Wasabi Green!

“Different” is eye-catching.

I create stacked compositions in my commercial photography to enhance visual interest. It can be cheesecakes floating over other cheesecakes, or looking down from 25 feet up as a client’s hardware cleans the carpet of a “restaurant floor” we built in the studio, and more. Exploiting these unusual perspectives are design elements that add to your product’s viability.

The Build

In this image there are 4 distinct layers seen from directly overhead. First is a green-speckled paper background laid flat upon a table. On the paper is a layer of glass beads like those we see in artificial flower arrangements and other uses. I bought enough to fill a large freezer bag and spread them all over the paper with gaps in the coverage to provide more variety in the background texture.

overhead photo of rich green and brown colored dishware supported over a bed of glass beads
Advertising photograph designed for Woodmere China

Then, 4 heavy-duty cardboard tubes, 3” in diameter and 4” tall were placed at the corners of a piece of 24”x24” optically clear glass 3/16” thick. Once the tubes were lined up, I positioned the glass after first making sure it was smear and smudge-free.

diagram to explain lighting of dishwater from overhead perspective
Diagram of how lighting technique can create an image with eye appeal

On another table, I had already worked out the arrangement of the dishes to be photographed to provide an interesting composition that also showed all the shapes.

Lighting the set

Next, the set needed to be lit for photography. Obviously, the dishware is the point and must look great. But, to not ruin the floating effect by allowing light to reflect in the glass sheet, I placed large light sources – 50” square to camera right and 42” to camera left. There were white reflective cards placed on the remaining sides as well.

Once satisfied with how the china looked, it was time to light the glass beads so that they were a part of the composition, yet not competing with the dishes for attention. This was accomplished by first using black cards to block much of the main lights from striking under the glass shelf. Then a single strobe light with a snoot and a light green gel was positioned so that it threw just the right amount of illumination into the center and top right to provide texture and shape behind the subject. I experimented with several different positions, angles, and distances for the snooted light before finding this one, the one that worked!

Frederick Commercial Photographer logo, Jeff Behm Photography

Call us! 724-730-8513. You won’t be disappointed

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Frederick Commercial Photographer logo, Jeff Behm Photography

Get in Touch

Looking for the best photography for jewelry, food, advertising and more?

 

Jeff Behm Photography

Email: jeffbehm@behmphoto.com

Phone: (724) 730-8513

Based in Frederick, MD

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