Portrait Photography How To

One of the challenges with portrait photography, if you’re not a pro with a budget, is coming up with eye-catching props to dress a set. In the fun video below, three serious shooters each give themselves a $5 budget at the Dollar Store to make their photos more interesting.

The three bargain-hunting photographers in this behind-the-scenes video are fashion pro Jessica Kobeissi and fellow portrait shooters Rachel Gulotta and Daniel Inskeep. You’ll watch their frenetic shopping spree, and then see them incorporate their bargain paraphernalia into nice images of pretty model Madeline Keating.

Among the cheap accouterments are ribbons, colorful glass jars, bubbles, a magnifying glass, wrapping paper, aluminum foil, a cheap tablecloth, and other items you may already have at home. Keating is eager for the shoot to begin, saying, “Props are a model’s best friend.”  While watching the portrait session, you’ll pick up several helpful tips on posing and composition.

You can find more helpful advice on the Mango Street YouTube channel, and in their earlier video with tips on photographing strangers on the street. And be sure look at another portrait challenge we shared, with Kobeissi and three friends shooting the same model with varying results.