product photography/art

New user here, had a question and this seemed like the best place to ask.

I’m looking for some resources of product photography more tailored to the artistic side of things. I’m not exactly sure how to describe it, but rather than the white background/product shot, I’m looking for something a bit more art and innovation driven.

My searches on google of ‘industrial design photography’ and the like, haven’t really helped me out at all, just wondering if anybody has any good resources that they might be willing to share.

Thanks!

If you can’t describe it, it’s awfully difficult to point you in a certain direction.

Product photography is aimed to highlight the design of the object, not the design of the photo.

It sounds like you want to take interesting photos using products? What products are you using? Who is your audience?

I know what you’re saying. I’m basically looking for interesting product shots in terms of their placement/environment/angles etc. I’m sure that there has to be somebody out there who is highlighting both the product as well as using some more innovative photography techniques, I just haven’t seen anything that has really hit me.

I have some product designs that I have come up with that I think would benefit from a more innovative setting than the usual studio setup. I’m trying to get it to look more like a piece of art with the product being the center of attention, so I’m just brainstorming and trying to collect some ideas…

try this:
http://www.photoflexlightingschool.com/Lighting_Lessons/Basic_Lighting/Product___Still_Life/index.html

I know what you mean- you want an image that’s a little more dynamic, not the typical static product shot taken to show features as clearly as possible. Don’t forget there’s a good reason for “boring” layouts. :wink:

The thing that’s worked best for me is studying magazine ads, especially for sports cars, but again, you have to be careful that the image doesn’t make more promises than the real thing can deliver. You don’t want to cross over to the dark side, ie marketing.

The photoflex link is wonderful- thanks!

If you look through the IDEA annuals, the photo credits are usually listed next to the photographs. These photos will give you ideas, and actual people to contact around the world if you want to pay for their services.

I like this guy’s work, in the Bay Area. Nice choice of model talent too.

http://images.businessweek.com/di/idea_winners/source/552.htm

Perhaps you may want to look in catalogues of home products for example.

I always liked the photographs of ID magazine’s product awards issue, you might check that out. http://www.idonline.com/

Perhaps look at exhibition designs for inspiration.

I did a photography project in my photo class where we got a wierd object and had to make a series of pictures with at least some part of the object in every picture. Thinking of it in a clever way, I put a yoyo in really human situation, not the best idea. My friend did a series of Barbie in kitchen appliances.

Maybe think of things you can compare the product with that will cause some bizarre ideas, or will give the mood that you are looking for.

Phillip Toldeano’s work is very nice, not products, but might give you some ideas.

Otherwise, stop looking for Industrial Design Photography, you’ll probably get more ideas looking at regular photography, and thinking about it from a product display point of view. For some really moody/whacky (difficult to describe) roam around the lomoraphic societies website, and member websites.

Dont know if it is the direction

But a good friend of me ,Ben Part,is a Photografer that is pushing the envelope with his style.
http://partb.nl/

He also took pictures from some of my products
http://partb.nl/frameset.php?catId=11
no-2-5-8-19

(the bike is te extra in this one, photo is about the clothing)

B-art

Exactly the kind of stuff that I am looking for, thanks a lot for the help!!!

B-Art
your friend ever do work for http://www.intersectionmagazine.com/
reminds me of some stuff I might see in there.

Don’t know, I will ask him.

And if not it might be some thing for him, Thanks.

B-art

Anybody have any other recommendations, or even links to some good non landscape/portrait photography blogs?

Thanks for the help so far. Hopefully the info in this thread will help somebody else as well!

We use Marshall Troy as often as possible. He works out of the city and can take the magazine shots and can get as artistic as you want.

Thanks for the help all. I guess I found a lot more of what I was looking for when I unstupefied myself a used the word “photoblog”, it helped me get a lot of results that I was looking for. I’m basically looking for interesting lighting/environmental solutions more for my 3d designs than anything else, to give them more of an artistic feel. I’ve always been a huge fan of product photography so I thought this would be a good place to ask, and it was! Here’s some examples of my work:

I know this is an old topic, but I was thinking that maybe people discovered some new photographers since 2007?

At the moment I am looking for something sober and relevant, but with an original twist, not the regular product- or fashion photography with uninspired backgrounds.

I didn’t find much yet, but I like how this photographer plays with the relation between “body” and location. I also like this movie still from Eelko Moorer.