The journey of lighting and staging a pair of cheap sunglasses to create a visually intriguing photograph.
In last Saturday’s post about ‘Product Placement‘, I wrote about some of the puzzles and challenges of lighting a product to make it interesting. A big part of of solving these puzzles takes place insight our minds, as we think of different scenarios and how they might look through the lens.
Today’s image is very much one of those exercises, as I wanted to create something a little different…
Floating in Space
The reality is that these are a pair of cheap sunglasses bought from Walmart; the fiction that I wanted to create was something that floats in an undefined space looking into a far future…
The list of challenges include: – managing reflections on the lens of the sunglasses – light falling on the frame and lenses to create both definition and mystery – floating the sunglasses in mid-air – having a perfectly black background Each of these challenges require thought, planning and careful execution.
The lighting certainly was complex; after suspending the sunglasses using invisible thread, the first step is to plan how light will fall on the glasses, and positioning a white reflector to ensure that the lens reflection looks right.
Next step in the lighting exercise was to ensure that no light fell on the black background, as any light will cause the background to show gray. This takes a bit of black cinefoil bending to control the light and judicious blocking with various light control flags.
All told, it’s a fun exercise and always great to create something a little different. And, of course, there should be a nod to ZZ Top’s Cheap Sunglasses:
A Fresh Perspective
Photography is more than just a vehicle for capturing the world around me; it provides me with a palette and a set of brushes, with which I paint not only what I see, but also look to express the emotions that are evoked by the scene in front of me in that moment.
Growing up in the Netherlands exposed me to a wide cross-section of visual arts that laid the foundation of my photographic view of all that surrounds me. Early influences were the Dutch Masters of the 17th century, to whom I was introduced by my grandfather during museum explorations; favorites among them are the scenes of quotidian life depicted by Jan Steen and Frans Hals and the vivid landscapes of Jacob van Ruisdael.
My classical high school education was supplemented by the Boijmans Van Beuningen museum, where I spent many a lunch hour exploring its great collection. Here I was introduced to surrealism with a particular love for the approach taken by Salvador Dali; Dali also rekindled my appreciation for the work of Hieronymus Bosch, who often showed the folly of us mortals.
Universal Connections
My approach to any photographic subject is to look for understanding first; in this I look to establish either a connection between the viewer and the subject or capture the connection of the subject with its surroundings. The captured image then aims to portray this connection from a perspective that is part of my personal interpretation.
This interpretation is often a form of externalized introspection, which may alternately display the connection of isolated beings and items with their environment or highlight the whimsy of the profound world, in which we find ourselves. The universe is full of connections, many of which are waiting to be discovered; part of my journey as a photographer is to document these connections.
Any assignment, be it an event, a product shoot or a portrait session is always approached through communication with the client; this is where the first connection is established. Ideas are exchanged and a collaborative plan of action forms, ultimately resulting in a set of images that aim to exceed the expectations of each client.
And, lest we forget, it is important to have fun while practicing the serious business of photography!
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4 thoughts on “A Product Photography Challenge”
I always liked this image…., with the cheap sunglasses transcending into something ethereal!
I always liked this image…., with the cheap sunglasses transcending into something ethereal!
Thank you! Like you I can see the spaceship of our imagination flying to distant worlds.
Carl Sagan would be proud…!