Apple Watches Photoshoot

Watch Karl go head-to-head with CGI artist Ethan Davis as he works to create an Apple Watch image that’s every bit as slick as Ethan’s CG render.

As Karl takes you step-by-step through his creative process, you’ll see him experiment with different lighting setups to achieve the perfect gradients and shadows. This includes using a range of different studio lights in conjunction with various modifiers and reflectors.

To deal with issues related to perspective and focal length, he tries different lenses and opts to take a focus-stacking approach, capturing a number of shots to composite in post-production. This is intended to ensure perfect sharpness across the entirety of the whole image.

This product photography masterclass is full of useful techniques and tips to help you produce super-polished ad-style photographs.

To watch Karl edit and retouch the shot, plus complete the focus-stacking process, be sure to check out Apples Watches Post-Production.

To watch Ethan create a CGI equivalent of Karl’s Apple Watches shot, check out the Blender 3D: Product CGI section.

To watch Karl and Ethan battle it out with this and other products, see the Photography vs Blender Shootouts section.

In this class:

  • Lighting techniques for product photography
  • Shooting with matt acrylic props
  • How to use a scrim
  • Lens selection for focal length
  • Focus stacking in product photography

Questions? Please ask them below.

Comments

  2. Gary Stasiuk

    Quick question Karl.. if you were not trying to match the CGI mockup, which of the two lenses would you have preferred for this style of shot.. and I guess why? I suppose there are advantages and disadvantages to choosing one lens over the other.

    1. Hi Gary, as demonstrated in many of my other product classes I make my lens choice based on the feeling of intimacy I need to convey in the shot. Shorter focal lengths bring you closer to the product for it to fill the frame and then of course the perspective of the product is different and feels more intimate but there is a limit where if you go below say 50mm (FF 35mm) then it starts to look wrong or make the product look too distorted. As you may have seen in some of my car shots a longer focal length is needed to allow me to move back and then see both headlights more clearly than I could if I was closer. So my choices are nearly always based on what’s best for the product.

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