TERM 2 - Kingsize Studios Research and response

Kingsize Studios

What are the services Kingsize offers?
- Higher Gear
- Studio
- Studio Garden
- Events
- Buy gear
- Work Shops
- Blog

How many studios do they have?
- 4 studios including a garden studio

What is the Kingsize Scholarship Programme?

Kingsize has a scholarship programme, it goes for 12 weeks and in that time the scholarship students (10 places) will have access to the studio spaces and equipment at Kingsize, they will also be able to go to the Kingsize work shops for free (that are normally paid) like Film-making for Photographers, Assistant Bootcamp, Intro to Fashion Photography and a lot of other workshops.

Price out how much your gear would cost you for your next shoot if you had to hire it all from Kingsize Studios

Items + Cost
$80 - Canon Camera (7D Mk2 - cheapest)
$40 - Canon Macro 50mm lens
$99 - Lighting Kit (Profoto B1 Lightshaper Kit 01 - Cheapest)
$10 - Light meter

Total $229 per day

Who would pay for this gear if it was a commercial job?
I think you would charge the client, we would higher out the gear at our own cost but add it to our overall charge.


Would you still charge for your gear if you owned it outright?
Yes

Response

Product photography research

http://www.wix.com/blog/2015/03/25-amazing-product-photography-tutorials/

https://www.bigcommerce.com/blog/how-to-rock-product-photography-on-a-budget/

http://www.gotgroove.com/ecommerce-blog/3-essential-ways-sharpen-ecommerce-product-photography/

http://wix-wpblog1-wix-com.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/07104235/hard-soft-light.jpg

http://www.jimdo.com/2014/12/02/improve-your-product-photography-with-a-diy-light-box/

http://www.dtphotography.co.nz/miramor-aug-16/

Final Results:

Response

 For this response I wanted to create a light box. I found lots of tutorials online using cardbord and cloth. I found it easier for me to used an old clear cube with see through panels that I already had at home. I realised too late that I didn't have A3 Paper so I placed my paper to try make a clean area to photograph.

If I was too do this again I would have used one long sheet of paper or tipped the box landscape. I wanted my images to look like product photos similar to the ones taken at Kingsize Studios. 

I looked into Dan Trotter from Takapuna in Auckland, he has some great jewelry photography on his website (www.dtphotography.co.nz) that I came across trying to find make up photography, I wanted my images to be similar to his in that I wanted them to be clean and crisp, I really like the image he has using a white background so I decided to stick with my white paper (looking back I wish I had tried using interesting stones or bobbles to use to stand my items on).

I also looked at Zachary Goulko from Moscow, he had more of a range of make up photography, he was actually the only one I could seem to find advertised! He had some really clean crisp images and his client list on his website (www.goulko.com) I looked through his list and I didn't even realize he actually does the product shots for some of my favorite make up brands that I used on the daily like Estee Lauder, L'Oreal and Clinique.





I first took the pictures of the small pin coushen and glasses case, I don't think they were the best choices as they were more personal items and didn't really look like a "product" photo so I decided to photograph the two lipsticks.

 I tried to get them clear and crisp with minimal shadow. I wanted something that looked like you could use it on a website or advertisement. I feel like the lip stick images are the strongest photo's because of the subject matter fits the theme.

I decided to use natural light because I didn't have very good lighting at home so I took the box outside so I could get more direct natural light. I looked at a lot of product photo's for lipsticks but I realized that regular lipsticks are alot different too liquid lipsticks and require a different approach. 

Regular lipsticks come in neat containers that are not see through, you  cant see the product so in product photo's you have to remove the lid so that people can see the colour and actually see what they are buying. The lipstick has too keep its shape and look perfect for the photo and cant be used prior. But with the liquid lipstick product photo's they come in see through containers, they don't have just a coloured tip so there is no need to remove the cap like regular lipsticks. Also the applicator is not pretty like regular lipsticks and doesn't enhance the photo or product so I didnt find many photos with the cap removed. The ones I did find looked completely un used and realy clean and crisp so I new I couldn't do that as mine are used and the lipstick had discoloured the clear wand. So I had to take the photos with the lid on.