Last month, we featured an interview with the ever talented (and now famous, lol) Kelly Ryden! Keeping up with the enjoyment, and the prop insanity, we have another prop junkie and amazing photographer to share with you this month….
Many of us are flickr lovers, and follow the work of some amazing and so very talented photographers… and if your a prop lover (as we are), you are already familiar with the name of Beth Jansen. So enjoy these next few tasty tidbits directly from the speedily typing hands of Beth Jansen, and oogle at her uncompromising talents as a prop photographer….
Beth, how long have you been photographing professionally for, and what do you “shoot” with (Canon, Nikon, etc)?
I have been shooting professionally for 4 years, I shoot with a Canon 5D Mark II.
How often do you use props for your photography (every shoot)?
I use props at every single shoot. I don’t often bring my own personal props per shoot since I shoot on location but without a doubt I will use props of some sort with every single session.
What was the FIRST prop you bought, and do you still use it?
The first prop I bought was a bright orange vinyl chair. I still use it and get requests for it all the time. I love it so much it’s in my bedroom but I have to haul it out when requested! It was $30.00 at my favorite antique store in Omaha, NE!
What is your favorite prop(s) to use on newborns? Toddlers? Families? Seniors? Other?
My favorite clothing prop on all ages are beautifully knitted hats and scarves, they add dimension, texture and color to any image/situation. Also with babies with little to no hair a hat will draw you right to their eyes and instead of their bald heads. I have a box FULL of hand-knitted hats that i carry with me to most of my infant/baby sessions. At older ages I ask that they bring any hats or scarves. I also love using old furniture with older clients, I ask them to bring their funkiest pieces to shoots or if I’m shooting at their house I’m never shy about pulling something outside or rearranging to compose the perfect image. As you may see with my newborns I use a lot of props. My mind works like this, ‘can I put a baby in/on/beside ‘xyz’ I will use it!’ You can see that with newborns there is really no limit with the amount of prop use. I’ve used buckets, bags, chairs, book shelves, carriages, potters, pans, trash cans (cute ones!!). I will use anything that a baby will tolerate!
Do you use any post processing, actions? If so, what is your favorite action prop and why? If not, how do you post process your pics ?
I do 90% of my processing in Photoshop. I don’t use any actions but I use a lot of saturation and contrast to acheive my high key, highly saturated modern approach!
What is your favorite age to photograph, and why?
My favorite ages to photograph are newborns and 9 month olds. I really have the largest ability to be creative with my newborns. My clients know I do a lot of non-traditional posing so I can create completely new images with every session depending on the props my clients have in their homes. It’s ALWAYS a new adventure and I’m very good at thinking on the fly so I love the challenge of not knowing what I’ll be using when I walk in to a session! I love the 9 month old age b/c they are predictable, happy, mostly immobile, chubby and perfectly amused. They are the best and they just seem like little cherrups flying around, I just love shooting that baby skin!
Do you favor natural lighting, or studio (explain)?
I only use natural light, I barely know how to work a flash!
What is your favorite Lens, and why?
My favortie lens is my 50mm f1.4, it’s on my camera about 80% of the time. I shoot wide open all the time and it gives me that perfect closeness to my client and gorgeous depth of field!
What do you pack in your “PROP BAG”, when you travel to a shoot?
I don’t really have a prop-bag but I do carry lots of hats with me. Nothing to dress up a boring outfit like a fabulous little hand-made hat!
What prop do you recommend to ALL photographers?
HATS, scarves…but more than that just to always keep your eyes open to great finds in thrift stores, antique stores, TJMaxx etc….and if you shoot on location there is ALWAYS something fun to use, it may not be in the living room but look in the garage!
Words of advice from our September Guest Prop Photographer Beth Jansen…..
Just make sure your props are always sturdy and safe so when you set a little 30 pounder on that old chair it won’t fall to the ground! Try it all, if you don’t like it, don’t use it again but be original and keep trying new things. I like to create and imagine as I go and I believe that’s what keeps my images fresh!!
