Prior to the full lockdown I had planned to keep out of the way in my central Exeter photography studio, it really is a good place to isolate! I had already been doing some studio photography, principally testing some diffusion material, and in those days and weeks prior to full lockdown I was emerging from the studio for food and light shocked at how many people were still out and about.
So, on the 24th of March with Lockdown having been formalised I had to do a trip back to the studio and bring some essentials so that I could work at home, it seemed like the pragmatic call.
Like most people I initially cleared the loft, and like the lucky people I sorted the garage. I attempted running even but totally stuffed my calf. And then I set about doing some quality product photography in a less than ideal space. This pretty much meant that anything remotely interesting that came into the house or was already in the house was fair-game.
As ever my approach is to get the shot in the camera rather than on the computer, these images are about lighting, not Photoshop. You can actually watch me banging on about it here if video is your thing, I also spent some time laying some groundwork for future video projects.
Of the images here the vodka bottle was a problem because the back label of the bottle is so well applied, that’s to say a power-drill with a wire brush wouldn’t do the job! Surprisingly the Côtes du Rhône Villages wasn’t easy, and there’s the rub with a lot of photography, the simple shots belie the effort that goes into them. This really was a shot where a much larger space would have allowed more control over the lighting.
Post-Lockdown Photography
The images in this post were all taken in a home setting but as things progress the larger studio space is again viable. A great aspect to this kind of work is that tech will allow work in progress to be shared with clients as a shoot progresses, JPEGs can be sent via WeTransfer and so forth.
To date it has been an enjoyable experience working alongside the client on a product shoot as with this Morbern shoot and I genuinely look forward to returning to this. However other ways of working are available including a more distanced approach.
As with any photography project a good well-articulated brief is essential. Clients are welcome to arrange delivery of items, we do quarantine goods at the moment so please discuss timings, however there is no reason why product photography work should be seen as problematical or a barrier to your marketing aims.
Feel free to call and discuss (07790 322176).