In addition to designing and printing just about all the products in the exit343design shop, I also photograph them all as well! This is both a blessing and a curse; it allows me to flex my photography muscle and stay sharp with this hobby, but it can be very time consuming as well.

But, now that I’ve been doing it for a few years, I have a semblance of a system down. I batch my shoots, which is fancy for saying that I save a pile of products to photograph all in the same session. I have also amassed a growing pool of props to pull from to create interest in my photos. It’s tough to make a photo of a flat greeting card visually interesting over and over, so I’m always trying new configurations each session. Which leads me to today’s post, where I thought I would share some of my favorite props to add some flavor to my flat lay photographs. Do you have a favorite prop? Share it in the comments below!

1.FOOD

Use snacks from your house or check out your local dollar store for bulk deals.

2. PLANTS

I like buy a bouquet of local flowers the day before the shoot so I can enjoy them afterwards.

3. SCRAPBOOK PAPER

Your local craft store will carry 12” x 12” paper pads with many different designs.

4. STAMPS

It’s easy to find vintage stamps on ebay or Etsy. Or, go all in like I did by buying a collection off of Craigslist!

5. THE CARD ITSELF

Arrange multiples of the card or envelopes to fill the frame in interesting ways.

If you need some basic photography supplies for photographing your own flat lays, check out these recommended products! I use the Bell & Howell light bars with every session I do. Disclaimer: if you purchase from these links, I do receive a small amount of compensation.