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What's on our studio table.
The light, surfaces, props and small tools we reach for when we photograph books. None of it is expensive, and most of it does more than one job.
Light and diffusion
One window does most of the work. These shape it: softer, brighter, or bounced back into the shadows.
A white foam board reflectorSample
The first thing we'd buy. Stand it opposite the window and the dark side of the book opens up. Cut a second board in half and you have two smaller fill cards for close shots.
Link coming soon
A roll of tracing paper for the windowSample
Taped across the glass, it turns hard midday sun into the even, low-contrast light that flatters matte covers. Cheap, and it peels off clean.
Link coming soon
A five-in-one collapsible reflectorSample
White, silver, gold, black and a translucent diffuser in one disc that folds into a bag. Use the black side to deepen a shadow when the scene feels flat.
Link coming soon
Backdrops and surfaces
What the book sits on sets the mood before any prop does. Choose surfaces in quiet colours with a little texture.
A length of washed linenSample
Oatmeal or undyed, washed until it's soft and creased. The folds catch the light and give a flatlay depth without a single prop.
Link coming soon
A wood-grain vinyl backdropSample
A roll-up board printed like old oak. Wipe it clean, lay it on any table, and from above it reads as a real tabletop. Pick a matte finish to avoid shine.
Link coming soon
An unglazed ceramic tileSample
A single large tile in chalk white or warm grey makes a small, clean stage for one book and one object. Look for one with a matte, slightly uneven surface.
Link coming soon
Props with patina
A prop should look as if it belongs to the reader of the book. Worn, used and slightly imperfect beats shiny and new.
A brass candlestickSample
Tarnished, not polished. It gives a vertical line beside a stack of books and picks up warm light at the rim. Look in secondhand shops before anywhere else.
Link coming soon
A small stoneware jugSample
Undyed or speckled glaze, about the height of a paperback. Holds a few dried stems, or stands empty as a quiet shape at the edge of the frame.
Link coming soon
Dried flowers in muted tonesSample
Bunny tails, wheat and statice in cream and dusty brown. They last for months, never wilt mid-shoot, and their colours sit happily next to almost any cover.
Link coming soon
Camera and phone
Whatever you shoot with, steadiness and true colour matter more than the camera. These help with both.
A tabletop tripod with a phone clampSample
Keeps the phone level and still for overhead shots, and frees both hands to nudge props. Choose one with a head that tilts all the way down.
Link coming soon
A Bluetooth shutter remoteSample
Press the shutter without touching the phone, so the frame doesn't shift between shots. Small enough to live in the props box.
Link coming soon
A grey card for white balanceSample
Photograph it once in your light, then set white balance from it. Your oatmeal stays oatmeal instead of turning blue or orange.
Link coming soon