Sometimes a client arrives with a clear vision. That’s actually the best kind of brief.
Grace came to us having been recommended through social media — a Birmingham-based entrepreneur launching a new range of ribbons and decorative products for special occasions. She knew roughly how she wanted the products to feel visually, and she was ready to invest in getting the photography right from the start. Those two things together make for a genuinely enjoyable shoot.
The brief
After an initial consultation, we agreed on a two-phase approach: a studio session first, then an on-location shoot. The studio work would give us the clean, product-focused images needed for e-commerce and marketing materials. The location shoot would provide lifestyle context — showing the ribbons as part of the occasions they were designed for, rather than simply as objects on a background.
This combination — studio and location in a single project — is something we recommend to a lot of clients launching new products. You need both types of image for different purposes, and shooting them together in one project keeps the visual style consistent and the overall cost down compared to commissioning them separately.
The studio day
Grace arrived with several of the products already styled as she envisioned them, which meant we could spend our studio time refining setups for optimal results rather than working from scratch. Ribbons are an interesting product to photograph — they have beautiful texture and sheen, but they’re also highly reflective and can easily look flat or lose their colour accuracy under the wrong light.
We used diffused flash to bring out the texture of the ribbon material without creating harsh highlights, and paid careful attention to how the light interacted with any metallic or satin finishes. The result was a set of images that showed the products accurately while giving them the warmth and appeal that a product launch needs.
The location shoot
For the second phase, we needed an environment that felt appropriate for the occasions Grace’s products were designed for — celebratory, carefully styled, the kind of setting where a beautiful ribbon actually belongs. Getting the location right is as important as getting the light right. A product shown in the wrong context, however well-photographed, fails to communicate what it actually is.
The location shoot gave the images a warmth and relatability that the studio shots alone couldn’t provide. Used together, the two sets of images gave Grace a comprehensive library to launch with — precise product photography for listings and catalogue, and lifestyle imagery for her social media and brand communications.
The outcome
Grace described the final images as exactly what she’d envisioned — which is the best outcome any shoot can have. She went on to recommend us to others in her network, which is how a large proportion of our new client work comes to us. We don’t take that lightly.
If you’re launching a new product or brand and thinking about how to approach your photography, let’s have a conversation. We’re happy to talk through what combination of studio and location work would suit your brief and your budget.
For examples of our product photography work, take a look at our service page.
Related reading: Product Photography: What to Expect From a Professional Studio Shoot.
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