How to Pick the Best Props for Your Instagram Theme
Instagram is the perfect place for growing your visual brand and building a consistent connection between your followers and yourself. Since Instagram is visually focused, it is important to create clean and consistent brand imagery for your followers to fall in love with. When shooting your own brand photography, it can be difficult to determine what subjects and objects you should be shooting. Props, backgrounds, and subjects can vary based on your niche. I created this guide as reference for the perfect props, backdrops, and subjects for your Instagram theme. Download your Free MoodBoard Templates at the bottom of the post, to help you brand your Instagram.
Fashion, Beauty, & Lifestyle
Shot List
Portraits - Full body outfit portraits & Selfies (to show off makeup or hairstyle)
Flat Lay & Still Life - products, clothes, electronics, accessories
Environmental - to show retail store, home, trendy settings
Aesthetic & Colors
Sophisticated - black & white, gold
Bold and Edgy - Red, Black, White, Hot Pink, shiny
Feminine and Youthful - Pastel colors
Youthful - Vibrant colors
Grunge and Goth - Black, dark reds, and purples, gray, textured, gaudy
Background & Backdrop
Solid colors - Walls, seamless paper, cardstock, table/desktop and poster board
Flooring - Wood, marble, and carpet
Trendy environments - Walls covered with gallery styled wall art, urban interiors, offices, workspace, coffee shops, retail store interiors and exteriors, urban environments
Props
Trendy clothes and accessories. I see sunglasses and fashion bags are very popular.
Beauty and hair products - makeup, bath products, nail polish (Just make sure everything has nice packaging and looks new)
Fashion magazines, books, planners, notebooks
Food - Coffee, chocolates, and bottled drinks
Electronics - Cell phones, computers, laptops, tablets
Electronic accessories - Cell phone covers, laptop covers
Plants - Flowers and fake leaves (check out Ikea and dollar stores)
Photography, Design, Illustration, & Technology
Shot List
Environmental - studios, workspace, desktops, office environment, coffee shops, coworking spaces
Flat Lays - Equipment, drafting materials, stationery, small electronics
Portraits - Of you working on things, shots with you using products or things related to your brand, environmental portrait
Photo & Design Work - Work In Progress (WIP) shots, finalized work, screenshots of software programs & coding, drafts
Aesthetic & Colors
Feminine - Soft, clean, light colors
Modern - Black, white, cool tones, desaturated colors, high contrast
Urban - brownish tones, warm, rustic, saturated tones with matte blacks
Illustration style - colorful, vibrant, clean, bold
Backgrounds & Backdrops
Solid Colors - walls, seamless paper, cardstock, table/desktop and poster board
Flooring & Tabletops - wood, marble, solid, carpet, stone
Environments - Workspace/desk, Coffee shops, Coworking spaces, workplaces, workshops, networking events, interior
Props
Equipment - cameras, camera & video equipment and accessories, computers, graphics tablets (Wacom)
Materials - sketchbooks, drafting paper, notebooks, pens and pencils
Design/Creative Magazines and books
Misc - Food, coffee, watches, stationary
Travel, Outdoor, Urban & Nature
Shot List
Environmental - locations, landscape, underwater shots, interiors, architecture
Flat Lays - travel stuff, food, and souveniers
Portraits - Of yourself, people you travel with, locals and natives
Aesthetic & Color Palettes
Urban - brown, deep green, saturated colors with matte blacks
Classic - clean colors, black & white shots (avoid stylistic filters focus on accurate color correction and contrast), HDR
Modern - black & white, desaturated colors, minimalistic
Happy & Feminine - Vibrant colors, soft tones, bright images with light contrast
Natural Environments - Landscapes, waterscapes, woodlands, mountains
Tourist Attractions - Museums, Historical Buildings, Street Photography, Shops and Restaurants, Hotel, Interiors and Architecture
Backgrounds & Backdrops
Backdrops - Maps, Bedding, Tabletops, Wood, Carpet, Marble
Props
Travel stuff - luggage, maps, bags, clothes, hiking gear, tickets, passport
Souvenir items
Food - Cultural foods, snacks
Camera & Video Equipment - cameras, tripods, lenses, and accessories
Electronics - Laptops, cell phones, tablets, earphones
Arts, Crafts, Sculpture & DIY
Shot List
Think Martha Stewart haha :P
Portraits - Playful selfies and portraits, working portraits, portraits with your crafts or people using them
Environmental - studios, workspaces, woodshops, workshops, craft stores, and booths
Craftworks - WIPs, finished work, product shots, sketches and artwork
Flat Lays - materials, tools, products
Aesthetic & Color Palettes
Feminine - soft, clean, light colors
Industrial - brownish warm tones, metallics,
Youthful/Child-like - vibrant and colorful
Backgrounds & Backdrops
Solid & Textured - walls, seamless paper, cardstock, tabletops
Wood and metal flooring and table tops
Craft papers, art papers, handmade papers
Art tables (with tool marks on them or paint marks)
Props
Craft materials - tools, paintbrushes, sculpting tools, sewing materials, yarn, beads, glitter
Arts & Crafts books, sketchbooks, art papers, planners, stationary
Finished work - sculptures, crafts, handmade goods, paintings, jewelry, candles, etc.
Parenting, Maternity, & Childcare/Child Education
Shot List
Portraits - maternity, family, baby
Environmental - nursery, baby/kids bedrooms, outdoors, playground, classroom
Flat Lays & Still Life - Baby & maternity clothes and stuff, toys, etc.
Aesthetic & Color Palettes
Baby - soft, clean, pastel colors
Kids - Vibrant, bold colors, multicolored
Maternity - soft, warm or cool tones, clean, deep tones
Backgrounds & Backdrops
Solid - walls, seamless paper, cardstock, blankets
Flooring & Table Tops - wood, marble, solid, carpet, craft tables
Props
Maternity stuff
Baby stuff - bottles, teething rings, clothes, pacifiers
Celebration - balloons, cards, presents
Toys & Recreation - bubbles, flowers, stuffed animals, glitter
Food & Cooking
Shot List
Portraits - Cooking shots, environmental shots with finished food, eating shots
Environmental - Kitchen, Restaurants, Dining rooms
Flat Lays & Still Life - Food, ingredients, cookware
Aesthetic & Color Palettes
Modern Chef - Clean tones, bold or minimal style
Bakery - warm tones, vibrant contrast or matted blacks
Sweets - soft and colorful, pastel
Healthy/Vegan - vibrant greens, clean color correction, and contrast
Food Blogger - urban tones or vibrant tones
Backgrounds & Backdrops
Table tops - wood, stone, metallic, granite/marble,
Props
Food & ingredients
Cookware and dishware
Small appliances
Napkins, kitchen towels, placemats, foils and cooking paper
Candles
Garnish, sprinkles, plants
Fake foods and fruits
Fitness & Wellness
Portraits - Gym environmental shots, selfies in fitness clothes, progress shots, action shots
Environmental - Gym, Field, Park, Fitness stores, Smoothie shops, Healthfood stores & restaurants
Flat Lay & Stills - Gym clothes & workout equipment
Aesthetic & Color Palette
Urban Athlete - Deep tones, matte blacks, warm colors, black & white
Clean Eater - Vibrant, clean tones, bright, neutral tones,
Motivator - Bold, mostly desaturated with punched skin tones, high contrast, high clarity for muscle tone emphasis
Background & Backdrops
Gym floors
Grass & gravel
Flooring - Concrete, wood, tile, carpet
Bedding & towels
Props
Clothes - sportswear, tennis shoes, sports bras, swimwear
Electronics - phone, tablet, step trackers, fitness apps, and gadgets, earphones
Food - healthy & clean foods, snacks, energy drinks, bottles, protein bars, shakes, smoothies
Accessories - armbands, socks, headbands, towels etc
Equipment - weightlifting, weights, tires, jump ropes, bands
Fitness books, magazines, food journals/guides, fitness journals/guides, printed schedules
Motivational signage, stationary, motivational phrases are written on dry erase boards or notebooks
Business, Startup, & Entrepreneur
Shot List
Portraits - Professional portraits, selfies related to profession, meetings, team group portraits, portraits of people working
Environmental - Office, Workplace, Workspace/Desk, Coworking place, Networking events, Coffee shops,
Flat Lay & Still Life - Branding materials, Office supplies & materials, stationary
Aesthetic & Palette
Urban startup - deep tones, matte blacks, warm tones, textured
Motivational Startup - Bold vibrant colors, clean branding
Corporate - Black, white, silver, pale blue, desaturated, cool tones, minimalistic
Backgrounds & Backdrops
Table tops - Desktops, wooden tables, marble
Solid - Seamless paper, walls
Props
Office Supplies - pens, notebooks, portfolios, planners, stationery, printing papers
Brand Materials
Electronics - Computers, Laptops, Phones, Tablets
Printouts & notes