Product Photography Year in Review: Capturing Quality Images
I started photographing products only a few years ago, and it’s becoming something I really enjoy shooting. As a photographer, I have worked to narrow what I shoot and try not to be a generalist who shoots everything. I want the images I give my clients to be quality work, and am always learning new techniques and ways to improve on my current style.
Majority of my product photography is shot in an environment, so it’s always fun to work at new locations and create imagery for clients. It’s become such a joint effort with clients, art directors and myself that I have learned a tremendous amount about how to style products and create visually interesting images. It’s so much fun to all work together with a goal of creating the best photo.
I photograph a lot of products for P. Allen Smith’s online store, shopPAllenSmith.com, and we do most of the photography at Moss Mountain Farm just outside Little Rock, Arkansas. The images below show some of the products carried online with a few photos of recipes tossed in. Like I said, you never know what you’re going to end up shooting at the farm.
The jewelry photos were also taken for P. Allen’s e-commerce site. The naturally inspired jewelry placed over natural elements was a collaborative idea with the art director. One of the best things about shooting at the farm is the lush gardens because we can step outside and pick anything to add a little “pop” to the images.
Allen asked us to photograph all of the varieties of dahlias that are grown at the farm, and they turned out to be some of my favorite photos from the year. We shot them on a hutch in the mud room, and there was a small beam of light coming through the door. It was the perfect amount of light to illuminate the flowers and allow the background to go dark. The light allowed the beauty and uniqueness of the flowers to really show in the photographs.
When time allows, I wander the farm and capture it’s beauty like in the images of flowers and the sunflower below.
I also photographed product for a local food company. I shot everything on location at their warehouse, and worked to create a look of natural light. You can read about how that was acheived in my blog about food photography.
The above client has a sister company based out of Oklahoma and they asked me to photograph their product on a white background. These images were taken on a seamless white and the background was left in the shots.
I shoot quite a bit of products for websites but most of the products are clipped from the background a placed on a pure white background, like the images below.
One final set of images to close out the year….
I have a client in Little Rock that I shoot for twice a year to provide photos for their catalogue: Christmas in June and Easter in November. Imagine my surprise when I walked up to the door on a hot day in June and saw snow on the ground!
This is our second year to shoot together and we are really getting into a good work flow. This year we shot both catalogs in the same home, so they have a very consistent look in the color scheme and lighting. We also shot some beautiful tablescapes in the backyard, but I’m going to have to hold onto those images until their Easter Catalog is published.
If you’re ever looking for a faith based gift, stop by their website Ever Thine Home and look around.
