Creative Use of Props in Photography

Youngsters

• Many little girls love to dress up and give tea parties for their dolls. Drape a pastel or white tablecloth over a child-size table. Set the table with a pretty tea set and place a small arrangement of flowers in the center. Place three chairs at the table to accommodate the little girl and her entourage of teddy bears or dolls. Snap some cute shots of her entertaining her guests.

  Purchase wicker baskets for props in several different sizes, with and without handles. Baskets are a good prop for small babies and puppies. Select the appropriate colored blanket for a liner, and attach a bow to the handle. Remember to add something soft under the blanket for a cushion.

  Riding a hobby horse will always bring a smile to a child's face. Have a cowboy hat ready to top off a pair of jeans and a red bandanna.

  Wrap up three large boxes in brightly colored paper. Make three large letters from the alphabet and put one letter on each box. Stack the boxes in a triangle or one on top of the other. Place the young scholar in a chair beside the boxes and snap away.

  Large stuffed animals make a wonderful backdrop for children. Children love to be around animals and can be posed sitting between the animals or giving them a big hug.

Groups or Singles

• Arrange a family according to height in an open stairwell to get a uniform balance. This method works well for large families. Setting up a small child to look through the railings is another pose to consider. Add a pet to the picture if he will cooperate.

  Arrange several outdoor potted flowers around a bench. Drape a sheet over two small end tables and on the floor. Set two potted flowers on each side of the bench on the tables and two potted flowers in front of the tables. Flowers can be a rainbow of colors or all the same. A couple or a single person can be seated on the bench. A female would look pretty holding a parasol. The family pet can even take part in this picture.

  A bunch of helium-filled balloons is a festive backdrop for a family photo. Purchase several groups of balloons and have the people standing in the back row hold them. If the gathering is for a special occasion, then a few balloons could hint at the event being celebrated: Happy birthday, it's a boy or happy graduation, for example.