Commercial Product Photography - Oxfordshire
One question I get asked frequently is how does a wedding photographer end up taking images of commercial products?
The truth is, why not? I’ll explain more in a second…
Any professional photographer will understand that you need one thing to make and take an image… Light.
When photographing a wedding, the pace is quick and I am always thinking one step ahead about those “must-get” shots…. The light is always changing e.g. the bride might walk from an area of bright sunlight into the church where the light is subdued and darker. In an instant, I must either add light (via speedlights/flash) or adjust the camera settings to work in a lower light setting, but whatever I do it must be quick. Fortunately the pace of commercial product photography is slightly slower.
But once you understand the concept of requiring light in making an image you can take an image of pretty much anything - so when I am not photographing a bride and groom I enjoy taking and making images of other genres of photography given the principles are the same.
Let’s quickly review how I use light… Ambient light i.e. the light in the space around me can be from daylight or it can be artificial light i.e. from the lights in the room or added light from studio or flash guns. Sometimes I might use just one form of light and other times I use a mixture of both, depending on the look I want to achieve. By altering the strength of the artificial lights or by adjusting the camera settings to limit the amount of ambient light the camera sees, it is possible to alter the look of the final image.
This is creative photography.
So let us turn to photographing a subject or object within the studio setting. Most of my clients have an idea of how they want their product to look before I attempt to make an image. The image might be required for a website or a digital selling site such as Etsy. Importantly the image quality will be such that potential buyers can review high-resolution images that show detail and accurate colour rendition.
This without doubt increases sales.
What I enjoy about photographing things within the studio environment is there is more control…the pace is slower and there is the opportunity to make alterations either to the object /subject or the lighting setup.
Generally, I always review the item and turn it 360 degrees to see how the ambient light falls upon it. Does it have a reflective surface? Is one side or angle more effective than the other, but importantly is there a key message that must be in the final shot i.e. brand name or icon etc?
Once I have decided upon the angle of view, I then review the light required to influence shadows and contrast. Areas of shadows, contrast, and highlights create depth and perception to an image.
Another way to consider using added light via a studio flash or constant light is to think of it as a paintbrush. Beams of light always travel in a straight line. So by reviewing how light falls (or paints) upon an object from a particular direction it is possible to light (or paint) particular aspects of the item you are trying to photograph. The art then is mixing other directions of light to highlight different aspects of a different section of the item
If you can do this successfully the final image will have shape dimension and depth to it.
The above image was for Joss Hindmarsh, a milliner and fashion accessory designer.
It was vital that the images supplied showed material detail and texture as she wanted her clients to be able to understand the materials used when hand-building her items. The manakin face has shape, dimension, and a shadow side (achieved by lighting the manakin from a light on the left-hand side of the face about 45 degrees up). This angle not only provided light on the face but lit one aspect of the main subject (headwear) too. The main product key light however was placed off to the right as you face the image, lighting the pink bow and feather. The key here is not to overlight the rest of the face as you would lose shadow and shape.
Check out more of Joss’s Designs in high resolution, HERE, or review her Etsy site HERE.
Co-owners Tory Barne and Caroline Laird approached me for some new season shots of their homeware items. Branded as Pepper & Ink, (www.pepperandink.co.uk ) their products are both contemporary and rustic and manufactured to a high standard. Made of varying materials their finished images allowed potential customers to see the materials involved.
JoJo from Little Angel Boutique in Oxfordshire owns a children’s luxury dress rental service. Her dresses are of delicate and intricate design and she too wanted her images to highlight specific details.
The images that I supplied allowed her clients to examine detail and dress design before making their decision on dress choice.
If you are looking to increase sales and enhance your business with stunning commercial photography - remember, a picture speaks a thousand words…
Now, has anyone seen the groom??
Darren Weston Commercial Product Photography
https://www.darrenwestonphotography.com/oxfordshire-product-photography