Photographing your projects

[GunnyGene]

This is specific to woodworking, but I suspect it applies to other photoshoots as well. Good article from PopWood about photo shoots of projects.

In real life when you finish a project, you deliver it to a customer, wrap it up as a gift or put it in your house and hope your family says nice things about it. In the curious world of magazines, there is an extra step in between “I’m done” and “what do you think, really?” – the woodworking photo session. It’s a big deal to us because that single image can inspire someone to pick up the magazine and buy it, and perhaps build the project themselves.

If we’re shooting in the shop, there are a few steps we always go through. With years of experience behind us, we have found that the most attractive images are taken when all the benches in the shop are moved into a position where:

Actual work on any bench or any nearby machinery would be physically impossible.
Movement between any two points in the room requires walking around, over or under a bench.

With those things accomplished, as many cables and cords as can be found are placed across any remaining navigational paths. Then the photographer randomly selects tools and puts them in unlikely combinations and positions on the bench. Plane shavings are creatively placed here and there. If we had a larger budget, we would hire a full time shavings fluffer, but our photographer does it himself. If the person who built the project is to be in the picture, the photographer poses him in the most awkward and painful position possible. If not, the person who built the project suggests a point of view that puts the photographer in the most painful and awkward position possible. Paybacks are, well, paybacks. Finally, everyone present enters into a lengthy discussion about the appearance of inconsequential objects in the background.

http://www.popularwoodworking.com/woodw ... production

 

[aksavanaman]

I don't do a whole lot of woodwork, but I would say this concept would apply to many other hobbies including firearms of course! I've just recently (within the past year) have learned to use a camera properly, and I'm more than pleased with the results! It's not just about showing off, but being able to relay the whole depth of the project you're working on. Words will do well at describing... but you know what they say about a picture, and a good picture is well worth the effort! Thanks for sharing Gunny!

 

[ripjack13]

Funny stuff Gunny! I needed a good chuckle....

 

[GunnyGene]

Funny stuff Gunny! I needed a good chuckle....

It's obviously a professional shoot of a professional shoot of a project. I wonder if they carried that even further to get a professional shoot of a professional shoot of the professional shoot of the project? :mrgreen: :shock:

 

[MikeD]

I'd love to have a couple of those studio strobes. Good illumination truly makes or breaks a lot of photos.

 

[aksavanaman]

Wow... totally missed the point of that article... it was late

 

[ripjack13]

Shavings fluffer.... lol!

Um..Hi...we would like to book a studio in our studio to photograph our project in a workshop in a studio and we need 3 pros to make it look like we are amaturs woodworkers taking photos of pros taking photos of us taking pictures....