When Props Aren’t Props: Turning Everyday Objects Into Storytelling Tools

Some of the most memorable photos I’ve taken didn’t involve expensive setups or elaborate backdrops. They involved everyday objects: a mirror, a fog machine, a grocery cart, even a child’s toy. These aren’t props in the theatrical sense.

They’re tools to unlock authenticity, to spark interaction, and to reveal personality in a way staged portraits never could.

How Objects Tell Stories

A mirror can reveal both sides of a moment at once — the subject and the reflection, the seen and unseen. Fog can turn an embrace into something cinematic, heightening the emotion. A grocery cart in the middle of a supermarket can say more about a couple’s relationship than a polished studio ever could.

It shows where love lives: in the simple, ordinary corners of life.

Not Staging, Revealing

I don’t use objects to stage artificial scenes. I use them to create opportunities. A bubble machine isn’t about theatrics. It’s about watching a couple laugh as they’re surrounded by something playful. An umbrella isn’t just a shield from the rain — it’s an excuse to huddle close and share warmth.

These moments don’t look like they belong in a catalogue. They look like they belong to you.

Catalysts for Connection

The best props disappear the moment you interact with them. They stop being objects and start being catalysts for connection. That’s the difference in my style: I’m not interested in dressing up a moment.

I’m interested in using what’s around us to bring out truth, intimacy, and joy. That’s what makes the frame unforgettable.

Why I Love Everyday Tools

This is why I’ll keep using mirrors, smoke, umbrellas, or even grocery carts. Not as gimmicks, but as keys to unlock something real.

They turn ordinary surroundings into extraordinary memories. And in the end, that’s the kind of photography that lasts.