One of my toughest jobs is sourcing props for photoshoots. But I love using flowers.
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What happens when you need to bring a touch of tropical flowers into your shoot and you live thousands of miles from any ocean?
Or what if you need pretty, budget-friendly blooms in the dead of winter? What’s a photographer to do?!
I got your back, friend. Here are some of my favorite places to buy fresh or faux flowers to use as props for your next shoot!
Aloha Hawaiian Flowers
Those tropical florals we talked about a minute ago? That was a real dilemma I had.
Luckily, I discovered Aloha Hawaiian Flowers, which ships fresh floral arrangements, Hawaiian leis, and pretty gifts. They package and ship their fresh flowers so carefully; I’ve always been impressed with every order I’ve gotten.
Plus, their flowers and leaves last for weeks! Look at this massive monstera leaf — with me holding it for scale. See what other tropical flowers I ordered from them recently, like Areca Palm and Birds of Paradise.
Afloral
Sometimes you want blooms that you can use all year long in every season. When I want high-quality faux flowers, I turn to Afloral! Afloral has a great selection of silk flowers, plus artificial greenery and dried flowers.
The cool thing about faux flowers? You can mix style them with fresh flowers in your photoshoots — and it’s pretty hard to tell the difference between the faux and fresh.
See how I combined faux orchids and hibiscus from Afloral with fresh blooms from Aloha Hawaiian Flowers.
Grace Rose Farm
Another favorite online florist of mine is Grace Rose Farm, a family-run farm in Santa Ynez, California. Grace Rose Farm grows and sells the most gorgeous roses I’ve ever seen! You can get seasonal roses by the dozen and seasonal bouquets.
Their roses are handpicked, so you get a beautiful variety of fragrant roses in a rainbow of pretty colors. These roses tend to last just a few days, in my experience, so plan your photoshoots carefully and get the most out of these blooms when you have ‘em.
Trader Joe’s
That’s right: your friendly neighborhood grocery store sells swoon-worthy flowers at a very affordable price.
Some of the filler flowers like heather, eucalyptus, and baby’s breath are just $2.99. And their fresh bouquets start at just $3.99! Trader Joe’s is a great option if you have to run to the store for inexpensive flowers in a pinch.
Trader Joe’s usually receives new flowers each morning, and they offer seasonal blooms that vary. So you never know what you’re gonna get, but that can work out in your favor if you have some flexibility with your props!
Bonus floral tip
Quick story: I recently applied for a license to sell goods in my state so that I could buy from Mayesh, a wholesale flower distributor. It was super easy and inexpensive. Now, I can buy florals wholesale for all of my shoots!
If you’re able to buy flowers wholesale for your business, think about it. Being able to buy wholesale gives me a much bigger selection of florals to shop and better customer service. It shaves a little off of retail costs, too.
Get more prop and styling advice
Want more tips for creative props and styling in your photoshoots? My course, Slay the Flatlay, is perfect for you!
With Slay the Flatlay you’ll learn photo skills like putting together the perfect backgrounds, mastering stop-motion animations, capturing and editing amazing photos, and much more.
