I love the variety of work I'm presented with, I relish the challenge and find it fascinating to learn about different businesses and how I can showcase their brand with my photography.
I am often asked to photograph products and pieces for brochures and websites. Images of your products give potential customers the first message about your company - make sure this is a positive one - one that will encourage them to want to do business with you, and not your competitors.
At SMS Creative Photography we were recently commissioned to photograph a number of facial and body aesthetic machines for a company called Lipo Angel based here in Oxted, who are revolutionary in their technology.
Sally Atkins is the mastermind behind the development of the machines and says:-
"Lipo Angel Limited manufacture advanced non-surgical solutions for body contouring and face lifting, revolutionising the aesthetic market and salon industry with multi function platforms with advanced technology.As a respected UK business we felt strongly that our brand needed to be showcased with professional high quality images that would be suitable for use in catalogues as well as on digital platforms, we approached SMS Creative Photography to do the job, a local respected company with a great portfolio. With a number of different machines, various technologies and a sitting with our Medical Ambassador. Stella and Rob looked after us impeccably, keeping us informed and involved with every step of the creative process. The results are a catalogue of images that we are very proud to showcase across all of our promotional platforms"
The Process
Let me share with you a few of the processes I use to produce top notch, high end images to convey this message.
Lipo Angel products were photographed in the studio, they were very challenging due to their reflective white surfaces, LED screens and infrared and ultra violet lights. I used a Nikon D700 35mm camera and my preferred lens a Nikon 35 -70mm f2.8with a macro feature.
Firstly - it is always essential to use a sturdy tripod, as multiple images are taken, that are later merged together, so any camera movement will affect the alignment. Secondly - the lighting is crucial to avoid harsh shadows and too many unnecessary reflections, I prefer to use bounced lighting to give a softer light. Thirdly - set the subject on a continuous white background.
A little bit of technical nitty gritty:-
Select a low ISO
Select a high aperture f16 to achieve a good depth of focus
Use a slow shutter speed
Use timer delay of at least 10 seconds to allow the camera to still itself before exposure
Use different exposure times to record the different sources of light the product emit
The three images below show the different exposures used, they are imported into photoshop for the finishing process to begin.
Post Production
Rob is my highly skilled in-house digital artist, he has produced a brief description in the final photograph below of the areas worked on to achieve the end result. This is a lengthy process and can take a number of hours to complete.
Excel London
I have just photographed a Halo Photon Light Therapy Mask - the first of it's kind in the world - which will be with Sally and her team at Excel London 22-23 February.
Thanks for reading, I'll be back in two weeks time to tell you about a stunning property I photographed in the Peak District.
Bye for now.
Stella