A recent project gave me the idea to outline the challenges with transparent, reflective objects
When a glass or clear plastic packaging is photographed it will let the background shine through. Also, reflections and color spill from the surrounding area and from the light sources influence the outcome.
The physical photo shoot setup of the object can mitigate some issues but a special effort in post-production can be expected as well.
Getting an order involving such objects should trigger special diligence when evaluating the involved work steps and time for an estimate for the client. The photographer needs to make sure not to promise things that can’t be created within the cost range of the estimate. Hidden difficulties in the shoot can result in multiple work hours. Some projects may look simple when seeing the end result but the steps towards that were complex.
Bottom-line, not all those more difficult products need to be more expensive for the client – it depends on the client’s expectations and what is mutually agreed on: if all is kept simple it can be a very affordable project for the client. If the client has the highest expections and goals I may have to spend several hours on the job and costs go up. I believe you can create nice results for each budget and both sides are happy … just let me know what you want.
The following example is a recent project that reminded me of the whole transparency discussion, so I’d like to share the results:
Composites – taking the shot to the next level
My goal is to break up the parts of a product shoot into pieces to assemble them later in layers to create composites. That workflow includes thinking about the number and type of photos to be taken during the shoot but also to break up an existing image into pieces and treat areas with Photoshop techniques.
Composites take more time in production and in post-production but the ‘sky is the limit’.
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Let me know what you need and what your expectations are – I’ll create it!
See more on my page: Product Photography
