I made similar posts for Winter and Spring. Now that Summer is upon us, it’s time to make a list of props that are perfect for this season.
If you like to theme your posts around the seasons and are looking for ideas for props, here’s some inspriation for you. I hope this helps you transition your feed along with the seasons!
Clothing
Using bright colors, floral fabrics, and striped patterns are perfect for summer. Try incorporating some of these into your pictures! Or, wear them if you’re going to be in the picture.
Sundresses
Sundresses are a summer staple and would look nice in the background on a flatlay.
Flip-flops
If you’re taking pictures outside, place your books alongside your favorite pair of sandals on the grass or at the beach for a perfect summer setting.
Jewelry
Am I the only one that wears more jewelry once it’s warm again? You can drape some of your favorite pieces over your books.
Swimsuits
You can drape this in the background as well to set the scene of a summer day.
Sunglasses
An essential for reading outside!
Tote Bag
Use your beach bag as a part of your picture and set the scene – all of your beach day essentials (including your book) spilling out of your bag!
Around the House
If you’re reading this in 2020 when it was posted, you may or may not be able to leave the house due to quarantine. For the most part, the props I use are things I already have in my house. So let’s take a look around and see what we can find!
Fake Flowers
They’re a year-round staple for many Bookstagrammers, and if you don’t have any yourself, you can usually get bunches for as little as less than a dollar each. You can opt for brighter colors and take advantage of the bright green in the leaves as easy decorations for your pictures. You can never go wrong with flowers!
Indoor Plants and Flowers
If you have lots of plants indoors (real or not), try using them as props! I have some fake succulents that I like to place in my pictures every now and then.
Candles
We might be using candles less this time of year (unless it’s citronella candles for mosquitoes), but they’re still a good prop! Try using some brighter colors this time of year.
String Lights
String lights are good year round – use them in summer pictures too!
Lanterns
This might be an indoor and outdoor thing, but if you have those indoor decorative laterns, try using them in your pictures too!
Nautical Decor
I feel like this theme is pretty popular in a lot of people’s homes, so you may already have this stuff. If not, it’s fairly easy to find some inexpensive pieces. I’ve even seen some in dollar stores (which will be smaller, but still good for pictures).
The Great Outdoors
Now that it’s warm out, there’s so much that can be done with outdoor photos. So take advantage!
Outdoor Flowers
While much of Spring’s blooms are gone, there are still lots of summer blooms, and depending on where you live, the leaves may be vibrant and green!
Flower Petals
While we’re at it, take some flower petals! This morning while taking pictures I took some dried, fallen rose petals and used them to fill some whitespace. Cheap, easy, and if you can’t find any, you can always buy fake petals.
Grass
Yeah, grass! Use this as a backdrop or a prop (maybe you have cat grass you’re growing as a prop, idk) and combine with other props to set a scene.
Picnic Blanket / Beach Towel
Use these to create a picnic/beach setting. It’s the summer alternative to using blankets (or if you’re like me and am just using blankets as props year-round).
Sports Equipment
I used to play lots of badminton and wiffleball in the yard as a kid (and wiffleball “tournaments” are still a thing when we have parties), so if you use these things often, have them around in the background of your pictures.
Beach Ball
You can stage some pool time even if you don’t have a pool. Combine this with a beach towel and flip-flops to create the illusion of poolside reading time.
Sidewalk Chalk
With the combination of your own artwork and other props this could make for a really unique picture!
Rocks
I will say this in every post and I’ll say it again – rocks rock! Whether you buy some filler from the store, collect a few from the garden, or paint them, they’re a great way to fill negative space. I got some from the beach gift shop from when I was a kid. They come in so many different colors and they’re a great way to fill out whitespace in pictures.
Seashells
If you have a collection, big or small, these are perfect summer decorations. You can also use this as an opportunity to show off other cool finds if you’ve been to the beach. Have you found shark’s teeth along the shores too? Show them off! And if you don’t live near the shores, the craft store should have it covered.
Trees
The trees are so green this time of year – try nestling a book between branches or create a flatlay with some leaves poking in from a nearby branch.
In the Garden
Similar to laying books on the grass, if you have a garden path with stepping stones, you could lay a book (or many books) on one of the stones, and let your garden prettify your pictures for you.
Outdoor Furniture
If you have a porch or outdoor seating area, this is a perfect spot for pictures. Rest a book on the table with some iced tea, sunglasses, and other outdoor essentials around it. Or your can rest the book on your deck and put some outdoor items around that. If you have outdoor seating, rest the book on that and surround it with some cushions.
Other Tips
Change Your Filter
If you don’t want to change the props you’re using, consider changing the filter you use. You’ll still be able to use the same props, but at the same time get different results. Right now I’m using a filter that emphasizes the yellows and greens in my picture to make it brighter and more whimsical.
Emphasize Certain Colors Over Others
If your theme consists of multiple colors, try emphasizing the one(s) that are better associated with the summer season. I still have gray in my background, but I’m using more of my brighter props that I already have, for example.
Lighting, Lighting, Lighting
While good lighting is always helpful, getting more natural light in your photos and taking outdoor photos will help transition your photos this season. While I always try to get natural lighting, in Winter that wasn’t always possible no matter how close to the window I got. But this season, there’s more odds for brighter, longer days, so take advantage!
Use Relevant Books as Props
There are lots of books about the summer season. There are also lots of bright-colored books (especially if you read contemporary books often). If you have these books in your collection, consider using more of these in your summer pictures. You can also use this as an opportunity to discuss your summer reading recommendations!
That’s all of my suggestions for Summer. Do you like to change up your spreads each season, or do you keep to one theme year-round? Let me know! 🖤
