Product photography- is it studio, location or both?

During our 30+ years as professional photographers, we have seen a very diverse range of things to photograph. In this time, we have had to overcome one or two tricky situations with camera angle lighting both natural and flash to achieve perfect results.

What clients look for is the “money” shot where the product will sing off the page be it printed, web or at an exhibition. So my initial question, is it studio photography, product photography? The answer, in this case, is overwhelmingly both!

The montage at the beginning of the article sums up perfectly the challenges that we quite often encounter.

Product photography of a car fire extinguisher.

The image above presented quite a few challenges, the placement of the item had to realistic, that meant that the camera had to be squeezed in alongside the seat and because it is located under the seat, had some challenges with lighting. We are delighted with the end result, it clearly shows where it goes and is lit nicely.

Location photography of a dog guard with models.

Location photographer, dog guard and model.

Children and animals… They say the perfect combination of things not to work with.

The product was the dog guard and it was quite substantial, we needed to convey the fact that the pet could be reached from inside the car as well as via the boot. The product needed to be visible but it was more about the access. We had to use quite a bit of lighting, this was for the subjects in the car, the product and also, believe it or not the green tree in the background.

Location photography of a bluetooth mobile phone charger.
Location photography of Car mat in situ.

So I mentioned earlier that it was location photography and studio photography but I hear you say, it must all be location, well sometimes yes and sometimes no. We can fit vehicles in the studio, sometimes you will see the view through a window of a car or reflection in a mirror or window so then the answer is no. The concepts are still the same, you will need to make a mini studio set up around the product as more often than not the ambient or daylight is not cutting the mustard. This was a classic case, a black product against a very dark background, we think it is pretty obvious and looks good.

For more information about our Product photography contact us on mail@dpix.co.uk, 01527 874819, 07973 401819 or by completing our short online form. We look forward to hearing from you.

Call us on 01527 874819 or use our contact form