Product Photographers

David Parfitt

http://www.davidparfitt.com

David Parfitt is a product and advertising photography I have previously heard of and looked at before our session with Richard on product shooting photographers. He has a wide range of images in his portfolio on his website of fragrances, fashion and accessories such as the sunglasses below and also beauty products. He has worked with numerous companies and business, for instance Mark's & Spencer's, Estee Lauder and the Body Shop to name a few. His images appear very clean cutting and fresh, presenting the products well so the viewer can see exactly what they are. The second image of his I have included of The Body Shop vitamin C range includes actually oranges, their leaves and splashes and droplets of water. This creates a real natural appearance because of the use of oranges, shows the semiotics David Parfitt has used to make the product appeal to its audience as oranges are fresh, healthy and fresh, giving the message the product is as well. I found his portfolio to have a very  large range of different examples of product photography, showing how much experience he has with this genre.

Richard Maxted

http://richardmaxted.com

Award Winning still life photographer Richard Maxted shows his style within his specialism with the two images I have included below. His images on his website contained in his portfolio are very vibrant and colourful, making them stand out to the viewer. Many of his images in have movement such as the second one, an ad for an almond company representing how they can easily fit inside a handbag. The fact they are also in a container rather than a packet symbolises that they won't spill inside the bag and can easily be found inside without having to rummage round. The first image of Heinz tomato ketchup and baked beans is very simple, but highlights the images well. They are well lit so the viewer can see exactly what they are. As they are a national favourite and almost every single household in the United Kingdom will have these objects, it seems that the photographer has not included anything else in the framing to distract anything from the object it is focusing on. But it also does not need anything else because of the popularity of the food products.

Eugenio Franchi

http://www.eugeniofranchi.com

Product Photographer Eugenio Franchi often includes back drops in his still life product work, different to the other two photographers I have included above. For the two images below, the backgrounds of each image works well with the product being photographed. For example, the first product of the bottle of Gin is called "Portobello Road" that is in London and has the United Kingdom's flag behind it, connecting well because of London being the Capital of Britain showing its origin. The Magners Cider's ad shows a tree as the background and includes a barrel of apples, which is what the cider is made out of. The apples represent how the cider is made from fresh, healthy ingredients, which would appeal more to its audience rather than a photograph of just the bottle. Both images are lit well, clearly shot in a studio as they are lit very well in showing the information such as branding and what the products actually are. 

Product Photography

Product photography is everywhere and is often perceived as a area of still life photography. Magazines, billboards and website's feature product shots whether they may be beauty, fashion, drinks and even food. Product photography can often be confused with being either commercial or editorial. Depending on if it is the company where the product comes from pays for the image then it would be commercial, or if a magazine commissions the image then it would be editorial, so technically it can be both. The aim of the photographer is always to present the product so that it describe's it in a way that is easy to understand, resulting in sales of the product.

Product photography often includes semiotics that communicates different messages through the images. The image may include other products or objects that are connected to what the product in the advert is focusing on, so that it show's the ingredients or symbols to make it appear more appealing to the viewer. For example the image below, of a vitamin C range from The Body Shop includes the product, oranges, leaves and water droplet/splashes. The other objects other than the product, indicates the freshness of what the product can do and what it is made out of. Semiotics are important in advertising images as it can be more tempting to the viewer to go out and buy whatever the product is.

Lighting is also a huge part in product photography and is very much all of the time shot in a studio. Being shot in a studio means the products can look the best they can be, resulting in more consumption and being bought in shops. In the studio lots of different lighting techniques can be created so that it the product can look how the client or company would like it, so it would look great in an advertisement. Many product shots appear to have a glow and are lighter than any other objects in the image, this is so the viewer's eye will go straight to the product. 

Product photography is a large area of modern still life photography and a career in this field can result in working with major beauty, fashion and food brands. It is a huge area of photography that is needed for a lot of commerce companies as well as small ones. I hope to develop my skills in this area, and working in the studio more to achieve this. 

Networking

Networking is one of the most important roles to result in a successful photography career and business. Whether working as an assistant or an independent photography, it is important to contact photographer that you want to work with or anyone that is needs for the work that is going to be completed in the future such as make up artists, food stylists ect. Anyone that is needed in shoots or for advice, it is critical to have a polite, professional and positive attitude so that people will want to work with you on other shoots and projects again. Below is a list of reasons that I consider to important when networking in the photography industry:

• Have a good relationship with clients, they will want to work with you again. 
• Networking does not cost a lot and with social media it is very easier and fast to present your work. A lot more people will then see your work as other may share it or comment on it.
• Conduct yourself in a way you would like others to present themselves to you, the more professional you are the better it will be.
• Meet and Greets are available for networking and events in most countries are available for others in the same industry to chat and create contacts. The photography show is an example.
• Never use other photographers work to market yourself, it is illegal and not acceptable and basically a slap on the face for the original photography. Also it could become knowledge that it could be not your own work and damage relationships in the future. 
• Always carry business cards, but do not flaunt them. Only produce if necessary and appropriate opportunity. 
• If you are collaborating or working with another photographer e.g. at a wedding, it is important to work together and not against each other trying to get the best shot. It will overall result in failure all together. 
• It is an important aspect of business and social life, that can create relationships with people that have to same passion of photography as you do. If you value these relationships with clients and individuals, it should result in a career long contact. 

Overall after doing some research, it is extremely important to network throughout your career. Whether it be business cards or social media, it is crucial to always be professional and aware of what could benefit your career 

Photography Events in the UK

Photography festivals happen all over the world. They are events that generally celebrate photography in all of its forms and technicalities. People travel all over the world to experience photography festivals, showing how interesting and useful they are. Many events offer portfolio reviews for the public at a price, which can be an extremely effective way of gaining feedback from photographers with many years of success and experience. It can also be a way of networking and achieving the interest of others and resulting in a few contacts that may be useful in the future. Discovering photographers and their work is also a positive of these events, it could lead to a new interest in their work and maybe even meeting them. Overall it is a great way of seeing different parts of the country, or even the world if you explore that far of these photography events, but mainly because of the knowledge that is gained from talking and listening to people in the photography industry. Below are three forthcoming events in the UK.

Format Festival
Format International Photography Festival is one of the UK's leading festivals of photography and media held in Derby, which occurs every two years and this year is held from the 13th of March to the 12th Of April. Every category of photography is included here, from every field you could possibly think of. It is known for bringing forward new work of the best practitioners in the photography world and focuses on the opportunities that can be developed for the people who are involved themselves, but also for the audience. Each of its festivals adopts a theme every year it happens and this year concentrates on "Evidence". The way in which the festival is structured around included its exhibitions, commissions, international open call, events, talks and performance, but also master classes and portfolio reviews. I would definitely be interested in visiting this event as it seems to be organised by people who are passionate about photography and media, but also offers a range of photographers work and an insight into other important factors of photography.

The Photography Show
The Photography Show is one of the most well known events in photography that is held in Birmingham NEC in the UK and is from the 21st-24th of March. It holds possibly everything that is linked photography over its four days at the NEC. A few of its popular events are its photographer speakers on its "Live Stage", who are always big names in the industry, a few from this year includes Don McCullin, Martin Parr, Tom Stoddart and Tim Flach, giving an insight into their careers and what has made them so successful. Other events that go on, is kit demonstrations that offer the chance to see the latest equipment used and also how to use them of a range of camera's. Software demonstrations such as lightroom, adobe and photoshop, the best skills shown from the experts that will talk you through the best tips and tricks of retouching images. Also many different genre's of photography such as Street and Garden photography master classes. These are just a few to name of what goes on at the Photography Show and there are many more to list. The show's website was very useful of what is happening and what are the best things to go to. I would definitely like to visit this event as it offers a range of useful photographic skills to be learned and also an interesting insight in to different area's of photography and equipment.

Photo London

Photo London is held at Somerset House in London from the 21st-24th of May and as it describes its self as a "Unique" new photography event. It is its first time as an event and will feature a international photography fair that will hold 70 exhibitors including many major photography galleries and publishers from around the world. It will had a range of photography from every genre and will hope to engage new audiences for photography and show new talent and promote the concept of photography as a whole that will draw different crowds from all over the world and from the UK to this new and exciting event in our countries capital. The website does not really give away that much information, but shows the exhibitors being included and where it will be held. I think this event has the potential to be successful, but maybe in a few years could be a lot better. 

Shutter Hub

(05.12.14) Today we had a visiting lecturer, Karen Harvey. Karen was here to give us information about the website Shutter Hub. Shutter Hub is a community and resource for photographers as a way to promote their own work and receive support from others. It offers a range of opportunities for photographers and people who generally just love photography, to attend events, lectures and workshops and a chance to exhibit their own work. The website is for UK citizens only and was created in the UK also. It does not matter what format of camera is used whether film or digital and the range of genre's does also not apply, it suits its members professional and creative needs. Karen really sold the website to us in the lecture, making the website sound great for promoting our work and getting it out into the world. She really told and showed us every aspect of the website and after looking at the website in my own time, I will definitely be joining to be a member in the near future. The fact that it holds exhibitions and curations, it definitely has the whole package and is a opportunity to see other photographers work, talk to people about your own and network and support other artists. Another plus to the website is having access to offers on software and equipment as the network grows as a whole, making it easier having everything under one roof for members. Overall it was a great lecture with Karen, being told about a network I did not know existed until then and I will definitely be looking further into Shutter and becoming a member.

Screenshot of Shutter Hub's homepage. 

1.5 Louise Lister

Louise Lister is a well established food and editorial photographer from Australia. She has over 20 years of experience and a very impressive portfolio to go along side it. She is also a professional food stylist, to go with her skills in photographing it also. Below are a few of her photographs I have chosen from her huge selection of images from her website. The top photograph of the crab achieved her to be one of the Food Photographers of the year from 2014. Throughout all of her food photography there seems to be a similarity in a lot of her images, that include a clean fresh appearance that makes the food look more appetising. It seems that Louise also uses daylight in her work but also studio lighting, which I think the crab image appears to be in a  studio setting. I did not come across one photograph that did not look appealing to the eye. The colours are hugely important when shooting food because it make the food look more healthy and mouth watering, which is exactly the case in her work. I would definitely like to take a few elements from Louise's work, such as the way some of her products are set up like the second image below which is of a number of proper and different subject's that make the image interesting and with a lot going on.

1.4 Shoot

Above are the four chosen images I feel are the best out of a shoot I did on Monday (02.02.15) and below is the contact sheet, showing the rest of the images I captured. For this shoot I decided to take images of Heinz spring vegetable soup, with a side of a few pieces of tiger bloom bread. I thought this would be a good option of food photography for my second attempt because of the colours and textures it would bring. I used a simple white plate and bowl, so that the main focus would be on the soup, but using a traditional large silver spoon and plain white napkin to make it bring a homely feel. Along with the objects I placed with the soup, I used a small dark wooden table for it to stand on to also give it that rustic feel. I am over ally happy with this shoot as I think the colours stand out in the pictures and are focused on the main object that I want the audience to look at straight away. I additionally consider the food I have captured to appear appetising and the angles I have used make it  look like it is you(the audience) who is about to eat it. My location for this shoot was in my conservatory at around midday and the sky was quite grey. If i was to improve this shoot I would definitely use a reflector to light up area that are a bit darker such as the bread and use a different soup that would be a bit thicker, unlike the one that I have used which is quite watery. However I am pleased with how this shoot went, as it was my first time at shooting soup and I would definitely like to develop and capture it again.

                                   
                                   

1.3 David Loftus

David Loftus is a very successful food photographer and is mostly known for working with chef, Jamie Oliver but with also many other chefs and cooks. He chooses to shoot with only daylight in just about all of his work, creating a stripped back "fuss free" that creates honest and genuine photographs of the food, with a realistic image and goals that its audience could also create at home. After looking through his websites and have a couple of Jamie Oliver's cook books that are shot by him, it is clear to see that he has a certain style that is carried throughout his work in his shoots. I like the way David only shoots in daylight, which I plan to do myself in the near future, as I am not too fond of shooting in the studio, so I feel that his work is a good influence for what I plan to do with this part of the module. Above are two screenshots of part of his portfolio on his website for food and drinks he has captured.  He uses a lot of colour in his work, which brings to life what he is capturing and succeeds at it very well, making the subjects very appetising. I have also found Jamie Oliver's youtube account that offers a range of videos, of David Loftus giving tips on how he photographs and what he does to achieve them. 

1.2 First Studio Session

For our first studio task in this module, we were set out to work in groups of 4 and shoot a type of fruit that was given to us. In my group (me, Elle, Lauren, Hannah) we were chosen to take images of lemons and an additional pineapple which was our choice. We chose our studio equipment and I used of one elinchcrom lights and a reflector to create the light in my images above and below. I think that as a very first attempt at food photography, I have styled to lemons very simply, which works as the images are supposed to focus on just the lemons themselves. Also having not much experience in the studio, I was confident in setting the lights up and knowing what setting to use ect. In my next session in the studio or when I am next shooting fruit, I will plan ahead and style them more successfully as I feel it could of been done a lot better with planning prior to taking the images, however as it is my first try I think it was a fortunate first try and has benefited my knowledge and understanding.

1.1 Food Photography

Food Photography is a combination of Still Life and commercial photography. Its aim is to make whatever the food is, appear appealing and appetising that are used in advertising the food to hopefully influence the audience in buying or choosing that meal, that are often featured on a range of platforms such as menus, packaging, cookbooks and magazines. Food photography can be quite time consuming in that it involves a lot of patience to achieve the shot that is most suitable, and moving the objects around and taking pictures at different angle may be required. After having a first lecture with Richard about what is required for Food photography and what environment and equipment is most suitable, it came to my attention that to make the subject more appealing, light is an important factor. Depending on where the light is can make or break an image of food because it could make it look dirty and point out any negative aspects of the subject. In a studio with manual lighting or daylight is more suitable to capture the food and conveniently in a conservatory if available, which luckily I have that will hopefully create some appropriate light. Sometimes it requires a range of people such as an art director, food stylist and assistants for capturing food photography because of the effort it takes to set the whole thing up, especially if it was for a big company or successful chef for example. After doing some research in books, magazines and online about food photography, it appeared to all feature to have some sort of rustic background and props to go with the food and placed on a wooden plank or table. I think that this gives off a more homely feel to it and is more relatable to its audience. For the next few following weeks, my intention is to capture a range of different food in both the studio and daylight.

Still Life

For the next 12 weeks I am to complete research and present images that represent the genre of photography that is Still Life. Still Life photography is generally a portrayal of a group of objects, that represent range of elements that will make the photograph look beautiful in the sense of, that it is appealing to its audience. The setting up and how the subject matter is placed is a huge aspect of this type of photography because it has to be engaging. Whether it is food or a number of small objects, they must be styled accordingly to how the photograph is going to used when completed. It is important to have good composition in still life photographs because it should take time for it to look exactly right and moving the objects around to get different shots can also create different view points  with different angles. Lighting is also very important with Still Life and is option captured in a studio where lights are needed and to make the subject look successful through camera.