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!

Boston Product Photography Blog restart

Okay, so I really haven't been slacking here, despite what you may think. My studio is a multifaceted beast that takes on all kinds of photography and photo illustration projects. For the last however many months, I have been redeveloping the mckeephotography.com site to more fully reflect one particular side of my commercial photography.

And, while we were at it, we started another blog at blog.mckeephotography.com to show off some of our more digitally manipulated and conceptual images, many of which are also available as stock photos from photoshelter.

So, why are we resurrecting the blogspot photography blog? One thing we do a lot of here in my little photo studio in Dedham, is capture the functionality of a product.

I like to think of it as table top photography that is designed to illustrate the soul of an engineer's or entrepreneur's design. The product shot needs to show the audience why the widget was thought up and what problem it solves.

Not always an easy task and even the simplest looking photo goes through a lot of thought and back and forth before we start setting up.

Stay tuned, gentle readers, and we will talk about product photography in the future posts!

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.

Happy Valentine's Day!

To a certain extent, I feel like Linus, in the Charlie Brown Christmas, except for Valentine's Day. It's all a big racket set up by a conglomerate, back east.

Valentine's day is so commercial that it, more than occasionally, borders on the ridiculous.

Until you drill down to the heart (no pun intended) of the celebration and remember what it is all about. Then, it can become sublime.

This morning, I was sitting at the breakfast table, reading my morning blogs with the boys and came across Scott Kelby's wonderful web comic, pvpoline.com. (Who me? Read comics? Nah! Never! Childish pap!... er...)

His blog entry about his father explaining to a young Kelby that he was no longer in love with his mother, that it had actually moved beyond love to something so much more, really resonated with me. I can remember a similar situation with my father.

The image above was created a few years ago as a Valentine's Day card for my wife.

Reception this Saturday

If you happen to be in the Boston area this Saturday evening and are looking for something to do, stop by the Footlight Club in Jamaica Plain between 6 and 8pm and say "Hi!"

The Found on the Beach series has found a home for the month of February at Eliot Hall in the Footlight Club, 7A Eliot Street.

I created The Found on the Beach limited edition photography portfolio after being inspired by a lifetime of exploring that magical transition zone where water meets land.

"Inspired by shape and texture and informed by delicate light, these images will bring you back to that first moment when you held a shell up to your ear."

Sounds like a lot of art-speak to me, but people seem to like these pieces enough to use them as the cover of a couple of jazz cds and to take them home.

So, stop on by and share some grog, maybe some tasty snacks. I will also have a some Found on the Beach books for signing. There are also a few Reflections at the Footlights books available (that was my portrait series at the club).

Hope to see you there!

Found on the Beach Photography Show

Found on the Beach, my series of images of objects found during beach walks, has a new home for the month of April.

Thomas Durand, the curator at JP Lick's in Jamaica Plain, and the creator of the MonkeySox photographic series, had a cancellation in his schedule and needed an emergency show to put up.

Luckily, my work was still in its frames from the last exhibit in September.

It goes up on Tuesday and will be up for the month.

Stop by and see it!

Matt

September Image

Spiral #3, Limited Edition, Archival Pigment Print, 10x14

This is part of a new, personal series I am working on, called "Found on the Beach."

For years, I have wandered parts of the coast line along the eastern seaboard, collecting bits of this and that. Unfortunately, the earlier items were lost as my parents edited my collection or disappeared during the several moves that we all go through. But a significant portion still remains, hiding in boxes or under the dust on my shelves.

And, during this past summer's vacation, my two boys have started creating their own collections.

So, it was time to do something with these fossils and rocks.

Shell #3, Limited Edition Archival Pigment Print, 10x17

These images are a few of the collection, and I hope to continue the series over the winter.

Stay tuned for more!

June Image

Seems to be the season to see how many bugs you can catch with your teeth!


What more can I say? I love the look of a motorcycle. I love the way the chrome gleams and the highlights glisten. The contrast of the hightlights
to shadows. The pure mechanical symbol of power and force that cuts through the air, taking its rider to
freedom.

But, I have to admit that, as I have gotten older, I have less and less interest in riding on one.
Probably a combination of too many crashes on bikes when I was a teen and more concern about my own safety.

The image and the series that came out of it, were created for the creator of the custom cycle, as part
of a campaign. The final images ended up on posters and direct mail pieces, as well as on the web site.