Last weekend something very rare happened. I spent an ENTIRE day shooting for various projects. I used to do this all of the time. And it makes so much sense to plan out a full day to knock out a ton of blog posts right? Unfortunately with all of the new projects we’ve been taking on at AFF, planning shoot days was the first thing to go. With the madness of this time of year though, I’m trying to work this back into my schedule and get ahead of the curve by shooting a few blog posts at a time.

While this is supposed to make it easier, sometimes it can be overwhelming planning for multiple shoots at one time, trying to stay organized, and making sure my content stays cohesive. I’ve started to assemble a seasonal prop kit to combat these issues. In my kit are basic items that I can work into most images that will help them tie back to the season or style I am trying to accomplish around a certain period of time. Having this list keeps me sane so I’m not running all over the trying to figure out what I can use to accessorize each shot.

Take a look at a group of my recent posts or insta photos. You’ll notice that there are usually props that I style into several of them in different ways. I won’t use everything above in one shoot, but I know that if I choose a few, my feed will stay consistent.

Here are a few tips for creating your own:

1. Choose a color palette that you’d like to keep for the next few weeks

2. Decide on some textures or materials that will convey the vibe you are going for

3. Pick 1 or 2 metallic pops and gather everything you have in those finishes

4. Grab a little foliage or some flowers that you can either keep around for a while, or that you know you can purchase on a consistent basis (loving the pine for the holidays!)

5. Choose items that can be styled in different ways. For example the beaded garland can be a great prop laid flat, up on a wall, wrapped around other props, etc

6. Decide on a few items that are versatile. Take the bowls for example. They will work great in stationery posts, recipe posts, or home styling posts.

items I’m using this season:

1. A pair of antique gold scissors

2. Silver pencil case

3. Hammered Gold Bowl

4. Gold Spoons

5. Palo Santo

6. White Taper Candles

7. Wooden Beads Strand

8. Spiral Bound Notebook

These should work for all of my post categories, from home to work. Tuck them all into a basket that you can carry around easily if you plan on shooting in different places.

Of course this isn’t ALL I use for six months. However, having these items all grouped together in a basket makes my life easier. I know they all work together and it’s easy to grab the basket and then add other items to the shot.

What do you guys think? Would this help you stay more organized or work more efficiently?