product: behind the scenes

As Paired Images we don’t do much product photography, but every once in a while we get a request, like these wine charms from Evie Tees.  We both went to technical photography schools where we learned a wide range of photographic skills, but Latos specifically majored in advertising photography.  So we jump at any chance to stretch our legs and take on a challenge.  Now this type of shoot would not normally be a challenge, but like I said we don’t typically get many requests for product, so our studio is a little lacking in that department.  So here is how we get creative working with what we have….

An advertising photographer would have something to put this tiny charm in (a lamp shade would have also worked) so that the very reflective charm wouldn’t have any reflections.  Since I was doing this a 10pm and didn’t have a lamp shade or anything like it, I bounced light off the walls to side light it.  And since our studio is small and very white, light was reflecting off the ceiling onto the charm.  Well, we didn’t have any black cardboard handy so Latos grabbed a SHOOTSAC, we wrapped it around the lens and clamped it to a couple of bungee cords and I carefully hit the shutter.  Not perfect or pretty, but got the job done!

The difference isn’t huge but as you can see the photo on the left (the one with out the SHOOTSAC) the color isn’t as vibrant and it doesn’t look sharp even though it is in focus.  The photo on the right however is just what I was looking for.  And perfect for what our client needed them for.  If these were going into a publication though we’d have sent the job to our amazingly talented friend Christine Blackburne, check out her work!