In that last few months, I have had several opportunities to photograph products for a very prestigious international manufacturer of technology with a facility in Schaumburg Illinois.
As is typical with any new client I schedule a sit down first and hear about the company as a whole and listen to how they want to use their new product photography. This gives me valuable insight as to how I should present their product and it may also give me a solid framework for or establishing the communications aspect of the shoot.
I feel that every commercial photography session should communicate the company's needs or abilities. So whether I'm on location in Schaumburg, or shooting in my own studio, every session needs to establish a certain level of visual communication and marketing.
Sometimes that is extremely difficult.
Especially when producing commercial macro photography, components so small that you can fit 25 of them on the head of a dime. Close up photography comes with its own set of physical limitations.
First off it's the necessity to magnify so you can see the details. However, when magnifying, the physics involved totally hinders the image's depth of field or the linear distance in the area of the image that is in sharp focus. In other words, how much of the product, from front to back is sharp.
The set up involves shooting with a near pinhole style lens, which of course allows in so little light that it will take some awfully powerful, very direct, highly modified flashes to light the subject properly. Close up photography lit improperly is very two-dimensional and lacks the detail in order to communicate the entire topic.
The last time I was inside the Schaumburg location, they brought me components used for transferring heat around the inside of cell phones. Some of these metallic pieces are ultra-thin and vary in color based on their alloy makeup. Their customers will know the difference so I have to ensure the lighting is of the right brilliance but that it doesn't change the color, or comes in at an angle that creates an unnecessary reflection.
Sometimes I'm setting up a shot with micro tweezers, a dental pic, and watch repairman's goggles. I'm sure I look quite funny however it's a necessity. As you can imagine the world's cell phone industry is very competitive and moves considerably fast. So the images I shoot today could be in worldwide marketing in less than 30 days. Worldwide!! Not just Schaumburg IL, or Chicago.
You don't have to be a worldwide distributor to hire a commercial photographer. Whatever your business makes or services you provide, I'm sure you'll want images that communicate your plan, your products, or your facility. Whether it is macro photography or tractor-trailers, Keith French Commercial Photography has photographed it before. Servicing the entire Chicago area and surrounding states.