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The latest remote product photography session for Krafty Gifts UK.

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Last year I began offering micro collaboration sessions as a part of my remote product photography services, where makers could send over a single product in exchange for photos with the aim that even just a handful of high-quality photos would help to boost business on 3rd party selling platforms such as Etsy. It's been really successful so far and while the availability for these sorts of sessions is extremely limited it's something I hope to be able to continue to offer going forwards.

My latest collaboration was with the lovely Rose Room Gifts based up in North Lanarkshire who sent over this amazing pillar candle and let me crack out all my best gothic vibes for the shoot.

If you'd be interested in a remote product session in exchange for a product feel free to get in touch and have your name added to the waiting list.

Rose Roome Blog (1)

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Spring themed collaboration with the lovely Catherine Lou Designs for another of their fun-filled children's cardmaking craft kits!

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Friends of Castlefields asked me to judge a photography competition to help raise funds for their brilliant PTA, and with so many fantastic entries I thought it would be great to set up a little virtual exhibition of the fantastic photography work submitted by the Early Years, KS1 & KS2 Pupils.

It turns out that we have some very talented young photographers in our midst with some impossibly adorable pets!

Well done Castlefields, you all did an excellent job!

Early Years / KS1

KS1 Favourite Things Alex P (Y2)The second picture shows two skulls. The biggest one is an albertosaurus and the smaller one is a velociraptor, both carnivores. The velociraptor was small, very fast and fierce.	EY & KS1 Favourite Things: Mia P (N)Mia's favourite thing is Nala.	EY & KS1 Favourite Things: Matthew H (R)
EY & KS1 Favourite Things: Emmie-Lei S (Y1)This is Emmi-Lei s favourite Toy Giraffe.	EY & KS1 Favourite Things: Elden O (R)Vinnie Dog	KS1 Favourite Things Alex P (Y2)Alex loves his dinosaurs, and we found a brilliant museum during half term. Alex’s reasons for picking these are: The first picture is an allosaurus, a carnivore. It has 3 claws at the end of its arms, a t-Rex only has 2!!
EY & KS1 Favourite Things: Annalise (R)Annalise's fairy garden	EY & KS1 Landscape: Jack B (Y1)Jack took the landscapes at Carding Mill Valley during half term.	EY & KS1 Landscape: Jack B (Y1)Jack took the landscapes at Carding Mill Valley during half term.
EY & KS1 Landscape: Jack B (Y1)Jack took the landscapes at Carding Mill Valley during half term.	EY & KS1 Landscape: Jack B (Y1)Jack took the landscapes at Carding Mill Valley during half term.	EY & KS1 Landscape: Matthew H (R)
EY & KS1 Landscape: Scarlett P (Y1)She told me she took this photograph because one of her favourite places in Bridgnorth is the Castle Gardens.	EY & KS1 Wildlife: Elden O (R)	EY & KS1 Wildlife: Jack B (Y1)Jack took the photos of animals at The Cotswold Farm Park
EY & KS1 Wildlife: Jack B (Y1)Jack took the photos of animals at The Cotswold Farm Park	EY & KS1 Wildlife: Matthew H (R)

KS2

KS2 Favourite Things Alfie A (Y3)	KS2 Favourite Things Ava E (Y4)My Dog Woody	KS2 Favourite Things Ava P (Y4)Hide & Seek
KS2 Favourite Things Ava P (Y4)Feeding Time	KS2 Favourite Things: Darcy (Y3)My favourite thing is Apple, my hamster!	KS2 Wildlife: Xander P (Y3)He told me he took this because he liked to look at the new buds growing and he likes the colours.
KS2 Favourite Things Oliver M (y6)	KS2 Favourite Things: Phoebe S (Y5)This is Phoebe's favourite thing, her cat Smudge.	KS2 Favourite Things Tom M (Y4)
KS2 Landscape: Alice A.S (Y3)Taken in Rome, February Half term at the Colloseum	KS2 Landscape Amelie P (y5)	KS2 Landscape Ava E (Y4)Temby Beach
KS2 Landscape: Edward G (Y4)	KS2 Landscape: Jack M (Y4)	KS2 Landscape: Jessica B (Y3)The landscapes were taken in Carding Mill Valley.
KS2 Landscape: Jessica B (Y3)The landscapes were taken in Carding Mill Valley.	KS2 Landscape: Jessica B (Y3)The landscapes were taken in Carding Mill Valley.	KS2 Landscape: Jessica B (Y3)The landscapes were taken in Carding Mill Valley.
KS2 Landscape Oliver M (y6)	KS2 Landscape Oliver (Y6)	KS2 Landscape Summer W (y6)We took this photo on our way home from Snowdonia during half term as there was snow on the mountain
KS2 Landscape: Tom M (Y4)	KS2 Wildlife Amelie P (y5)	KS2 Wildlife Amelie P (y5)
KS2 Wildlife Amelie P (y5)	KS2 Wildlife Amelie P (y5)	KS2 Wildlife Ava E (Y4)Sea Snail in Rockpool
KS2 Wildlife Amelie P (y5)	KS2 Wildlife Amelie P (y5)	KS2 Wildlife Ava E (Y4)Starfish in a Rockpool
KS2 Wildlife Ava P (Y4)Nosey	KS2 Wildlife Ava P (Y4)Sunshine	KS2 Wildlife Dillon K (Y3)Young Ladybirds on tree stump
Fungus on a fallen tree spotted on our walk in the Bridgnorth countryside	KS2 Wildlife: Jack M (y4)	KS2 Wildlife: Jessica B (Y3)The Cotswold Farm Park. Jessica saw the lamb in the photo being born and he was only 20 minutes old when she took the photo!
KS2 Wildlife: Jessica B (Y3)The Cotswold Farm Park. Jessica saw the lamb in the photo being born and he was only 20 minutes old when she took the photo!	KS2 Wildlife Oliver M (y6)	KS2 Wildlife Lola T (Y5)
KS2 Wildlife Millie B (Y5)	KS2 Wildlife Millie B (Y5)	KS2 Wildlife Olivia W (Y3)We took this photograph of the Bug Hotel that we discovered at Monkey Forest during half term
KS2 Wildlife Tom M (Y4)

PawD14blog (1)

Easter themed dog biscuits and brand new flavours shot for Pawfect Delights. The charcoal was definitely my favourite to shoot <3

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Valheartstopmotion

February has been all about bringing the romantic vibes with lots of Valentine's themed work.

blog cover Before any shoot, it's important to get as much of an idea as possible about what the client hopes to receive as the end result of their session.

I often get asked for products against a white backdrop, which sounds simple enough but can be executed in a variety of different ways to accomplish a variety of different effects. So I thought it may be useful to create examples of different finishes as a reference.

'Plain White'

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1. Seamless white

This background is my most used set-up, the one I will default to when given no specific instruction beyond 'on white'. It's a classic shot and looks good with any product, keeping soft shadows from the product and on the background to create the illusion of natural light.

2. Reflected

Sometimes including the reflection of your product can be a simple way of introducing an added dimension to an otherwise plain set-up while still keeping the focus entirely on the 'hero' item. This effect can be accomplished with our without the gradient shadows and is a popular choice for shots of glassware.

3. 100% White / Cutout

Typically used on 3rd party selling platforms such as Amazon or Ebay this set-up eliminates all detail from the backdrop. While there are plenty of apps that can accomplish a cut-out effect, doing it in-camera allows for consistent lighting and produces a higher quality shot which is particularly important when the image will need to be isolated from the background for use in print.

'White Surfaces'

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4. Creative White

Using liquids, or substances like sand or glitter can be a great way to add more visual interest to a shot which is incredibly useful when trying to get your brand to stand out on social media.

5. Fabric

I love using fabric backdrops as their varied textures can offer such a breadth of different effects. They're also perfect for creating a natural-looking surface in a studio setting, though when aiming to use any creative surfaces it's important to factor in the size of the product to ensure it will fit within the backdrop.

6. Backdrop Boards

Using boards for backdrops is another brilliant option. Including a 'horizon line' is great for tabletop products and also allows for more lighting options.

'lifestyle white'

blog 1 7. Draped fabric

Draped fabric backdrops have been incredibly popular lately and I absolutely love using this simple technique to add a touch of realism to a studio image.

8. Environmental 

This could be a panel created to look like a real surface or could be an actual space within a room used as a background. Combined with different lighting techniques as in this shot this can be a great way of manufacturing a 'real' environment for your product.

9. Props

Finally, introducing frames, blocks, risers and other kinds of props is a brilliant way to get creative with your products. These can be brought along, ordered specifically for the shoot, made from random items, or customized so make sure to ask what props are available before your shoot.

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I hope this has been informative and helps when planning our next session together. It's far from an exhaustive list and I'm planning to make something of a series out of this, talking about different aspects of the photography I produce. So if there's anything you'd like to hear more about in a future post, be sure to let me know!

KGUK 21 Low Res (13)

Styled product photography for Krafty Gifts UK. As always, each product was shot without any printed design so that each custom image can be added digitally before being listed in their online stores.

KGUK 21 Blog