Photo Styling Tips for Creatives
Styling a photo in an aesthetically pleasing way is an important aspect of product photography. A product can be captured with beautiful light and in a stunning scene, but the presentation can fall short if the styling isn’t done correctly. Below, we’ve listed our five tips for styling an image in a creative way. And don’t forget to download our free photo styling worksheet (grab it at the bottom of this post).
1. Choose a Coordinating Color Palette
Whether you are styling images for your Instagram feed, getting some detail shots at a wedding, or putting together a product photo for your Etsy listing, it’s important for your images to have a cohesive color palette. Coordinating your image’s colors with your brand’s color palette will instantly take your images to the next level. Keep your props, backdrops and products in a consistent color scheme.
- Add Texture
Adding texture is a great way to create visual interest to your image. Instead of using props and products that all have smooth surfaces, try adding fabrics, textured papers, or props with an interesting material to boost your photo’s appeal.
- Use Shapes
A fun way to play up the interest in your styled photo is to utilize shapes. You can do this in a number of ways. For one, you can add props that are all the same shape, but different sizes. For example, the image below has been styled with round plates and bowls of varying sizes. You can also play up different shapes, by using two or three varying shapes.
- Layer Props
Another way to add dimension and visual interest to a styled image is by layering your props and products. Instead of including a single notebook, stack a few books and notepads that fit your color palette. You can do this with any of your props: plates, notebooks, fabrics, blankets, flowers, frames, papers, etc.
- Style with Odd Numbers
This is one of the best pro tips out there. Style images with 3, 5, or 7+ props. For some reason, images typically look best with an odd number of items. Square images look best with 3 major items, while a horizontal or vertical image benefits from 5 or 7 items.
Learning to style images in a more visually pleasing way is easy, once you know what rules to follow, and which to break. To style more visually appealing images, download our photo styling worksheet by entering your email address below.
FREE PHOTO BRANDING WORKSHEETS
Download these free, printable worksheets to help you brainstorm your perfect branding photo session. Two files are included: one moldboard woksheet and one questionnaire. Print one for each photo project!
