Steve Weinrebe's Mode Studio

Wood blocks, decent wood blocks, are an indispensable aid to still life setups and a number of other studio and location chores. I have a cabinet shelf devoted to wood blocks of one sort or another. I may feature some of those specialty blocks in the future but these mahogany blocks are simple and exceptional. I saved these years ago from some woodworking sessions, but I have seen piles of small, random shaped, wood blocks sitting in piles outside woodworking studios for the taking. Good hardwood blocks have multiple uses including:

• Propping up a product or prop for the camera’s view.
• Weighing down items that are tending to fall from awkward positioning.
• Position these blocks behind items that need to stand up and place a ball of tape in between the item and the block.
• Use below anything that needs to be hammered to protect other surfaces.
• Use as a shim or spacer to raise an object to a proper height for photography.

These are just a few examples of how I’ve used these blocks in the studio. When going on location I’ll throw one or two into a bag. It’s amazing how hard it is to find a level hard object with simple flat sides just when you need one.

Posted by Steve Weinrebe