Task given
A client commissions you to photograph their product in a creative and visually captivating way. To the visually stimulated audience, words are obsolete. The photographs should do the talking. This campaign will run across different social media platforms and be used on their website, in selected quality magazines, posters, and billboards. It’s therefore vital that you consider the composition to ensure the photography can be used in landscape orientation (for websites, banners, billboards, etc.), portrait orientation (for magazines, posters, etc.), and square (for social media posts).
The requirements are:
- All photographs used must be self-produced. Original photographs must be included in the report with a short description of the process, including setup, lighting, and camera settings (aperture, ISO, shutter speed).
- Produce a high-quality advertising photograph of a product of your choice.
- No graphic elements or pre-produced backgrounds can be used.
- The product photograph must show sharp detail and focus.
- It’s up to you if you want to shoot the product separately from the background and combine the photographs in Photoshop or shoot the product in a styled environment.
- The final image must be submitted as an A4 Portrait, 1920px x 1080px web banner, and an Instagram post.
My idea
The product I want to photograph is the Edelweiss night cream from The Body Shop. Personally, because I got tricked into thinking it was bigger than it was and I want to create that lie with my own two hands. Oh and also because I have an untouched jar of the stuff and have seen the product photography The Body Shop has used.
My first plan was to photograph the jar by the sea, then I didn´t want to risk my weak ankles and my camera to the horrors of slippery wet rocks. Then I considered a forest trail leading up to an old ski jumping hill with rock stairs made by the municipality. The product is made of edelweiss and the plant is connected to the alps, so I thought a mountainy-look was a good plan. Then my next plan was to photograph it all in my bathroom to make a contextual image. But my bathroom is a mess and has horrible lighting. A flat-lay image was my last idea to avoid the struggle of bathroom background looks.
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- What: Determine what you’re shooting, including the product itself and any props, models, backgrounds, equipment, etc.
- Who: Who will be involved with the shoot — models, stylists, lighting specialists, photographers, assistants, clients, and more? You need to know to take proper instruction in terms of the expected outcome and be able to direct models and assistants accordingly.
- When: Beyond establishing a time and date, it helps with planning time allocation, especially if you have several products to photograph.
- Where: Location includes where you have the shoot and where your “what’s” and “who’s” are.
- Why: You want to know the why behind your shoot. A clear understanding of the client’s expectations will put you in a position to offer alternative suggestions or, at the very least, ensure that your work hits the mark.
“-school text
I know my What: Edelweiss Night Cream. Possibly a fake mountain or a bathroom prop. The Who is me being the photographer and possibly my mother holding extra lighting. When is between Monday to Thursday that week. The Where is either a bathroom, shelf, or an old ski jumping hill. Then the Why is to show the luxury cream as something good and fresh. Possibly show it’s vegan and/or nature-y.
The how of possibly doing an At-home lightbox or studio fell on me when I looked for lamps at home with white light. I have shelves in my bedroom that doubles as a clothing shelf and a bookshelf. I realized that I could put white fabric, paper, etc to make part of it into a lightbox for my product.
The Days Before Handing In My Assignment
As I write this, my report has my edited and unedited photos.
The task execution changed a little bit last minute since what I thought was just exhaustion from my job (and paranoia), was justified paranoia since I had gotten sick. Since I at times work with young kids at after-school activities, I can get infected with anything on planet earth they might be carrying and/or be sick with.
My plan to hike out into the forest got scratched from my timetable as I could not imagine going further than a couple of hundred meters. And of course, I got my timetable adjusted as I got a new balcony door!
As I was sick I also planned for the scenario of me not being able to go outside at all, either because of the weather or my health. I was lucky to have my mother on my side and we together bought things for my light box (I am so glad I kept my medical masks from the peak of Covid, lol). We went to Clas Ohlson and well, it didn´t have what I was searching for, however, I found other materials that could do the job.
Instead of lamps, I used my camera flash. Instead of styrofoam, I used canvas boards. Instead of whatever bendy white thing this one tutorial showed, I used two shiny A4 paper pages.
As I searched for other props to have around my product I realized there was no Edelwiess in the store. So, I found the closest thing to Edelweiss, it was a nice pot of white orchids. And as a bonus, those orchids didn´t trigger a sneeze attack like some flowers do.
I built my light box and put it on my dining table by the window. The cold light from the outside helped light up the lightbox. The box and paper inside the box elected that light as well as the light from my flash. I took about 69 photos with the lightbox to create what would become the Instagram post photograph with 0 background.
Today (Thursday) I felt healthy enough to go outside to the closest hillock to photoshoot my product in nature similar to where Edelweiss grows. My grandmother heard from my mother what I was planning and informed us that Edelweiss doesn´t grow out of the snow in the Alps, but by the rock. So, I placed my product by the rocky parts and made sure the snow was next to the product and the orchid, and that dead grass and fresh moss would be in the backdrop. The product wound up looking powerful, fresh, and “green”. Which is good since it’s, you know, vegan.
Also, by photographing around rocks I kind of kept in theme with my inspiration from other The Body Shop product photographies.
All in all, I am pretty proud of my photos. I am also proud of the fact that I finally found where my camera flash was… I did not know it was the button that had been right up against my face the entire time, lol! Dang, I felt like Dora The Explorer. “Where is the flash button? Is it the button right by my nose? Is it the button that looks like the flash on my phone?” I can´t exactly laugh at Dora now. I have had this camera for a year.
You learn something every day, especially in desperate times when you need more light!
Yeisi Veronica 