[Irma]

I will be reorganizing my website in few days and I thought I didn't have any product photography... I want to include some objects that are a bit difficult to photography, like jewelry and bottles... and of course I can't miss a telephone or a cell phone...

It took me some time to get my light right .. Here is what I have so far...

#1


I don' like this ring, I don't use it even, but I think it works fine to show my work with light...

#2


I wanted to have some pearls, as they are very difficult... Do you think my picture works fine?

#3


Thanks a lot for any advice to improve my pictures...

[Toad]

The light that you are going for is lovely in all shots.

#1 - I am not sure what the product is - which is the most important aspect of any product shot. I am assuming, however, that the specific product is not important in these shots - just the technique - so #1 has great DOF, focus,lighting and texture, The bottom one third feels somewhat over exposed and so it tends to burn out the lower half of the product. I suggest cropping some if not most of the white space at the bottom. This will also help the dead center composition.

#2 - Again - if the product is the leaf, this is great - but I suspect the product is the pearl pendant - and the pearls are out of focus.The composition and lighting is superb on this one.

#3 - Probably the best "product" shot in a classical sense as there is no ambiguity as to the nature of the product and the subject is presented in a way that makes it feel cool and accessible. The heart is an inspired touch and it is just this sort of processing detail that sells product. It adds emotional context to a shot that otherwise might be considered dull subject-wise. Brilliant. This shot needs to be straightened, and I suggest a slight crop at the top .

A general critique. In stock and product photography, it is always best to look at where the advertising text will fit in the photo. Usually to one side of the photo is best. Successful stock and product photos usually have some dead space for text. Some blah blah text placed in the shot will help you with this aspect of composition.

These are really good kicks at product work. I have seen your work for years, and I know that you have a solid design sense. When I was trying to make a living at photography, I made a serious mistake, and that was to take photos that I thought other people would like rather than what I thought was good. While that works for some people, it didn't work for me. Understand the fundamentals of the market you are going for, and with that understanding under your belt, do the photos how you would like to see them. If you are good (which you are), your instincts are better than your brain most of the time.

[edit] on further analysis #3 looks "straight" to me in the context of the photo edges - but it still doesn't look quite right. Straighten and crop.

[Keith Alan]

Toad has some very good comments.

#3 is definitely a bit off, but then a phone isn't something that should be shot straight-on anyway.
That which we use and see often are observed throughout the day from many angles--pick one that invites you (and the ad-copy writer) into the scene?

I like how you're adding other elements besides the product.
Unfortunately this can limit the appeal to customers unless chosen wisely, so it might help to try several different things with each product to find either a connection or interesting dissonance that gets the viewer to engage their imagination.

Your lighting and editing is wonderful, as usual.

[Don Schaeffer]

Too much light on the bottom of #1.

[Irma]

Toad Thanks a lot for your review... Keith is right you have very good points in your comment...

In some way I am a bit angry because some things you mentioned I saw them and I didn't do anything or I didn't pay attention and let them go without doing nothing... It was very good to me that you pointed them out.

The background in #1 was taking my eye all the time, and I thought it was just me. I saw the dead center composition and I was so concerned about the post processing and the cleaning of the ring that I didn't think about just crop and place the ring in a corner...

#2 Yes you are right they are not in focus... I was more concerned about the little dark reflection in the pearls than to have the subject right in focus... I also like a lot my composition here... and I love it in bw because it has some nice grays... My other mistake here is that I used Topaz and that sharpened even more my background...

#3 I was unsure about the detail and I am very happy you commented on this... Thanks.. I strightened my picture with distort tool and I just took care about the lines of the telephone and not the lines of the keys maybe those are not so stright... or I need to use other tool.. I will check this one...

I want to reshoot them again... I thought already about a setup for this ring...

Having some room for text is a good idea, and yes it will help a lot to my composition.

Few months ago, I saw a video of a writer about how she felt after she wrote a best seller... responsability to give next something really good and the fear of unsuccess. I have seen this video several times because something similar has happened to me...

When I showed a picture that was a success, I felt the responsability to show something in the same line with higher standards and the presure was more and more until I realized that I was pleasing an audience and not to myself. It comes a real inner comfrontation, as in one hand I like to know that people like my pictures, but on the other hand you feel constrained not to step out of the line.

It took time to show my distortion series because of the fear of been rejected... At the end I showed my series, I was rejected by a lot of people, but the ones that liked my pictures supported the idea and encouraged me to do more experimentation and work with my creative ideas.

I know that it is a bit silly but my butterfly post shows a lot of the way I see my photography... I feel that I have to show first that I am able to take a decent picture of a butterfly to show then my art, my experiments, as if I had to justify my originality of seeing things.


Keith, Thanks a lot for your advice... you gave me a great idea to work with... I was just thinking to use one single object in differnt contexts as to place it in different stories, working different versions for different audiences...


Don, In #1 I had a different lighting setup and I think the light in the front was brighter.
I will care for that light in my next picture...

Thanks again to you all for your precious comments...

[Toad]

I know that it is a bit silly but my butterfly post shows a lot of the way I see my photography... I feel that I have to show first that I am able to take a decent picture of a butterfly to show then my art, my experiments, as if I had to justify my originality of seeing things.

Not silly at all. Your butterfly series is superb - and you are right in that it does say a lot about your style of photography.

[NT73]

1 and 3 are fine regarding the light. No funny reflections .
2. comes across as frog-spawn or tapioca/sago. Sorry about that Irma.

[Irma]

Thanks Toad...

Thanks NT...

On Friday while I was attending dinner with some friends at home, one of my cats got into my light tend and all went to the floor.. I had to replace a glass that broke. Good thing that my flash I had inside is still working fine and my camera was in the shelf... I reorganized all yesterday and I will be shooting again today...

[shuttertalk]

Hey Irma, great shots - agree with the others - #3 is something I'd imagine I'd see in a magazine ad. Great work - hope you keep it up! Sorry to hear about the broken glass... cheeky cat!

[Irma]

Thanks Jules....

Last year I thought that I will be working in this kind of photography mainly in winter... but I did a lot of work during the whole year. I think it is not longer for winter time only...

Just because I love him so much, I didn't complain more... Since he came home a year ago from the animal shelter, he has become the joy of our home....

[nia]

Thanks Toad...

Thanks NT...

On Friday while I was attending dinner with some friends at home, one of my cats got into my light tend and all went to the floor.. I had to replace a glass that broke. Good thing that my flash I had inside is still working fine and my camera was in the shelf... I reorganized all yesterday and I will be shooting again today...

ah, these lovely cats

These shots are interesting dear Irma, I can't talk technical but I love your artistic touches, I loved them, and I am going to see the others now

Thank you,
with my love,
nia

[Wedding Shooter]

Hi Irma,

Product photography works best without distracting backgrounds - one and two are not working for me due to the leaves. I also did not recognise that it as a ring at first.

Of course it all depends on where you want to take your work and what clientele you are after.

All of the commercial work I do is usually on a plain background to enable easier deep etching.

Great to see you trying other stuff.

[Irma]

Thanks nia for your comment and visiting my pictures...

Thanks Chris for your comment...

Of course it all depends on where you want to take your work and what clientele you are after.

This is what I learned with this pictures, there are pictures to be used in a catalog (mainly plain background) and there are others very different to use in magazines where the product is more in context...

As I am working this pictures to add them to my web site I was thinking to make a series of pictures to place in a catalog, to show what I can do, and others where the subject is in context and can be used in a magazine... I know anyway that for this kind of pictures, companies work with photographers dedicated to this field.... but...

At the end my idea is to show a series of pictures taken to a collection, and to sell the idea of make pictures of your favorite collection... I don't know maybe staps, coins or even cups, dolls.... Make nice pictures and place them in a nice template to print as a book... Germans are great collectionist or collectors? (sorry I don't know the proper term)... I talked with someone about my idea and found it interesting... so I am working on this...

I have to talk also with our insurance agent to see how I can insure myself or my work, against occupational accidents... ......just imagine working with colletions!!!