How to Photograph Plushies Cutely on a Table at Home — Taming Clutter

Shoot a plush at home and everyday clutter creeps into the background, or it comes out flat. The causes: too many objects in the background, and overhead lighting that erases shadows. Just tidy the tabletop a little and shoot near a window, and even at home your plush photos look like artwork.

Reduce the background to one color

When household items show up on the table or floor, the everyday clutter draws more attention than the plush. Lay down a single sheet of plain cloth or paper and move anything visible behind it out of frame. The fewer colors in the background — one or two — the more clearly the plush’s shape and color come through (→ Photographing small items and accessories).

Move in close in soft window light

Light your room from straight overhead and shadows vanish, flattening everything. Move near a window and light from the side to bring out the fur’s softness and dimension. Light through a lace curtain is more even and prettier than direct sun. If it looks dark, raise the brightness a notch and tap the plush’s face to set focus (→ Exposure compensation basics).

Center it or arrange a triangle

With a single plush, a center composition lifts the star straight on. With a tidy background, centering actually lands with real strength (→ Center composition). With several plushies, or a drink and small objects together, arrange three points into a triangle for a settled look and a sense of depth (→ Triangle composition). Either way, leaving space around the star keeps it elegant rather than cluttered (→ Negative space).

Composition guideCenter compositionSee the full guide for this composition → Composition guideTriangle compositionSee the full guide for this composition → Composition guideNegative spaceSee the full guide for this composition →

Start with just this

Lay down one sheet of plain cloth, move in close in soft window light, and place one plush at center or arrange several into a triangle. Those three sharply level up your home plush photos. For the basics of focus and moving in, see Plushie photography basics.