Upcycling and Photography Props – The Vanity

When I built my own studio, I wanted to incorporate areas for multiple types of photography. My goal was to meet the needs of the women I photograph; but finding the right props that I could use shoot after shoot was a big challenge. I had the standard black and white rolls of seamless in my main gallery and began to create what I envisioned as the dream bedroom for boudoir photography. Now, three years later I have added on multiple items to increase set options and the latest is “The Vanity”.

If you’re like me, as a photographer, you are accustomed to envisioning images, locations, sets and poses when planning a session.

The hard part, especially when you’re first starting in business, is to keep your expenses in check. Often finding just the right prop is either impossible or extremely expensive. Don’t get me wrong, there are amazing things out there to purchase and shopping is not a bad thing, but as my mentor, Sue Bryce, says “If it doesn’t make the ship go faster, don’t spend the money.” So, with that in mind, I often go to flea markets and resale shops when I’m looking to add something to my studio. I love vintage and the quality of furniture made without press-board is my preference.

This vanity I found at a local church tag sale for only $15!

It had the basic form I was looking for and I could envision making some changes that would bump up the wow factor. Below is a shot of it the day I bought it, a bit rough, dirty, and scratched with no chair or stool.

The first thing I did was remove the mirror and picture frame sections as they just did not fit the style I wanted. The next step was finding a mirror I could use instead. I found this one at a local store for about $25. It was black and I wanted white, but the shape and scroll design was what I was looking for.

As I didn’t want to permanently attach the mirror to the wall, creating a way to attach it to the vanity was a challenge.

Keeping it simple, I used pieces of 1×4 and 1×2 pine along with a hinge. The wider piece attaches to the top of the vanity and the hinged piece attaches to the top of that and allows me to tilt the mirror based on the shot I’m trying to achieve.

Once I had all the pieces, the next step was to make it all blend and match. I had decided I wanted white so I sanded and painted every piece before putting it all together. This included removing the handle on the drawer and painting that gold to match with color in the upholstery of the bench I had made that would go great with it.

When it was done, this was the result.

The final product with the bench was exactly what I had envisioned and has been used in a number of sessions since finishing it last month.

Here is the before and after.

I’ve included a few images from recent shoots. Thank you to the wonderful clients for giving me permission to use their images!

I hope this has given you ideas you can use in your own studio space. My goal with these posts is to inspire you to let your imagination and creativity help you to create images that your clients will cherish for a life time.

Stay tuned for my next blog post with more hints, tips and ideas for photographers like you!

If you have any questions about this article or ideas for other topics you would like me to write about, please comment below or Contact us from our web page.

CONSIDERING A PHOTO SHOOT?

If you’ve ever dreamed of having a photo shoot that is all about you, whether it’s a romantic and sexy lingerie boudoir shoot or an intimate and glamorous portrait session, we have the studio, stylists and photographer to provide an unforgettable and empowering experience. Call me to set up a complimentary consultation where you can see the studio and we can talk over coffee about how you want to be photographed.

Is it a long trip to visit the studio? Women have traveled from all over the East Coast including Connecticut, New Jersey, Virginia, Ohio, New York, Massachusetts and Rhode Island for their custom photography session with us. Feel free to contact us and set up a special phone consultation! And remember Gift Certificates are always available.