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10/23/2008 02:31:04 PM · #1 |
I am considering going into product photography as a career eventually. I would greatly appreciate it if I could ask a few questions about it to confirm if product photography is something I should do.
1)In product photography, are the skills needed mostly technical or artistic?
2)How much do product photographers usually make?
3)What is the work environment generally like? That is, is it fast-paced, friendly, other, all?
Any other ideas/comments are welcome. Thanks in advance for all replies. |
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10/23/2008 02:47:58 PM · #2 |
1) The amount of artistic talent you need depends on many factors. In any event, if you want to be a professional, you must have the technical skills.
2) That depends. Are you going to work for an established studio? As a photographer for a company that makes a certain product? Start your own studio? or?
3) Again, it depends. I've worked for some photographers who were absolute tyrannical A-Holes and others who were a real joy to be around.
The real question is what kind of product photographer are you talking about. Do you want to shoot cars? That's entirely different work than someone who shoots countertop appliances on a kitchen set and is different from shooting stacks of sweaters for Target ads.
I can tell you that you will probably start assisting an established photographer no matter which way you go. |
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10/23/2008 02:58:06 PM · #3 |
If you're talking product photography as in the cranking out of plain-vanilla images for catalogs etc, then the work environment is very fast-paced. These people really have to crank 'em out. Gotta be organized too, lot of images to keep straight and dump into the graphic pipeline.
If you're talking about working a little higher up on the food change, as an independent photographer doing "creative" product shots for art directors and so on, then the work is a lot more interesting but there is usually strong deadline pressure as well.
The catalog photographers usually are in-house, or employed by studios that do nothing but catalog photography. The job doesn't pay especially well. The creative photographers, of course, if they can attract the right clients, can end up making a whole lot of money, but even in that area most photographers never make it to top tier. And if you're doing the higher-end work, you will be dealing with art directors on a daily basis, they will be hovering over you and getting involved int he work, sometimes to an annoying degree, so you have to have at least a modicum of people skills.
As for the skills needed, in product photography you cannot survive without really good technicals, especially in lighting. Maybe you can in the low-end drudge work, but not anywhere else. Images simply have to be well-lit, properly exposed, and with the appropriate DOF or they won't make the cut. By far the critical thing is to be able to light different types of surfaces to their best advantage, so you need to study lighting intensively if you want into this field.
R. |
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10/23/2008 03:49:30 PM · #4 |
Originally posted by Bear_Music:
If you're talking product photography as in the cranking out of plain-vanilla images for catalogs etc, then the work environment is very fast-paced. These people really have to crank 'em out. Gotta be organized too, lot of images to keep straight and dump into the graphic pipeline.
If you're talking about working a little higher up on the food change, as an independent photographer doing "creative" product shots for art directors and so on, then the work is a lot more interesting but there is usually strong deadline pressure as well.
The catalog photographers usually are in-house, or employed by studios that do nothing but catalog photography. The job doesn't pay especially well. The creative photographers, of course, if they can attract the right clients, can end up making a whole lot of money, but even in that area most photographers never make it to top tier. And if you're doing the higher-end work, you will be dealing with art directors on a daily basis, they will be hovering over you and getting involved int he work, sometimes to an annoying degree, so you have to have at least a modicum of people skills.
As for the skills needed, in product photography you cannot survive without really good technicals, especially in lighting. Maybe you can in the low-end drudge work, but not anywhere else. Images simply have to be well-lit, properly exposed, and with the appropriate DOF or they won't make the cut. By far the critical thing is to be able to light different types of surfaces to their best advantage, so you need to study lighting intensively if you want into this field.
R. |
I spent quite a bit of time doing what you call "drudge work" (I'd call it "creative suicide work") and you have to get the lighting (and the color) right even there. And yes, it's all about cranking shots through the mill as fast as possible. |
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10/23/2008 03:52:10 PM · #5 |
Originally posted by Spazmo99:
I spent quite a bit of time doing what you call "drudge work" (I'd call it "creative suicide work") and you have to get the lighting (and the color) right even there. And yes, it's all about cranking shots through the mill as fast as possible. |
Oh yeah, for sure; it's just that the setups tend to be formulaic rather than creative, so it's relatively easy to nail down.
R. |
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10/24/2008 11:56:23 AM · #6 |
| Thanks to you both. Your replies have been very helpful. |
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10/24/2008 12:21:01 PM · #7 |
Originally posted by Bear_Music:
Originally posted by Spazmo99:
I spent quite a bit of time doing what you call "drudge work" (I'd call it "creative suicide work") and you have to get the lighting (and the color) right even there. And yes, it's all about cranking shots through the mill as fast as possible. |
Oh yeah, for sure; it's just that the setups tend to be formulaic rather than creative, so it's relatively easy to nail down.
R. |
Yes, once you've lit one sweater, it's easy to shoot the whole stack as fast as you can get them on the set. I always think about sweaters because that's what I was shooting when I completely lost my mind doing this kind of work.
Message edited by author 2008-10-24 12:22:23. |
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10/24/2008 01:12:09 PM · #8 |
Originally posted by Spazmo99:
Originally posted by Bear_Music:
Originally posted by Spazmo99:
I spent quite a bit of time doing what you call "drudge work" (I'd call it "creative suicide work") and you have to get the lighting (and the color) right even there. And yes, it's all about cranking shots through the mill as fast as possible. |
Oh yeah, for sure; it's just that the setups tend to be formulaic rather than creative, so it's relatively easy to nail down.
R. |
Yes, once you've lit one sweater, it's easy to shoot the whole stack as fast as you can get them on the set. I always think about sweaters because that's what I was shooting when I completely lost my mind doing this kind of work. |
I knew somewhere along the line there would be an explanation of where it all went wrong. :D
Matt
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