In a recent blog I alluded to the need for constant practice as a building block to becoming a better photographer. The more I shoot the more fluid and less labored each subsequent photo session becomes. And I think, at some point, it really doesn't matter what the subject is, the very act of working through projects and problem solving acts like a lubricant to the whole process.
The image above is a very straightforward shot with lots of little challenges. The cabinet and front panel are black on black so you have to define the three visible planes of the product by giving them each a different tonal value with your lights. While there's on overall exposure for the electronic flash illumination you'll need to make a secondary exposure for the blue lights on the front panel. At f8 it probably took one or two seconds to burn the lights in to the correct intensity. That means you'll need to turn the modeling lights out when you do the overall exposure so you can drag the shutter, along with the flash exposure, without introducing any overall color casts to the background or the overall product.
The next step is to consider how to match the angle of the overall product with the angle of the separate shot for the "hero" product, the blue and white processing module inside the appliance. Of course the important parameters are to keep the angles the same and the camera position the same between shots, and the direction and quality of light (hard, soft, indifferent) has to match.
When you put it all together you are obviously putting the module layer under the overall appliance layer and then using a large soft brush to erase through part of the top layer to get the look of transparency. Then you need to drop out the original white, seamless paper background and add in your own drop shadow. Voila. You are done.
We do a lot of these kinds of shots. It's a subset of the business, and once you get the hang of it it's almost a meditative process. Sure, every product is different enough to keep you on your toes. Chrome finishes are vexing. Weird convex or concave patterns make life more interesting. But it's all just fodder for problem solving and process.
Even something as simple as where to put your point of focus comes into play. I shot this with a Fuji S2 and a 60mm lens. I needed to have the whole thing in relatively sharp focus. The front panel is more important than the back edge but the back edge has to give the perception of sharpness. If you focus on the front edge there's no way that f8 (the f stop I choose for highest quality and least diffraction) will carry focus to the back of the product. But you could find a point about 1/3rd of the way into the product that would work. In the old days we would have used a view camera and tilted the front and rear standards to create focus in the plane need, but who has the budget for that these days.
While this image is a golden oldie I spent this past week doing similar images for another tech client. I'd show those in the blog but it's pretty routine for the images to be embargoed until after they are used by the client....
In addition to product images in the studio I also took the show on the road and photographed on site at a medical center. I started my week shooting a swimmer showcasing good and bad technique for a magazine article. The next step was location/environmental portraits for a medical practice. I shot images out in the heat and in the freezing environs of a data center.
And, even though I'd love to be shooting portraits all the time, the range of work was engaging and kicked up the problem solving gland to produce more solutions. Different solutions. And my hands and brain practiced together. Getting the timing and the thinking synced. Exercising the weird part of the brain that makes decisions about composition.
There's a benefit to doing "day in, day out" photography besides the fees. It gets you into the groove and the flow. I like it.
One more techy shot of the road.....
2 comments:
Commercial photography is a never-ending process of solving interesting problems, many of which have more than one right solution. It's also good to know that if I should make a wrong decision once in a while the world will not come to an abrupt halt.
It is comforting to know that one misstep won't plunge the world or the universe into instant darkness and chaos. But it's even nicer to know that nearly everyone has a job at which they are incapable of destroying the universe....
Post a Comment