Welcome back to #SundayPropShop photography lovers! 

This week I have been up to my neck in vintage kitchenalia. You name it Honeybuns had it! The whole bakery was bursting with authentic props which made my job of helping style the photos, even easier. 

Props, subtle or in abundance, can change the atmosphere of a photo and tell a story that makes you want to look at it again and again. 

The art of story telling through props is something I believe you develop over time, taking inspiration from everywhere you go, to create a magnificent scene. Your scene doesn't always have to be bursting with 20 different elements to feast your eyes on, sometimes, stripped back styling can be just as effective.   

I am completely inspired by Kirsten Butler - The Little Wedding Helper. I gave you a hint of her home earlier this week and I wanted to share a glimpse into the house that has become filled with wonderful antiques, vintage props and modern pieces. Kirsten has the ability to mix periods, create atmosphere and every wedding styling she creates, has a different feel to reflect the different personalities of the bride and groom.

Over a cup of tea and a Freddo bar (It was all I had in the cupboards!) I was fascinated about how during an initial consultation, Kirsten can visualise the types of props she would use to tell their unique story. 

Kirsten uses everything from large pieces of furniture to a tiny antique ring box she picked up on one of her travels.

The shed in the garden is jam packed full of china and crockery, summer wedding pieces and wintry wonders. There's even a gate she picked up that was left in a skip!

Almost every inch of surface has a collection of vases, cups, saucers and other little treasures including linens and mirrors and she explained how every now and again she needs a good sort out! 

Kirsten works with brides and grooms as well as styling wedding exhibition stands, hotels and magazine photo shoots, amongst lots of other styling work. I feel very lucky to have been given an insight into her collection and can't wait to see the next wedding and all it's little details.

You can have a peek at some of Kirsten's weddings and events here. 

No wonder she won Best Special Touch award at the National Wedding Industry Awards 2013!

What have you been styling this week? I'd love to see how you've used some props to add interest to your photos. Link up your photos, new posts or old posts. Next time I will be taking you behind the scenes of my little and not so little photo shoots at home and on location! 

Whether you blog about weddings, food or family or anything else for that matter - I want to see your styling! 

You can have a look at the great ideas linked up last time here.

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Remember I mentioned I had this idea?

Well, hooray! An excuse to buy more bargains to use in beautiful blog posts!

It has been so lovely getting kind comments on my photography styling and as I am inspired by lots of others – I thought a fortnightly link up of all our creative ideas would be helpful!

The world is full of inspiration. I love magazines, Pinterest, photographers, other bloggers, foodie sites, books, and often an idea will come into my mind whilst I am rummaging in the charity shops. I will save my favourite sources of inspiration for another day.

I believe your blog photography should tell a story. Draw your reader in and make them want to tune in tomorrow in case you post something as lovely and engaging. 

I use props in almost all my photos. I think they add depth, texture, interest and sometimes mystery.

Great blog photos are not necessarily about a great camera. Composition, lighting, imagination and effort are all just as, if not more, important. 

Over the coming months I am going to post to #SundayPropShop a whole host of different articles. Some behind the scenes shots (like this one below – urgh so dark and dingy at tea time light – of a post I recently published, Mini Piñata Cakes), how I edited those photos to make the finished photograph, as well as people who inspire me and props I have discovered that fortnight. 

Props are all around you. My favourites to complement a blog post are flowers, greenery (I have some succulents to share next time), hands (queue the badge photo), bric-a-brac, papers, stationery and, most often, using some of the ingredients or materials I have used in a food or craft post.

On the first day of school Sammy held a sweet chalkboard with the memorable occasion on the front. It took a nice photo to a heart warming photo with a story. Even though it was obvious that it was a "first day of school" photo, the simple chalkboard adds history. I will take exactly the same photo on his last day!

You don't have to be a food blogger to use props. Craft and DIY posts can be made more appealing by leaving some of the excess materials left in shot, and family photos can be enhanced with a prop or two. One of my closest blog pals Katie shares my love of props, and recently posted some adorable pictures of her daughters in a tin bath! 

I would love to see how you style your photos or give you inspiration to try something new. It doesn't matter whether you blog about food, crafts, family, or anything else for that matter – I want to see your photo ideas!

I have amassed quite a collection of bits and bobs. Some I've had for donkeys' years and some I can't resist on a weekly basis. We have an amazing set of charity shops in Weston. Here is a peek into my cupboard on the patio and a few of my mis-matched glasses that live in the dining room. The linens you can see in the first shot are actually in the living room on the makeshift apple crate storage unit! They hold all my photo albums.

I keep most of my bits for food and drink posts in here as well as my DIY backdrops. The majority of these bits will stay outside all winter and I use them every week in normal life – this is not just a shrine to blog bits I can assure you (but wouldn't that be amazing!) You'll spot a few props that will feature on this blog over the next few months.

It's handy having it all in easy reach as I often take photos on the garden table where I get nice natural, even light. But I will be sharing a few tips of how you create atmospheric and different sorts of lighting indoors, especially as the Autumn weather is on its way! Most of the plates I have bought on average for 20p each and the big tin bath was actually hired out by a wedding stylist recently!

My aim of #SundayPropShop is to bring you a mini workshop online with helpful tips for different types of photography, food, family, newborn, wedding, craft, fashion and beauty. And, of course, share all your brilliant ideas! 

Link up a photo or a blog post – you don't have to be a blogger to link up, you can simply copy the URL in the browser window of a photo you have tweeted or uploaded to Facebook, for example. You can link up a recipe where you used props to enhance the photo, something you did a while ago or something especially for #SundayPropShop. Your props could be something brand new, a second hand bargain, or something from around the house!

Maybe one day we can all meet up and have a real life #SundayPropShop...  

Grab the badge and try to comment on any others linked up – it's always nice to know someone liked your efforts! 

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Two new things from me today.

I have a lovely blog sponsor for the month of September  - PaperShaker.

I know it seems the norm to announce your baby's birth on Facebook or Twitter, but I adored sending traditional announcement cards when my boys were born. PaperShaker offer a range of beautiful personalised photos cards, invitations and have a stationery line coming soon. I for one still get ridiculously excited over pretty stationery and can never resist a sweet notepad!  

Check them out for your next memorable occasion. 

I am also sharing a little idea that has been bubbling away for a while. I love using props in my blog photography and especially in the food and drink recipes that you may have seen popping up. 

I think it's my love of photography that is driving this new love of cooking, but if that's what gets me finally in an apron, hooray! 

Every fortnight, starting next week, I am going to share my props finds, or bits from around my home that have suddenly had a new lease of life as a photo prop! 

I'd love you to join in and link up your charity shop bargains, car boot finds (suddenly rusty cake tins are in high demand) or show us all how you've used something new or old from around your home as a prop in a blog post. 

I have an idea for a "mini savoury allotment" this week (think baby carrots and courgettes) so I have gathered together some of the earthy and green colour way props. Some I picked up in charity shops for pennies and some I already had in the cupboard. The fake moss is from our holiday to America! But I just love the texture of it and I think it will look fab in a photo! 

You can join in using the #SundayPropShop on Twitter and Facebook and the link will be open for 2 weeks so you have lots of time to style up your blog shoot!

The best way to inspire and be inspired is to share ideas, so I look forward to seeing lots of yours!