Fun textural ideas that will level up your product styling

Ready to expand your product photography skillset with some fresh styling techniques? Texture play is a great way to showcase the consistency or formula of a product as well as adding more depth and visual impact to your images!

Creating textural elements or backdrops is a fun way to get hands-on for your next photoshoot using everyday items and ingredients. Many texture creating props can be found at home, it’s amazing what you can create from items that already live in your bathroom, kitchen, or even your garage.

Experimenting with texture is one of my go-to techniques on any product photoshoot and in this post I’ve complied some of my favourite methods to share. I hope you will be inspired to try some of these ideas yourself on your next creative shoot.

Elevate your texture play

Conjure your inner artist (or baker) and create a textural frame or backdrop. I used shaving cream to achieve a soft and silky texture - it’s perfect for when you’re styling products like razors. In this creative shoot I sprayed and lathered the shaving cream onto an elevated piece of acrylic leaving a clear space in the middle using tape. The product is then revealed back with a shave.

This concept is not limited to shaving cream and razors, you could try any types of texture from droplets to grains of sand or even food!

Achieve a cracked texture effect using flour

This ‘out of this world’ concept creates a beautiful ‘moonscape’ texture which can become the perfect backdrop for your product. Simply compress your flour into a pan or tray and create a crater using something like a bowl. You then have a hero spot to rest your product surrounded by that beautiful cracked effect.

You don’t have to do a crater effect, experiment and have fun with different shapes. You could even use the product itself to create the crater!

In this particular shoot, I edited the image in Photoshop and turned my white flour into charcoal for a volcanic result. What colour could you change your ‘moonscape’ to?

Evoke those beach vibes with sand and water texture

Take your product to the beach without stepping a foot outside your home. For this technique I used sand to bring the beach inside and an acrylic tray of water to bring the waves using the trusty hairdryer. I also added a beautiful shadow with a leaf for added effect with the hard light.

Don’t fancy getting wet? Another way to do some sandy texture play is by creating beautiful patterns. In this shoot I used a piece of serrated cardboard to create waves of a different kind.

Want some more sandy ideas and substitutes? Visit Creatively Squared’s blog on creative hacks for styling with sand and take a virtual beach trip.

Add a splash of water texture to your colour block style

I love colour blocking but sometimes I want to mix it up with a little bit of texture play and this is a great way to do it. In this shoot I used two backdrops to create two tones split effect complementing the beverage and props. I then used my water tray and hairdryer to create some refreshing water ripples over the top.

Wave hello to water wave texture

Water texture does not have to be limited to flatlay photography. You can make waves by simply creating your own using an acrylic tray filled with water. Use a coloured side light to not only accentuate the water texture but it can mimic the sunset glow of golden hour.

I use my larger acrylic tray to catch the splashes but be prepared to get a little wet for this one!

My large acrylic tray is from Everyday Co. The 24" x 24" acrylic tray is the BEST. I absolutely love it for any sort of water photography. It also comes in handy when I'm trying to not make a massive mess like in this case. Join the Creatively Squared FREE community for a special discount.

[#cta]

Create some bubbly and soapy texture

One way to add another dimension to your water play is by adding detergent, handwash or even bubblebath to create a foamy texture, perfect for bath and body products. This technique is fun and so simple to execute. You only need an elevated acrylic tray and soapy water, but I love the result!

Smash some concrete for a ‘smashing’ good texture effect

Simply grab a piece of concrete or stone and smash it (carefully and safely!) to reveal a unique texture. I this shoot I loved styling the concrete pieces and matching it to the concrete backdrop to add some textural play to this monochromatic. I used hard light to create those dramatic shadows and accentuate the broken texture.

I love using the Duo Boards from V-Flat World like this Iced Concrete one. Join the Creatively Squared FREE community for a special discount on their Duo Boards too.

Rock on with rocks, moss and water play

Bring different textures together like I did for this small forest stream recreation. I simply used rocks, fake moss, and water all placed on an acrylic tray to create the scene. In this setup I also used leaves to recreate shadows from the forest canopy.

A big thank you to Keegan Evans from Parker Lane Porductions for sharing his creative tips and ideas to add textural interest to your product photography. You can learn more about Keegan in our inspiring creator series.

Also check out his Instagram, YouTube and TikTok for more great behind the scenes videos and tips.