Anatomy of a Product Photo Shoot - Part A - Begin at the End.

I believe that a photoshoot, whether for a product illustration, corporate portrait, or annual report cover, starts with the vision of the final image. Begin at the end, as it were. Ansel Adams called it "previsualization" and it is what makes the difference between a great image and hours of fumbling around in a dark studio.

The first thing I ask my clients, when they come to me with a shoot idea is, "where is the picture going to be used?" Almost always, they have a specific plan as to why they want this image. It could be a brochure or sell sheet, web page or direct mail card. Or a combination of many uses.

How they plan to use it is very important to how we create the image. If the image is solely going to be used in a product catalog, then the image needs to be designed so that it can share attention on a page with other products.

However, if it is for a press release or publicity release about the product or company, or if it is for an ad or trade show sell sheet, then the final photo illustration has to practically jump off the page to get a potential buyer's attention.

The plan and rational for each decision about why we are making the image directly impacts how we produce the image.

More about the Anatomy of Product Photography next time!

Pink Cadillac

This summer, as I may have mentioned, I had the pleasure of joining my good buddy Greg, from Controlinteraction.com, on a trip out west to Moab.

On the way out from his apartment in Dallas, we passed a place that I had always read about but never visited: Cadillac Ranch, in Amarillo, Texas.

We didn't get to stop at that moment, as we were trying to catch up to the rest of the Texas Rovers and the sculpture was on the other side of the road. But, on the way back, we arrived just as the light was starting to get interesting.

Sunshine

This image of Stephanie was created a little while back. We were shooting on a porch deck and she moved closer to the house. The roof line just cut the sun off part of her face. And, she closed her eyes against the glare. Click!

The Monkeys #2

All in the Timing, Poster Shoot OutTake. Brad Reed, an actor to watch.

One of my guilty pleasures is working with actors. They make it so easy to create fun and interesting images to market their productions!

Brad Reed, who is making his debut on the Footlight Club stage, had us rolling behind the camera.

Stay tuned! I have one more before I reveal Christine Conrad Lane's poster design!

Create Magazine's Editor's Choice Award

Hey, Wow! Thanks!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MATTHEW MCKEE PHOTOGRAPHY WON THE AD MOST LIKELY TO GRAB YOUR ATTENTION AWARD AND THE BEST SHOT AWARD IN CREATE MAGAZINE’S EDITOR’S CHOICE AWARDS

Orlando, FL, April 16, 2008 – Matthew McKee Photography won the A Most Likely to Grab Your Attention and Best Shot crowns in Create Magazine’s Editor’s Choice Awards. Engel conquered tens of other candidates to earn the title and was selected based on their originality and unstoppable design. The award-winning works dazzled the world in the Sep+Oct 2007 Northeast issue and the May+June 2007 Northeast issues respectively.

“Matthew McKee Photography produces consistently stimulating and innovative ads that never cease to impress,” said Create Magazine Editor Dana R. DeLapi. “Their work is always impressive and perfectly complements the message of Create Magazine.”

Create Magazine has seen some fantastic creativity grace its pages in the last year. From advertising to design, writing to gadgets, the Create Team has singled out the best of the best in a showcase for the May+June 2008 issue. With fun quirky categories like “Most Likely to Make you LOL,” the Editor’s Choice Awards provide recognition based on a different set of criteria.

The May+June issue of Create Magazine will be on newsstands on May 12, 2008. Create is also available online at www.createmagazine.com for Create Magazine subscribers and Create Network members.

This was one of the ads. The image was from one of the poster campaigns for the Footlight Club, during their production of Charles Buch's Psycho Beach Party.

The Knightly Arts

Well, this was an exciting shoot! This guy is a practicing swordsman and has won awards around the world. He showed up with two suits of armor and lots of stories.

If you are interested, he runs a school for sword play and other martial arts involving edged weapons. Check it out at http://www.knightlyarts.com.

We are having a conversation about a series of marketing images for the school. Could be really interesting.

The rabbits have invaded my home!

Omg, it's rabbit season again!

Every spring, they show up on a certain Sunday morning and leave little chocolate droppings around the house for the kiddies to find.

Jacked up on said chocolate, the kids spend the rest of the day climbing the pews at church and then fighting amongst themselves for the last morsel to stave off the inevitable sugar crash.

And, of course, there is always that one little foil covered confection that comes out, covered in dust bunnies and cobwebs, wearing last years (or the year before?) colors.

It was hiding behind the remote that was lost two tvs ago.

Sitting in Traffic

Have you ever stopped at a stop light and looked at the people in the cars around you?

Each one is the center of their own world. Each one is the ruler of all they survey from within their mobile glass and steel microcosm. They can exert total control over this little world, directing where it goes and even how warm or cold it is inside.

And, within that bubble, anything they do is justified. After all, they are the center of that little universe, with God-like powers.

Or, maybe I am projecting a bit...

Have you ever sat at a stop light and realized that someone was watching you from the next car?

The image above was created a few years ago, based on an actual event. I was the little boy in the window in the background...

Executive Portraits are marketing tools, too.

A graphic designer/marketing guru friend of mine invited me in to her office to talk about creating some portraits that would work for a marketing/branding project.

She had observed that press releases had a higher percentage of success when an image was included. And, that the type of image presented had an almost direct influence on how big the article was presented on the page.

She was quick to point out that there were a lot of other influences and variables that play a significant roll in the success rate as well. In no particular order: how well the press release was written, how much the release was aimed at the publication's target audience, how unique the article was, what other news, happenings or releases were competing for the same space, how much the editor had on his/her plate when the release came in, how much work they had to do to make the article work, etc...

We talked about the pros and cons of different types of headshots. The most common type are the studio shots, on neutral backgrounds, sometimes on a painted background. They are literally head and shoulder images. The pros are that they can be done fairly quickly and inexpensively. Several people can get theirs done if the photographer comes out to the office and can set up in a convenient conference room. Everyone's image looks pretty much the same, which works well for proposal documents, web bios etc.

The cons start with everyone looking the same. Not only do they look the same for the office, they often look the same as everyone else's in the world. Some nicknames for these images are school photos, passports and drivers license photos. Also, because speed is an issue, sometimes people don't look their best ie: unwrinkled cloths, matching cloths, hair, shiny faces, etc.

The next level up was studio style but with the addition of a stylist/groomer. The sessions for each person go a little longer but they end up looking much better.

In an image that relies totally on the person's personality to shine through (remember: generic, neutral backgrounds, no props etc) every little bit helps to make the shot more effective.

Another con that came up was that these images, if published, will only get postage stamp size space in the publication. If you are looking for a cover story or a full page section opener or even a half page article, these images probably won't impress an editor.

So, the other option is the custom portrait. The pros for this type of image is that you can get away from looking like everyone else and can collaborate to create an image that is an effective story telling tool for your marketing (which should be the goal of these images, right?).

The cons? Well, it is more expensive, in the short run. There are things to consider like grooming, wardrobe, location, etc. The production time can be longer and take up more of your time. And, a big one is that the photographer will ask you to share some information that you may not have thought of. Such as, who is your audience? How do you want them to feel when they look at this image? and, how do you see your self?

I brought these cons up to my marketing friend, having heard them from customers and potential customers for years. She said, "Yes, but they are only cons if you are afraid of success. Won't a better image be more effective and then, directly or indirectly, make you more money? Be more effective with your marketing?"

What could I say to that?

The big picture above is a direct result of that conversation. I can't reveal who it is for yet, but... The smaller pictures were done for Cambridge Healthtech Advisors. They opted to do both types of images to give them more marketing flexibility.

Restaurant Symetry

A while back, I had the privilege of creating image for the Fireplace Restaurant in Brookline.

This was one of my favorite images from that project.

Winter is here... Wish I was there...

As the winter days get shorter and shorter, I find myself working on a new portfolio of images from my various hospitality projects. And, I really want to be there now.

So, the new portfolio is tentatively titled, "Being Here..."

More as it happens.

People or Product?

Oh, the tough questions!

"I see you do people and products... and locations. So, what do you really like to do?"

This question supposes that I am approaching photography strictly from a subject stand point. That is, I am specializing in studio work or location work or whatever.

Actually, I approach it from a story telling stand point.

For example, the product photography that you may have seen on this blog and on my site is quite a bit different than what you might see in a catalog or Sunday newspaper. Those images, which require as much skill and finesse, are about commodities. The objects are there to be sold based on the description or at face value.

The images I create go one step further. They include a story about what the object is or does. More specifically, what problem does it solve for the potential buyer.

This goes around the buyer's question of which product is cheaper and goes to "I have this problem that is driving me crazy and this will fix it!"

So, what does this have to do with the gentleman in the image above?

His job is to install cabling for commercial network applications. He needed to look appealing to his target market, which were C level people. He needed to look like he knew what he was doing, was tough enough to get the job done and was a highly trained, highly paid professional who would make these C level people feel and look good.

I was told that the image was submitted with a press release to a major magazine for a business profile. It got picked up. The magazine's normal profile has a headshot that is reproduced about the size of a postage stamp, with a short paragraph to go with it. This image got them a half page space with two columns of editorial copy.

An effective marketing tool? You bet!

A Night in the Village, The Story Continues 4

So, totally in the moment, Greg and I started a dance. He watched me and where I was aiming and moved to position himself behind and to one side of my intended subject.

I would approach a person, a character, and make suitable noises. 99% of the time, the people would pose or laugh and say "sure". A couple of times, I got a suspicious look or a head shake. But, almost everyone was out with their best work, ready, willing and wanting to be seen.

And, I was happy to oblige.

That year, we shot 10 rolls of black and white film.

Editing was exciting.

A Night in the Village, The Story Continues 2

In the days of film, the moment of truth was opening that envelop from the lab and shaking out the contact sheets.

Sometimes, you are reaching for the loupe. Sometimes, you are reaching for the malox.

Of course, as a professional, we endeavor to have more loupe moments than panic moments. That is one reason why we always shot so much film on each shoot. Our mantra of "Just one more roll" was for the sanity of ourselves and our clients, who would rather we didn't say "The film was ruined at the lab."

[A little known trade secret is that some photographers used that excuse even if they, themselves, caused the film to be toasted. Not that I ever used that excuse. But, in 14 years of shooting film, the lab did munch 2 rolls. Really! They did! But, they were very nice about it and, luckily, I had backup rolls. Besides, 14 years, thousands of rolls and only 2 ever got et? Not bad!]

The first sheet came out and, as dramatic as I would like to make this, I can't. The film was a little thin, but otherwise perfect.

I was hooked and would be for the next 6 years.

A Night in the Village, The Story Continues

That first year was one of those personal challenges that was more mental that physical.

However, it also took its toll on our bodies.We walked over all over those 12 blocks, carrying a bag of film, spare batteries, and a charger for the second flash. Occasionally, we had to stop for a breather and a refresher.

By the end of the night, we had exposed 12 rolls of 120 film and imbibed a fair number of beers.

By two am, we were wiped out and ready to recover the vehical.

But, this wasn't the end of our adventures...

A Night in the Village, the Production Part 1

The first Halloween, I went down to my buddy Greg's place, in NJ. We met up there and packed up a rental autofocus medium format camera. This was a few years before I made the digital switch.

I threw a flash on top and Greg ran around with a second flash radio slaved to my camera for an accent light. It was my standard lighting setup of the time, only made mobil.

We hopped in his rag top Jeep and made the 5 mile run to the Big Apple in just under 45 minutes. We parked, got out and walked to a street corner and Greg turned around and looked at me.

"Well? Now, what do we do?"

To be continued...

A Night in the Village, the Beginning, cont

A case of Labatts, some great movies, long conversations and laments about creation.


Sitting on the porch steps, watching the local skunk make his rounds, the photographer's friend, who lived in New Jersey, said, "Have you ever seen the Halloween Parade through Greenwich Village?"

"Why, no,"" said the photographer innocently. "What is that?"


In a nut shell, the parade carries on a 30 plus year tradition of celebrating the unique culture of Greenwich Village, in New York City. Which means that it is artistic and grassroots based. And, a half a million people show up to see it and party.


It is also where people go to get their freak on and they are accepted for the individuals they are. Drag queens get to strut their stuff next to kids dressed as Sponge Bob. And, it all works together.

It is the perfect place for a voyeuristic photographer, who has a hard time approaching people on the street to take a picture.

Heck, these people want to be photographed!

A Night in the Village, the Beginning

Once upon a time, a photographer was told that he should always have a personal project going. This would help him to stay fresh and creative.

He heard the advice but didn't know what to do. There are so many ideas in the volumes of sketch books. Any one of which could make for an interesting (at least to him) series of images. But, most required a lot of preproduction and cash to put together. It also meant a lot of work. That, along with satisfying the current client roster, meant that the personal project languished in the pre- pre- pre- production stage: "Wouldn't it be neat if..."

One fateful night, over a few liquid libations, his friend, who lived in New Jersey, said, "Have you ever seen the Halloween Parade through Greenwich Village?"

to be continued tomorrow!

a b October, Happy Birthday to Me!

Fall has always been my favorite time of year. I don't know. Maybe its the weather, maybe it is still the childish glee that I feel as my birthday approaches (which has mitigated a bit as I have gotten older. Now it is more of a bitter sweet glee).

That first day of school. The first splash of color in the leaves. The first time you see the twinkle of crystals in the morning frost.

And, after a hot summer like this one, the first breath of relief where I really get motivated to do things without feeling like passing out from heat exhaustion!.

This image represents another part of my favorite season. Halloween approaches! It is from a series of images that I will talk about more as October proceeds.

The Cut Ups

I got looking back through some of my old images this morning, while procrastinating calling clients.

I came across a series I did for a local magazine. There were eight or ten products in all, photographed in pieces, printed out and taped together.

It got me thinking about where I had started in this business and where I was going. Like so many photographers who have been weaned off film for digital, I thought about techniques that we had used in the past but were no big thing now.

It will be very interesting to look back in ten years at what we think of as cool now.

What will be out? What will be in? What defines retro then?

Somedays, I miss film. But, most of the time I don't.

Does that mean I spend most of my time looking ahead? What about today?


Images ©Matthew McKee
Model: Julie Gilmartin
Makeup: Cynthia Murphy
Jacket by Harley Davidson