Case Study for a Product Photography Photoshoot in Newcastle

Watch Photography – Results of a Recent Shoot
If you’re looking for a product photographer in Newcastle or you want to know more about the product photography process, you’re in the right place.

The Client
Our client is manufacturer and retailer (online and bricks and mortar) of classic stylish wrist watches and leather lifestyle goods such as handbags, clutches, purses, wallets and backpacks.

Watch Product Photography Challenges
As a watch photographer I’ve found that photographing watches is one of the most challenging areas of product photography.

photo of a black watch with brown strap in a case

When my client came to me, they wanted to lift the quality of their images. The images they had were a little flat and didn’t really maximise the sales of their watches.

Their product photos also lacked consistency. Lack of consistency really notices when you have many images appearing on the one webpage or catalogue page. If the images do not have the same lighting, same angle, same quality and same style, then it brings the look of the website or catalogue down.

The Solution
Working with the client, we were able to decide on a standard set of angles and lighting for the watches.

During the photoshoot, we were careful to take notes of the setup. This included noting the camera height, the distance from the camera to the watch, the types of flashes used, the power settings and the distances of the flashes to the product.

This makes future watch product photography repeatable to the point where the images always look the same regardless of if they were photographed at the same time or at different shoots.

As well as consistency, it means the client doesn’t need to repeatably write a brief.

Watch Photography Tips
When photographing anything that is table top size or smaller, looking out for all the details is the key to high end results.

Here’s a few tips when it comes to photography of watches:

  • Clean the watch well – make sure there are no fingerprints or dust. Wear gloves when handling watches – this will keep the finger prints off watch.
  • Set the time on the watch to 10:10 and the second hand to either the 12 position or the 7 marker. You want to see the logo and the 12 o’clock position is the standard place for a watch logo.
  • Use a brand new product so there are minimal scratches on the product – trust me, every scratch and blemish shows.
  • Pay careful attention to the watch materials. If the product is shiny, make sure it looks shiny. You can achieve this by using a combination of different light. The idea is to softly light the majority of the watch whilst creating highlights which add interest and communicate the type of material the watch is made from.
  • Decide on the angles and look of your photos first so you can maintain a consistent angle for each photo.

What to Look for in a Watch photographer
When choosing a Newcastle based product photographer for watches, there are some specifics to look out for.

  • Choose a Newcastle product photographers that have experience with watches – this is essential as watches are technical to shoot and it isn’t something that can be picked up quickly.
  • Review the photographer’s portfolio – do they have examples of watch photography? Is this the standard you’re looking for? Does the photographer do Ecommerce photography in Newcastle?
  • When you review watch photography images, look for the details – are the hands positioned at 10:10, does the watch look shiny where it’s supposed to, does the image pop, is the image straight, does it have dust or scratches showing that should have been retouched, does the colour look right, is the image sharp and clear.
  • Does the watch photographer guarantee their work? All excellent photographers should be able to guarantee you results. If they can’t, find a watch photographer that can.

Watch Photography Images from the Shoot
Below is a selection of images from our watch photography photo shoots.
photo of a gold watch with black strap in angled view photographed by Newcastle product photographer, Adrian. image of a gold watch with black strap in a case Photo of a black watch with brown strap in angled view. Product photographers in Newcastle photograph watches, jewellery, clothing and other items for ecommerce stores. image of a brown watch strap front view image of a black watch with brown strap  photo of a black watch with brown strap side view image of a gold watch with black strap back view front view image of a gold watch with black strap

Leave a comment