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PLCreative product photshoot for a premium brand
When a client trusts you and gives you a free hand, a creative product session is something that happens more and more often, as every brand tries to stand out, and in the era of social media and the huge number of companies advertising online, it is very difficult. That is why creators who can go beyond the agency brief and deliver something that the client did not imagine are valued. Wojtek, the owner of the loye brand, is a great example of how the client-photographer relationship should look like.
As is often the case with such projects, at the beginning, Wojtek showed me examples of photos that I should be inspired by. They were correct and solidly executed photographs, but they lacked character and did not relate in any way to the message that the brand carries. They were just ordinary product shots – packshots. Nevertheless, I decided to take a few sample photos based on these assumptions, and then, showing them to Wojtek, I said, “These are weak, let me do them my way.” Wojtek agreed to my proposal, and I started with the creative part of the assignment.
Scene
In this photoshoot, I decided to use several interesting props that emphasized the exclusive character of the product and added elegance to it. One of the ideas was a chessboard on which the loye bottle replaces the king’s piece – because what says “premium” if not royal play? Another significant prop was a mask made of small crystals. Placing the oil bottle inside the crystal casing gave the impression that the oil is part of a luxurious skincare ritual.
To build a small scenery, I also used a glass base, decorative elements provided by the client, and various materials found at home, such as a gold foil or leather. Water also played a very important role here, which I sprayed on the bottle. Water emphasizes the natural character of the product and its ingredients, and also gives a really cool effect, especially in macro shots.
There was also no shortage of playing with light: creating the effect of the sun shining from behind or rays revealing the inscriptions on the bottle. Thanks to such techniques, the photo session became more interesting and stood out from the rest. The use of interesting props allows for a unique character and style that attracts customers’ attention and emphasizes the product’s value.
Technique
For those interested in the technical side of this session, I will add that a macro lens was absolutely essential. This is primarily due to the small size of the photographed object and the desire to present details in large magnification. In this case, I used Sigma optics, specifically the 105 mm f/2.8 DG DN Macro Art and a few shots with the 35 mm f/1.4 DG DN Art and 85 mm f/1.4 DG DN Art.
As usual, I used flashlights, and the modifiers used were an octagonal softbox with a diameter of 120cm, providing the main soft light. However, in many cases, I opted for sharp light without any diffusion, as well as warm color filters – such a reference to warm bedroom light. The entire set also included several photos in which I mounted a promist filter on the lens to soften the brightest points, which also adds a bit of a dreamy look to the photos.
