Summer is the perfect time to refresh your brand visuals with bright, seasonal content, but that doesn't mean your photoshoots need to generate unnecessary waste. Whether you're shooting product photos, your own DIY Branding photos, lifestyle images, or behind the scenes content, the props you choose say a lot about your brand values and who you're attracting. Incorporating sustainable, reusable or upcycled props is a powerful way to align your visuals with your mission. Below, you’ll find creative, brand friendly summer prop ideas that are seasonal, reusable - often free as you'll already have them, or supporting small local businesses so you can tell your story, showcase your products and keep from adding to landfill.
- Shells- so versatile, adds texture and a connection to nature
- Gorgeously juicy local fruit overflowing in a beautiful bowl - add it to ice cold water in a decanter, too
- Sunglasses - either on you, easy to fiddle with or have on the table next to you, or within your product photo to build that connection to summer and brighter days.
- Seasonal flowers - flowers within any photograph is so useful, it's such a connection prop. They also tell so much about the style of your brand too - choose a formal display, a small jam jar posy or arrange greenery. Why not visit your local flower farm and pick your own, such a lovely summer activity.
- Palm shaped leaves ( create beautiful shadows across your products or over your face for a creative summer photo)
- Your favourite summer cocktail/ mocktail and present in a fun or beautiful glass you have.
- Ice lolly or ice cream, like you need an excuse to buy one of these on the hot days!
- A beach bag, again as an accessory on you which you can create movement within your photo or to create a scene for your product, spilling out with your summer essentials
- A beach towel - are you an iconic stripe, fun fruity design or a classic clean white type? (All these things are telling your personality whether you think it or not!)
- Sun umbrellas, they can be a useful prop to frame a photograph, covering part of the image to create intrigue.
- A picnic basket, nothing says British summer like a good picnic basket. You could create a beautiful scene with friends or your product may lend itself to a picnic scene.
- Seasonal cook or preserve book, food and eating is such an emotive subject and will bring up feelings for all and these lovely traditional books that lend themselves to the season is a great way to subtly add in appropriate props.
- Wicker hat, much like the umbrella, it's a great prop to use to frame your face with a large wicker hat. Alternatively laid on your picnic basket or beach towel with other summer essentials to create a lovely scene.
- Old photographs and film camera to capture nostalgia.
Choosing props carefully
Props speak just as much about your brand as the words you accompany with the photos. This Ikebana style floral display translator symbolic, simple but powerful. A bountiful display bursting with different flowers, foliage and textures would portray a completely different feel to a photograph. Just grabbing a shop bought bouquet may seem the easy option, but it can be damaging to your brand identity and the audience you attract.
