasting. Remember, different shades of the same color work extremely well. Once you’ve exhausted your scavenger hunt around the house, set out to find inexpensive props to complement what you have. Less is more in this case.

Tip: Create a stunning backdrop by purchasing fabric from your local arts and crafts store. Keep the patterns to a minimum or choose a solid color.

3. Recreate the scene. What type of products are you selling? My whale invitation suite was designed for a children’s birthday party or a baby shower. Nevertheless, a party scene. So the props I chose are items you would use to decorate a party: milk bottles with coordinating straws, gift bags that I found in matching teal and the cookies. This was new for me but I was excited to try it out. The ladies over at Pink Cake Box nailed the design and their cookies are absolutely delicious to boot! I went this route to showcase that you can work with different types of artists to give your design a different spin.

4. Location. Location. Location. For all of my pictures I work with an all-white background to keep in line with my business aesthetic. You might choose an outside location or your kitchen. Wherever you choose keep the background “noise” to a minimum and stay true to your design style and purpose of your products. Lynda Lye of little odd forest uses different locations and makes it work. A variety can help but make sure they mesh well together.

The purpose of styling a shoot is to show your potential customers your products in a way they can visualize using them. You might just give them an idea they haven’t thought of which then leads to a sale. Win-win!

Thanks again Isa for letting me stop by! If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment. Cheers!