VerveCast

One of the things I really like about photographing products is the challenge of making an everyday object look good. Even it if is a toilet brush. :)

With everything you shoot you’ve got to think about the composition, the angle (of the lights and the camera), the lighting (direct and reflected) as well as all the technical stuff like the depth of field and the intensity of the light, etc.

Here’s a few test shots I did before the final one above. For every final image there may be a bunch of variants that just don’t turn out how you want, and often you don’t know until you shoot them.

The one on the left is nice, but it shows the packaging, not the product. The center shot is how you would normally see the brush, but again, doesn’t show the product. The one on the right shows the product more, but isn’t exactly natural, as the brush is propped up in the holder. In the end, the shot with the brush lying across the holder worked best at showing the product. Also, the shot will be cropped to a square format, so rather than being a very vertical shot, our final shot is a bit more square-format friendly.

I’ve seen Lenticular printing typically used for art, but it’s also been used in the advertising world. If you’re not familiar with Lenticular printing, it’s a method of printing which incorporates lenses (or specific angles) so that the final image has the illusion of depth, or the ability to change or appear to move when the image is viewed from different angles.

The ANAR Foundation came up with this creative use of lenticular printing for an ad that shows a hidden message to kids who are short enough to see it at a different angle than adults.

There’s a great post at DIYPhotography.net which explains things a bit more, or just check out this video which explains how the ad works.

I’ve worked with a lot of designers over the years, and one thing that seems common among them is that many of them play guitar. Another thing I’ve learned about designers is that sometimes they really like to design things—even things you don’t typically get a chance to design—so when I saw the Guitar Configurator that Moniker Guitars has, I couldn’t help but design a guitar.

There’s just a small library of graphics and a few different fonts to choose from in the configurator, but there is a note about being able to send them custom images for a mock-up. It would be nice to be able to just upload your own images, but maybe that’s a feature for the future.

Not bad for a quick first attempt. If you come across a web site that lets you configure a drum set, let me know, as we’ve got at least two drummers here at Z2 who might be interested. In the meantime, check out Moniker Guitars and try your hand at designing a guitar.

Spotted on Boing Boing, this sign at a recent concert asked people to put their phones and cameras away and just watch the show.

This resonated with me, because many of us have been to events where someone feels compelled to shoot photos or video the entire time, or post their status, share an update, etc. on a social network.

Sometimes these things are fun, and sometimes they just get in the way of disconnecting from the network and being in the moment, enjoying the world around you.

(Obviously if your job involves taking photos or posting updates during an event, that’s different, but if you’re seeing 90% of the crowd holding up smart phones, chances are they’re not all on the clock.)

I’ve written about portraits before, but here’s a guy who is taking his studio on the road… literally!

L.A. photographer Johnny Tergo has an elaborate mobile photo studio on his truck and inside his truck.

It takes the “shooting out the window” to a new level, providing proper lighting and an impressive amount of gear.

There is one little problem…

“Some people are not so stoked to get their photo taken without consent. Tergo says there’s been a lot of yelling.”

As a photo-nerd I find the set up really interesting, and can see some interesting uses for it, but I’m not too keen on just shooting people unexpectedly in public without proper consent.

(You can check out some of the photos on his web site.)

How would you feel about someone pulling up and shooting you (with a camera) without asking permission?