For other set dressing ideas consult FAQ What are some set dressing ideas?

Set dressing is a vital component in the overall success of an abbywinters.com shoot regardless of the shoot type or Posing Level. SPs take care to manage both big and small aspects of set dressing for maximum impact.

This FAQ focuses on how SPs can make use of hooks, nails and fairy lights as part of set dressing.

Utilising hooks and nails

SPs who are fortunate enough to either be able to shoot in their own homes, or that of a very willing friend or family member have more freedom to put hooks and nails on the walls (or, those 3M sticky hooks that don’t leave a mark when removed). However most hired places will have some hooks or nails where existing items are already hung that can be “commandeered” during the shoot day.

Hooks and nails present the opportunity to showcase the model’s personality by hanging items that match her sense of humor, reference her hobbies or indeed photographs of the model herself that she supplies.

Completely changing the items hung on a neutrally coloured wall could help an SP create a ‘brand new’ space in the same room. Set dressing like this allows more shoots to happen at the same address on different days, although this will only work a limited number of times per location.

Things the model brings

By far the best items to use in any set dressing are items that the model has provided from her real life, as these items will help expose her unique personality to customers. However models will only bring the things an SP asks them to bring – it won’t be obvious that a nude photo shoot requires her to bring a ribbon she won in a judo competition! SPs must talk to models before the shoot day to discover what items models can bring. 

The process for this is described in the What do I need to do to prepare for a shoot with a model? FAQ.

Things found in the location

Most spaces, especially those regularly rented out will have art work and notice boards hung on the walls to make the space feel appealing and attractive – in order to get bookings. SPs seek out locations that are already decorated close to the abbywinters.com paradigm to minimise the amount of time and money they need to spend on set dressing on the shoot day (leaving more time for model care and the shoot itself) but even the most on-paradigm place will benefit from a little thoughtful set dressing.

If a location will only be used for one shoot ever, the best items from all the rooms should be “cherry picked” and placed in the shoot space. For example while the shoot may be in the bedroom, the best artwork might be in the kitchen – bring it in!

When multiple shoots are happening in the same location across several visits, it can be possible to make one room feel like a different room by swapping out the items on walls with those from another room. This is suitable to do so long as none of the pieces that appear in multiple shoot are memorable standout items.

Moving furniture and ornaments around in a location is a great way to make the most of all the available set dressing items however, when multiple items are gathered from multiple rooms, there is an increased risk that SPs will forget where everything originated 😬! Taking an image of each room at the start of the day ensures SPs have the information saved to enable them to put the location back exactly as they found it before they leave 😅.

Things supplied by the SP

Buying cheap items to set-dress rooms can make a scene look fantastic, but as they can only be used once, it can become expensive and time consuming – this is why we recommend finding spaces that are already close to our needs, and dressing spaces with the model’s own items.

Some SPs have become friendly with local thrift stores who allowed them to take items for a few days in exchange for making donations of any items they do purchase from elsewhere when they are used up and for their time once a month in the store.

There are some items that an SP may own (or acquire) that could be reused multiple times. For example single colour kitchen towels can be used to dress multiple kitchen sets.

Ideas on what to hang

When trying to make a ‘new room’ (from a room that was already shot in) by replacing all the items hung on a neutral coloured wall with different things, SPs need to mix it up – just hanging a “ship” picture where a “house” picture was is not going to make enough of a change.

What if the painting was replaced by a hat, a running medal or a bag?

• Things the model has with her
  • Clothes that she’s not wearing in the shoot
  • Hats
  • Bags
  • Colourful scarves
  • Jewelry – long necklaces / colourful beads especially good
  • Belts (ideally colourful)
  • Keys (with colourful key-chains)
  • Headphones (ideally colourful)
  • Long Socks (colourful)

• Things SPs should ask the model to bring
  • Photos of herself from her own home
  • Sports / dancing medals 
  • Any certificates earned
  • Wall calendars / planners
  • Jewelry / hair things wall organizer

• Things an SP could supply
  • Paintings (often very cheap in car boot sales / thrift shops)
  • Hangers to display the models clothes on
  • Colourful fabric
  • Strings of LED fairy lights
  • Posters (can even be cut out from magazines)

ABOVE: Some examples of different things that might be hung from a nail  or hook.

Things that must be removed from walls

Photos of  the location owner (if not the model) and their family, any photos of children or anythings that contains contact information about the address, model or location owner, must all be removed.

Utilising fairy lights

abbywinters.com will reimburse SPs for a set of fairy lights after their second use in a shoot, up to the amount of $15 USD. The goal should be to use the lights every 8th shoot or so, for 10 shoots in different ways (after that the prop will be too familiar).

Fairy lights can be:

• Wrapped around bed frames
• Placed under beds for up-lighting
• Hung on walls
• Placed in glass bottles
• Used around lights
• Used for up lighting of furniture or props

ABOVE: Left to right, fairy lights can be;  Used to outline a wall to make a white wall feel more cozy; used to make a door; shaped on a wall to form words or patterns; paired with photographs; used to make a roof canopy; draped around a mirror; placed in empty bottles; placed under the bed.

Utilising fabric

Fabric can be used to great value in set dressing.

Unmotivated, colourful fabric but draped over a beige sofa, pinned to a curtain, hung over a heating panel, spread on a bed, laid on the floor – anytime there is beige in the frame and not much colour otherwise, a sheet of colourful fabric can be used.

However, as for other things described on this page, getting one pink and one blue fabric piece and using them in every shoot is not acceptable. Variety is essential.

When we made shoots from a central location in Amsterdam, here’s how we managed this;

• Every few months, we’d spend ~€100 on new sheets of colourful fabric; sourced from local markets, around €4 each for 2m x 1.2m (6′ x 4′)
  • We don’t care if the fabric is intended for for upholstery, a dress, a curtain, t-shirts, saris, or table napkins, low quality or high quality, heavy or light: we only care about the price, colour and pattern.
  • Never black, grey, white, brown or beige, only colourful
  • Never something that will pull focus (for example a black and white zig-zag pattern)
  • Never branded stuff (eg, “Frozen” characters)
  • Never showing people (eg, a “Mona Lisa” print)
• Shoot Producers take a selection from the store, to shoots that week
• Once used, the fabric is returned to HQ, and placed in a washing bag
• Once washed, the fabric used that week is placed in a box labelled, “Do not use until “
• Only in six months from now, do we use that fabric again

We were producing shoots on an “industrial scale”, but perhaps some sort of system can help keep fabric in rotation and not over-used.