SD Warren Catalog of Catalog Photography

7/28/2019 SD Warren Catalog of Catalog Photography

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T H E S . D . W A R R E NC A T A L O G O F C A T A L O GP H O T O G R A P H Y


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A PHOTOGRAPHIC MEDIUM.Dramatic photography canelicit an emotional responsefrom the consumer. It startsa chain reaction that triggersthe motivation to make apurchase.

FOCUS ON PRODUCTS.T h i n k of t h e ca me ra le n s as thee ye s of t h e co n su m e r . Th e ca ta log medium allows a photographer to direct attentionto important aspects of themerchandise.

Dear Catalog Marketer:We are pleased to present the S. D. WarrenCatalog of Catalog Photography as thesecond in our series of informationalreference pieces. As paper manufacturers,S. D. Warren understands the needs andspecial interests of the catalog industry.Addressing those needs has resulted in thepublication of this series of educationalbooklets.

The first issue was devoted to thesubject of catalog design, one of the majorelements of this medium of direct marketing.While each of the important elements ofcatalog produ ction m ust function effectivelyin overall commun ications to the consumer,photography carries the role of gaining thecustomers attention. In order for themerchandise to sell, it must be depicted well.

We invite you to sharpen your focus onthe finer points of catalog photography. Atthe heart of this creative medium lies the keyto more persuasive catalogs. Designed andwritten by catalog consultant ]o-Von Tucker,The S . D. Warren Catalog of CatalogPhotography is dedicated to those talentedpeople charged with the responsibility ofcapturing product image.

With our best wishes,

TO PROP OR NOT TO PROPPro p s and a cce sso r ie s can perso n a l i ze a sh o t , sh o w a p r o d u c tin use or give it proportion. Butthey must be chosen with theupmost of care.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS.C re a t in g an i l l u s i o n can be difficult work. Precious jewels,tempting food and high-energy kids are some of thesubjects that challenge a photographer and crew.

x Xrv\^jS.D. Warren CompanyA Subsidiary of ScottPaper Company


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TYPES OF CATALOG SHOOTINGS.A studio sett ing or an exoticlocale are just two of the placesf rom wh ic h y ou c a n p ro je c ty our im a ge to the a ud ie nc e .Your product wil l help to determine which is best for you.

THE ROLE OF THE ART DIRECTOR.O n t h e s e t , t h i s i n d i v i d u a lbecomes a pacesetter, a scru-t inizer and a primary decisionmaker. But behind the scenes,an art director works to interpret your merchandis ing philosophy.

LIGHTING TECHNIQUES.Bending, bouncing and refracting . . .a s k i l l e d photogra phe rcan make l ight t rave l in anynum be r o f wa y s , he lp ing togive a product added richnessa nd de p th .

FIDELITY OF REPRODUCTION.Top-notch photography andtalent should not be wasted onpoor quality separations andprinting. Today, new technological advances can help topreserve the integrity of youroriginal film.

COMPOSITION OF PHOTOGRAPHY.Cre a t iv e ba la nc ing a nd pos i t i o n i n g o f m e r c h a n d i s e a n dprops with in a shot wil l encourage a consumer's eyes to linger . . .and give the product abetter chance to sell.

THE PAPERSELECTION.Make sure the f inished cataloglives up to its potential. Deciding upon the r ight paper foryour project is just as im port a n t as c h o o s i n g y o u r p h o tographer and designer.


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CHAPTER 11 . While catalog photographymust create excitement, its primary responsibility is to explainthe product to the customer.This Togashi still life accomplishes both objectives,capturing texture and fluiditywith a burst of kaleidoscopiccolor.

C A T A L O G S . . . AP H O T O G R A P H I CThe environment o f themailbox (the catalog'sdistribut ion channel) isa h igh ly compet i t ive one.More often than not, several catalogs will arrive atthe same t ime, wi th each

to m e rs . . . i t is th e " vo i ce "that speaks to the readersand invites them to browsethrough the pages and toconsider this catalog overanother. The creative combination of all of the visual

photography, use of color,and qua l i t y rep rod uc t ion(separat ions and print ing.)A consum er looks at a catalog brief ly before decidingon furthe r interes t. The percept ion of the cata log is


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pho togra phy i s the mostcruc ia l , because i t mustclearly depict the productsas wel l as serve to excitethe senses of the reader.Catalogs (also referred toin the indust ry as "paperstores") are essent ia l ly apho t og raph i c m ed i um o fp r e s e n t i n g m e r c h a n d i s efor direct sales responsesf rom customers .D e s c r i p t i v e c o p y isimpo rtant , because i t mustf u n c t i o n t o i n f o r m t h ereader about the productsa n d t o c l o s e t h e s a l e .Des i gn f o rm a t se rves asthe cohesive e lement thatholds the other diverse ele

i n t he consum er ' s m i nd .Good qual i ty reproduct ionhe lps to es tab l i sh c re d i b i l i t y ; i t he lps es tab l i sht r u s t - w o r t h i n e s s a ndbel ievabi l i ty about the cata l og com pany and t he i rmerchandise of fer ings.All of the elements of catalog market ing are import a n t , b u t p h o t o g r a p h ylends con tribut ion s to eachof the others, and presentsa potent ial that is uniqueand necessa ry f o r suc cess . . .photography ca nelicit an emotionalresponse from the consumer. I t can provide ther e a c t i o n o r " h o t b u t t o n "

tions is to accept that catalog photography dif fers inobject ives and usage fromgene ra l adv e r t i s i ng ph o t o g r a p h y . E d i t o r i a l a n da d v e r t i s i n g p h o t o s a r ee x e c u t e d t o c r e a t e a nimpression and an image,for la ter recogni t ion andsubsequent sales. Catalogp h o t o g r a p h y m u s t a l s ocreate the ima ge, but is primar i l y charged w i th fu l l yexpla in ing the products ata g lance, and wi th generat i n g a n i m m e d i a t e s a l e sresponse.In o rder to accompl i sht hese ob j ec t i ves , ca t a l ogp h o t o g r a p h y m u s t b e

2 . The dress could have beenshot on a simple studio set. ButKi p Meyer chose a sweepinglandscape to give itand theentire cataloga unique personality.3 . A shift in the weather hasto be expected when you reon location. This ambitiousphotographer turns a drearymorning rain into an opportunity to shoot an unusualsetting.


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1. Photography can play on thesense of touch as well as thesense of sight. Here, DenesPetoe uses a collage of fabricsand textures to counterpointthe suppleness of beautifullygrained leather.

B a c k g r o u n d s a n d b a c k drops need to be careful lythough t ou t and chosen .Color and texture shouldbe used considerately andpsychologically. Props andaccessor ies need to bel o g i c a l l y p l a n n e d a n ds t ra teg ica l l y p laced . Thep r o d u c t s m u s t b e w e l lcomposed within the frameof the des igna ted spaceal locat ion. Light ing shouldbe dramatic, def ining andwell placed.These are a l l creat iveand art ist ic judgment cal lst h a t a r e i m p e r a t i v e i na c c o m p l i s h i n g e f f e c t i v eca ta log pho tography , bu t

p h o to g ra p h y w i l l " sp e a k "clearly and persuasively toi ts prospect ive audience.The camera w i l l cap tu rethe essence of the merchandise and go further todefine it to the viewer's sat-i s f a c t i o n . But the lensneeds he lp . L ike a computer, it will only do what itis to ld .The pho tographer , theart director and the stylists h a r e r e s p o n s i b i l i t y f o rdirecting the camera in itso b j e c t i v e o f d i s p l a y i n gproducts. Their combinedstrategy, as in any marketing project, is what guidesthe attainment of the pho

As a c rea t ive dec is io nmaker on the set of a catal o g sh o o t , yo u a re n o texpected to have an extens ive technica l k now ledg eo f cameras , lenses , fo r mats, f i lms and f i lm proc-e s s i n g . You s h o u l d ,however, have a work ingknow ledge o f each of theseareas, part icu lar ly i f youp la n t o d i c t a te sp e c i f i cd i r e c t i o n t o t h e p h o t o g r a p h e r . A r t d i r e c t o r sand designers should cond u c t t h e i r o w n o n g o in gresearch on photography,and sho uld try to stay as upto date as possible on newd e v e l o p m e n t s i n t h e


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alog a r t d i rec t o r w i t h af ounda t i on o f know l edgeand usefu l background.Basic camera body formats used in catalog photography relate to the f i lmsize. View camera bodiesinc lude 4"x5" , 5 "x7" and8"x10" respect i ve ly , w i theach of the s izes quotedindicat ing the actual size oft he f i l m a c c o m m o d a t e d .4 " x 5 " e q u i p m e n t w i l lprovide m ore of a range ofdep t h o f f i e l d t han t heo t h e r t w o v i e w c a m e r asizes. This means that at ighter focus can be heldon i t em s p l aced deepe rand fur ther in to the f rame

in order to stop act ion andmovement. They are singlel ens re f l ex cam eras (o rSLR's) and u t i l i ze e i ther3 5 M M f i l m o r 2V*!'x2V*!'f i lm . Stop act ion capabi l i tya l lows the fashion modelsto move and sway to turnand change pose, wh ichcan show t he ga rm en t sbe i ng wo rn t o a be t t e ra d v a n t a g e . S h o o t i n g3 5 M M o r 21/4" f i l m a l sog i ves t he oppo r t un i t y t oexpose more f i lm , so thatthe ar t d i rector has f romone to three ro l ls of 36e x p o s u r e s e a c h f r o mwh ich to select the shot forr e p r o d u c t i o n . T h e r e is

In Chapter Four we coverthe basics of l ight ing techn i ques f o r ca t a l og pho tography. It is necessa ry fordesigners and art directorsto have some kno wledge ofw h a t c an be d o n e w i t hl ight ing, so that their concepts as presented to thephotographer are real ist icand attainable.Recogn iz ing the cont r i bu t ion o f photography tocata log market ing is onestep toward achieving thef inest d isplay for m erchandise. Better display translates to more dollar salesa n d t o m o r e e f f i c i e n tshoot ing schedules.

2 . Rosemary Howard selectsa background that adds insightto the merchandise. TheCentral Park setting has a nonchalance that's perfect forsophisticated sportswear.3 . Even minute details can playsignificant visual and psychological roles in well plannedphotography. The border ofthese wicker chairs suggest thepattern of the model's jacket;the pearls an d French wine aretrappings of a cosmopolitan lifestyle. Photograph by RosemaryHoward,


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CHAPTER 21. Seth Roth gives addeddimension to housewaresthrough the use of consumerconsiderate photography. Thepresentation is clear, understandable and visually pleasing.2 . Without a doubt, the merchandise is the star. But acluster of soft pillows helpsto "humanize" the fashion inthis Rosemary Howardphotograph.

F O C U S O NP R O D U C Te of the most exciting opportunit ies pres e n t e d t h r o u g h t h em e d i u m o f p h o t o g r a p h yfor catalogers is FOCUS...the abi l i ty to l i teral ly and

accessories, but the itemsb e i n g o f f e r e d f o r s a l e .Everything else is there tosusta in, sup port, explain orenhance.The lens of the camera

m e d i u m . Th in k in g a b o u tp h o t o g r a p h i c d e p i c t i o n sfrom the customer's perspective is a way of ensuri n g t h a t a " co n s id e ra te "market ing presentat ion is


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wil l be pleasing to the consumer...addressing t he i rneeds, in a thou gh t fu l andvisual ly courteous m anner.This consumer perspective is more a mind set thana technique, requi r ing d isc i p l i ne and se l f - t r a i n i ngf rom the ar t d i rec to r andthe photographer. Conside r a te m a r k e t i n g a d d s adimension to cata log pho-t o g r a p h y b e y o n d j u s tshowing products to the i rbest advantage. I t contributes the l i t t le touches thatbetter explain an i tem; theuse of a hand to "sca le" aproduct for size; the decision to show something in

understandable, p leasing,use-i l lustrated and bel ievable. In short, it means catal og pho t og raphy t ha t i sthought fu l ly presented.T h i s k i n d o f p r o d u c tfocus shou ld be p lannedfor up- f ron t , f rom des ignconcept and layout. Notat i o n s r e g a r d i n g s p e c i f i cdepict ions can be made onthe layouts in the form ofexp lanat ions fo r the phot og raphe r and s t y l i s t . A" l a y o u t q u a l i f i c a t i o n "m ee t i ng shou l d be he l dp r i o r t o s h o o t i n g , a n dw ou ld include the art directo r , s t y l i s t , pho tographera n d p h o t o g r a p h e r ' s

the en t i re ca ta log shoot ,and wi l l help to avoid anysurpr ises on the set ( l ikethe need for specif ic prop s,or the degree of compl icat ion o f a requ ired set.)T h e c h e c k p o i n t f o re n s u r i n g t h a t t h e p h o tograph of a g iven productw i l l m ee t t he consum er -c o n s i d e r a t e market ingob j ec t i ve i s t he v i ew i ngo f t he se t f r o m be h i n dthe camera. At th is stage,t h e a r t d i r e c t o r s h o u l dmake the f ina l dec is ionsr e g a r d i n g t h e p h o t o g raph i c i n t e rp re t a t i on o fthe merchandise. A polaro id shot of the on-camera

3 . Tabletop shooting is the fastest and most economical type ofcatalog photography. The background sweep and overheadlighting help the photographerto maintain a consistency inhis shots.


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1 . Concentrating on importantfeatures of a product can createsurprising results. Here, theprimitive appeal of a luxuriousliving room is brought intoprominence by the look of anAfrican plain. Photographedby Amazeen for Spiegel.2 . Varying the size of the shots,as we've done on this page,helps to add impact. Photographed by Amazeen forSpiegel.

t h e c o m p o s i t i o n ( o rarrangement of the subjectwithin the space) for maxi m u m d i s p l a y p o t e n t i a l .Polaroid shots taken priorto the exposures of reproduct ion f i lm can be ut il izedto scrutinize the set for alldetails, i.e. checking angle,clari ty of l ight ing, productde f i n i t i on , con t ras t , compos i t ion , and accompanying props.P h o t o g r a p h y p r o v i d e san opportun i ty to make av isua l reques t fo r a t ten t i on . Products can be prese n te d w i t h imp a c t a n dwi th c rea t ive f la i r . Spo t l igh t ing the merchand ise

focus needed in order toc o m m u n i c a t e i n s t a n t l ythat the i tems offered arei m p o r t a n t . P h o t o g r a p h ycan ensure that po sit ion ofmerchand is ing au thor i t y .An d cu s to me rs w i l l t a keyour lead.Natura l ly , the merchandise must l ive up to thepromises that are made inthe printed depict ion . Catalog customers tend to havea trust factor in photography, essent ia l ly be l iev ingthat they wi l l rece ive themerchandise looking verymuch as i t was shown inthe catalog. Care should betaken to never abuse the

merchand ise look be t te rthan i t rea l l y i s . Pho toretouching should only beused to correct a f law orchip in the sample, not toenhance the look o r tocover up an undes i rab ledetail of the product. A disappointed mail order cust o me r i s u su a l l y a lostcustomer.Use the medium of photography to focus on themerchand ise and show i tt o i t s b e s t a d v a n t a g e .Al low it to speak for itself. Ift h e i t e m i s o u t s ta n d in gbecause of its design lines,shoot i t f rom an angle thatreflects that design. If per


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i n u se . Co n ce n t ra te o ndetermin ing the f inest features of each item of merc h a n d i s e , a n d t h e n o nfocusing the in terpretat ionthroug h the camera lens.Through des ign o f thespread (mak ing su re tha tnoth ing gets overpoweredor lost , ) and through thep h o t o g r a p h i c d i s p l a y , i tcan be assured that eachproduct gets i ts fair shareof a t tent ion f rom the pros p e c t i v e c u s t o m e r . T h i sdoes not mean that al l ofthe merchandise must bet rea ted democra t ica l l y insize allocation. Equal size

ing the size of the subjectsis visua l ly mo re intere st ingto the reader. For example,focus g roup s tud ies havep r o v i d e d q u a l i t a t i v eresearch on cata log con sumer behavior. When presen ted w i th two d i f fe ren tspreads to look at (one w ith10 equal size pho togra phicdep ict ions, and one with 10sho ts tha t va r ied in s izea l l o ca t i o n f ro m sma l l t oqui te large ), the t im e theconsumer spent observ ingt h e v a r i a b l e p h o t o s i z esp re a d wa s t h re e t ime sl o n g e r . T h e n u m b e r o fi tems on both spreads wasexactly the same, and the

d isp lay is s im p ly favoredby ca ta log readers , andgives the products more ofa chance to be fairly seen.It a l s o p r o v i d e s a nopportun i ty to s t rengthenyour authori ty posi t ion ingas experts on the kind ofmerchandise that you areo f f e r i n g . B y a l l o c a t i n gsome large space depict ions on every spread inthe book you are imply ingthat products selected forth is t rea tment a re import a n t . C u s t o m e r s e x p e c ts o m e t h i n g i m p o r t a n t o ne a c h s p r e a d . T h e y m a ygive a spread short atten-t i o n i f t h a t m e s s a g e

3 . A n antique bench managesto give this stack of towelsa sense of authority. Photographed by Marcus Tullis.4* The merchandise mustlive up to the promises madein the catalog. Here, JamesCaulfield allows the fabric ofthis dress to ripple, billow andfoldjust the way it would inreal life.


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CHAPTER 31 . The possibilities for a studiostill life are virtually limitless.Here, a satin draped torsobecomes powerful enough toshowcase a treasure trove ofaccessories and jewels. Photographed by Lynn Sugar man.

T here are four basickinds of catalog photography required forthis specialized one-on-one market ing channel .

T Y P E S O FC A T A L O GS H O O T I N G St y p e o f s h o o t i n g c a ndeliver remarkable catalogsales results. The choice ofwhich types of shootingsare right for your catalog

TUDIO STILL LIFES. T h emost popular type ofc a t a l o g s h o o t ,especially for hard goodsincluding gift and decor


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c o n t r o l l e d l i g h t i n g . T h euse o f sma l l sweeps (atable-like face that curvesgradually up at the back toform a 90 degree vert icalangle f rom the horizonta larea) gives a photographeran a tmo sphere backdropwi thou t a hor izon l ine todetract f rom the merchandise. A sweep also al lowsf lex ib i l i ty o f l ight ing, makin g it possible to darken thebackground beh ind a product for added richness ofcolor and drama. I t is alsopossible to blast l ight onthe foregr ound of a sweep,w h i c h w i l l m e a s u r a b l yl ighten the depth of tone in

c o n s t r u c t e d t o a l l o wattaching a backdrop material to it. Plexiglass is f requent ly used, and comes inm a n y d if f e r e n t c o l o r s ,i n c l u d i n g b l a c k , f r o s t e dgrey and wh i te , red, green,b lue, e tc . The surface isshiny, and will be reflectiveo f t h e p ro d u c t t h a t i splaced on it, resulting in ashadow-like effect. Underl ight ing can be used withfrosted white or grey plexiglass sweep backgrounds .Using l ights beamed up att h e m e r c h a n d i s e f r o munderneath the sweep wi l lg ive a softer def init ion ofthe i tems.

tude of colors and shades.Both seamless papers andro l led Formica work we l lon sweeps . They prese nt as m o o t h c o n t i n u a t i o n o fcolor for a product sett ing,and are relat ively inexpens ive backdrops. No-seamp a p e r b a c k g r o u n d s a r el imited as to the num ber oft imes they can be usedbecause of the fragi l i ty ofthe paper material. I t mustbe handled very careful lyt o a v o i d c r e a s e s , f o l d s ,s c u f f m a r k s a n df ingerpr in ts .Other background con s id e ra t i o n s f o r t a b le t o ps t i l l lifes are p rac t ica l l y

2 . Iggy Ruggieri relies oncontrolled lighting and a reflective surface to accentuate thesymme try of opalescent glassware. T he effect is simple, yetstartling.


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1. Studio fashion shooting givesthe photographer more controlin lighting. Here, dramatic contrasts of shadow and light helpJames Caulfield create theproper mood.2 . A studio set doesnt have tobe elaborate. The simple drapeof an interesting fabric can givea shot tremendous impact. Photographed by James DeeDaley*

wal lpapers and wa l l fab r i c s , c a r p e t i n g , p a i n t e dwo o d e n su r f a ce s , m i r ro rsand river rocks are just afew examples of avai lablebackgrounds.Contrasts in texture areusually des irable. If a product is basical ly smooth insur face f in ish , a rough lytextured backdrop can addd i m e n s i o n t o t h e p h o t o g ra p h i c d e p i c t i o n . Converse ly , a h igh ly tex tu redpiece of merchandise maybe sho wn to i ts best advan tage on a slick, reflective orsmooth background .Economical ly, studio st i l llifes (or tab le top shots)

c h a n g i n g l i g h t i n g c o n d i t ions, more shots can beplanned and accompl ishedper day. Nei ther do youhave to contend wi th thelog is t i cs o f mov ing longd is tances f rom se t t ing toset t ing, as you wo uld on alocation shoot. In addit ionto more shots per day, thecost of background material is reasonable, makingt h i s a p r e f e r r e d t y p eo f s h o o t i n g f o r m a n ycatalogs.A studio sho ot does havel imi ta t ions. The most constr ic t ing is the danger o fhaving your cata log lookvery much l ike everyone

in a t i ve a r t d i re c to r a n dphotographer to estab l isha s t u d i o " l o o k " t h a tb e co me s re co g n i za b l y avisual identi ty for a specificcatalog. Achiev ing th is wi l li n v o l v e e x p e r i m e n t a t i o nw i t h l i g h t i n g , p r o p s a n dbackgrounds.TUDIO FASHION SHOOTINGS.A f a s h i o n c a t a l o gsh o o t i s mu ch mo recom plicated than a st i l l l i feshoot , whether done in a

stud io or o therwise. Manymo re e le me n ts mu s t b edealt with by the creat iveteam, notab ly the addi t ionof models. There are more


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and f i t the garm ents on themodels. ) Cl ients (or merchants/buyers) are usuallyon the scene, too , wa tch ingto see that important fashion detai ls are sho wn in theposes. A supposedly s imple shot of a si lk blouseb e co me s a co n fu s io n o fa r r a n g e m e n t s r e v o l v i n ga r o u n d m o d e l s e l e c t i o n ,t y p e a n d c o l o r a t i o n o fmakeup, hairstyle, jewelrya n d b e l t w i t h w h i c h t oaccessor ize , showing thest i tching on the left pocket,as well as choice of back-d r o p a n d m o o d ( o ratt i tude) of the shot.S t u d i o f a s h i o n s h o t s

themes can be se lec tedand constructed to providea consistent look or frameto the merchandise.Th o se b a ckd ro p s , l i kewith st i l l l i fe studio shoots,can vary trem end ously . It isposs ible to bu ild a set elaborate enough for a big budg e t mo v ie , o r t o s imp l ydrape an interesting fabricin the background.Because of the contro lthat a photographer has insett ing up studio l ight ing,the effect on the flesh tonesof the models can be moreconsis tent than wi th outs ide shoot ings. Smootherf lesh tones can be obtained

on the model 's f lesh, andwi l l become magni f ied inc o l o r s e p a r a t i o n . W h e nse p a ra te d i n t o d o t s f o rre p ro d u c t i o n , t h e n o rma l"mode l ing" o r shap ing o fan area of f lesh tends tob e c o m e f l a t t e n e d , t h u screating hard edges that, inreality, are not there . This isa resu l t o f go ing f rom ath ree-d imens iona l ob jec tt o a t w o - d i m e n s i o n a lm e d i u m , both in photography and in ink -on-paperpr int ing.Stu d io f a sh io n sh o o t sare more economical thanl o c a t i o n s f o r t h e c a t a loged product ion budget .

3 . One stylist pins an d tucksher dress. Another pulls onher hair. And through it all, amodel knows that she has tolook natural and glamorous.


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J1. Production schedules dictatethat bathing suits are usuallyshot in winter. Here, RitchieWilliamson camouflages theseasons by using an indoor spaas the location.2 . A location shooting can takeplace in a foreign country aswell as a local park. This briskautumn walk was captured bySharon Schuster.

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t o g r a p h i c e q u i p m e n t ,more shots can be accom-p l i s h e d i n a f u l l d a y ' sshoo t ing .OCATION FASHION SHOOTINGS. Fash ion ca ta logshots done on locat ioncan add an entire dimens ion o f en te r ta inment tothe visual appeal and person a l i t y o f a book . Thee n t e r t a i n m e n t e l e m e n tbecomes important to cat-a l o g e r s as c o n s u m e r sp lace h igher ex pec ta t ionson these "wish b o o k s . "Wi th the appearance andacceptance of "specialogs"

c o n c e p t w i t h t h a t o f am a g a z i n e ) ; in terest ingbackgrounds may be cons i d e r e d n e c e s s a r y i nachieving the desired posi t ioning of these books.Any shoot ing done outside of a studio is a locat ions h o o t , w h e t h e r i t t a k e splace in the apartm ent of af r iend , or in an elegant restaurant. A locat ion shooting can be as exotic as atrek in the Himalayas or asaccessible as a local park.The dif f icult ies of a locat ion fashion shoot have todo w i th the log is t i cs o fm o v i n g p e o p l e , c a m e r a

only to real ize that someone forgot to bring the beltor the hat! The problem oflogistics can be alleviatedby the use of these checklists, with the photographera n d p h o t o g r a p h e r ' s a s s is tan t be ing respons ib lefo r a l l o f the equ ipment ,a n d t h e s t y l i s t a n d a r td i rector thoroughly checking the merchand ise andaccessories.Weather then becomesan i tem of concern on locat ion shoots. On local si tes,models can be booked w i tha ' ' w e a t h e r p e r m i t "proviso . But i f the s hoo ting


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into the plan, and to leavethem loose in the scheduleso that they can be quicklysubsti tuted in case of rain.Sin ce p ro d u c t i o n l e a dtim e for catalogs is lengthy(averaging 120 days for creat ive production and colorseparat ions), seasonal i tymay present a problem foro u t d o o r s h o o t s . M a i l i n gschedules dictate that fashion merchandise should beoffered well in advance ofthe need for such i tems.Th e re fo re , t h e co mb in e dt ime requirements of produc t ion and ma i l ing w i l lresult in having to shoo t furjackets in July, and bathing

exam ple, a foggy mo rn ingshoot on the rocky coast ofM a i n e c a n l o o k c o l denough for furs, even insummer months. The sun-l i t d e s e r t s o f A r i z o n ap r o v i d e a b a t h i n g s u i tatmos phere even in winter.A n d t h e r e a r e a l w a y schoices like indoor pools,s p a s a n d r e s o r t s , s k ilodges and cruise ships.An y l o ca t i o n sh o o t i n gmust be p lanned wel l inadvance, with great attent ion to detai l and budget.A p p r o v a I s must b eo b t a i n e d f o r s p e c i f i cloca les. I f fees or cred i tl ines are requ ired for use of

resorts to accept a promotiona l credit l ine in lieu of au s a g e f e e ; i .e . " P h o tog raphed on loca t ion a tt h e b e a u t i f u l F a m o u sName Restaurant."Foreign locat ion fashions h o o t i n g s c a n p r o d u c ee x t r a o r d i n a r y p h o t o g r a p h i c d e p i c t i o n s ,resu l t ing in an ambiencef o r t h e c a t a l o g . M o d e l sshown in front of interesting architectural or cultura ll a n d m a r k s o f a f o r e i g nc o u n t r y w i l l h o l d t h ereader's attention longer. Acruise or vacation fashionbook is more entertainingwhen photographed on a

3 . Th e architectural details ofthis beach setting will help tohold the customer's attentionon the sportcoat longer. Photographed by RitchieWilliamson.


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i&ft$&**,m ; , . * . - * > . * -TF

BB9nanm

1. Location settings work particularly well when an editorialslant is desired. This verysophisticated gathering is thevision of Qiorgio Lari fo rSpiegel.2 . Models are quick to respondto the mood o f the location. Thedreamy attitude of this SharonSchuster photograph wasundoubtedly inspired by thefairy tale castle.

set t ing . Most mode ls w i l ltend to strike a typical fashion pose when p laced infront of a seamless paperb a c k g r o u n d . T h i s m a yresult in a stiff, formal typeof presentat ion, when youm igh t be m ore e f fec t ivewith a show of spiri t andvivacity in your depict ions.Fore ign locat ion shootings must be approachedin a dif ferent w ay than localsites. They are more comp l i ca te d b e ca u se o f t h erequ i red t rave l and vas ta m o u n t o f c o m m u n i c a t i o n s . A r r a n g e m e n t sshould be made months inadvance with the Touris t

D e t a i l s l ik e a p p r o v e dCustoms clearance for allof the photographic equipm e n t a n d m e r c h a n d i s emust be dealt wi t h , necessitat ing the submission ofa ccu ra te l i s t s o f t h o seitems to both U.S. Custom s(for re-entry) and customsoff ic ials within the chosenforeign country. Al l correspondence for this kind oft r ip takes many months ;r e p l i e s a n d a p p r o v a l ssh o u ld b e re q u e s te d i nduplicate, with one set carried by the art director, andthe duplicate set carried bysom eone else in the entou rage. Even wi th advance

oppor tun i ty to take yourcase to a higher authoritywi th in the c learance procedure. These proceduresvary w ide ly f rom coun t ryto country , wi th some ofthe most rest r ic t ive onesbeing fpund in Africa andThai land, as wel l as in mosto f t h e " I r o n C u r t a i n "countries.Economica l ly , th is k indof tr ip may sound unfeasible, but fortunately, that isnot the case. An exchangeo f p ro m o t i o n a l se rv i ce scan be arranged, with thecataloger offering advert isi n g s p a c e a n d c r e d i t swi th in the i r book, and wi th


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promotional services is asfo l lows : in exchange fo rthe equivalent of one pageof advert is ing, the TouristOrgan iza t ion w i l l p rov idefree hotel rooms and foodfo r t h e d u ra t i o n o f t h eshoot, along with a transl a t o r ( i f r e q u i r e d ) , a n dground t ransporta t ion l ikevans. The airl ine wil l typically provide free air travelfor the group to the s i te ,a n d m o s t i m p o r t a n t l y ,w a i v e a n y o v e r w e i g h tcharges for luggage. (Phot o g ra p h i c e q u ip me n t a n dm e r c h a n d i s e s h o u l da cco mp a n y t h e c re w o nthe ac tua l f l igh ts , ra ther

entourage.)A n a m p l e a m o u n t o fresearch on the coun t ryshou ld be done in advanceby the a r t d i rec to r . Werarely have the lux ury of anadvance scou t ing t r ip tof o r e i g n c o u n t r i e s t oarrange and se lect locat i ons , so the research willbe he lp fu l and wi l l savet ime in set t ing up shooti ngs . Publ ic l ib rar ies arethe best source for th isresea rch , p ro v id in g l o t so f i n f o r m a t i o n a n dp h o t o g r a p h s o f l a n d m a r k s , s p e c i a l s i t e s ,t e r r a i n , w e a t h e r c o n d i t i ons , cus toms and t rad i

s a r y i n o c u l a t i o n s , a n dP a s s p o r t O f f i c e s w i l li n f o rm yo u i f v i sa s a rerequi red.Ap p ro ve d b u d g e ts f o rlocat ion shoots should bec a r e f u l l y m o n i t o r e d .Al lowances for unexpectedexpenses incurred dur ingtravel need to be includedas a contingen cy fee. Budget "surprises" are usuallynot pleasant ones. Comingin over budget may el iminate the possibility of sub-s e q u e n t l o c a t i o n t r i p s .C a r e f u l p l a n n i n g a n dexecu t ion o f de ta i l s w i l lassure the ca ta log comp a n y a n d p a r t i c i p a t i n g

3 . Catalogs continue to experiment with magazine techniques.Here, a sepia toned inishgivesthe fashion and the setting anheirloom quality. Photographedby Alexa Qarbarino.


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1. Location still lifes are oftenthe product of spur-of-the-moment creativity. Here, LynnSugarman drapes a roughlyhewn shovel handle with luxurious leather gloves.2 . While the selection of astill life location might be aspontaneous decision, thephotography technique involvedis extremely precise.

OCATION STILL LIFE SHOOTINGS.In the even t tha t a f a s h ion cata log is be ingphotographed on locat ion,it makes sense for all (or ap o r t i o n ) o f t h e s t i l l l i f es h o t s t o b e s i m i l a r l yt rea ted . This he lps to t iethe look of a book together,so that the stil ls (accessorys h o t s ) l o o k a s i f t h e ybelong to the catalog as.awhole. A theme can be aco n t i n u o u s s ta te me n t i nthis way, providing a f lowto the catalog and enhanc

ing the personali ty of thebook.Shoot ing st i l ls on locat ion does present the probl e m o f t r a n s p o r t i n g t h emerchand ise to the s i te .Since table top i tems canbe larger and bulkier thanfashion goods, most cata-logers wi l l carefu l ly consider which products needto be shown in a locat ionsett ing and edit accordingto size and portabi l i ty. I fma n y a i rp o r t s a n d t ra i nstat ions wil l be involved in

the course of the trip, i ts h o u l d d i s c o u r a g e y o uf r o m t a k i n g a l o n g v e r yheavy i tems o r p roduc tsthat are fragi le.S t u d i o s h o t s c a n b ep l a n n e d a n d c o n ceptual ized to blend in wi tha locat ion shoo t. A creat iveselect ion of backgroundsand props, inc lud ing compa t ib le co lo rs , w i l l b lendinto th e look of the locationsite, even though they arephotographed "back home

in the stud io ." For exam-


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pie, the fashion goods havebeen shot on location on ab e a c h ; re ma in in g t o b ep h o t o g r a p h ed areaccessory stil l l i fes, inc luding such items as a beachhat, beach shoes, a picnichamper , sung lasses , e tc .These products can be shotin the stud io us ing sanda n d d r i f t w o o d b a c k grounds, and can simulatethe same a tmosphere ast h e f a s h i o n p h o t o g r a p h st h a t w e r e g o i n g o nlocat ion.

If you do choose to takea l o n g s o m e o f y o u ra cce sso ry me rch a n d i se ,y o u ' l l f i n d t h a t o p p o r tun i t ies abound on locat ion to se lect in terest ingb a ckg ro u n d s . Se a rch f o rthe right sett ing to frameth e product...one that wi l lb lend visual ly with the restof the depict ions plannedfor the spread , and that wi l lnot compete for attent ionwi th the actua l merchandise that is being offeredf o r s a l e . F o r e x a m p l e ,

imaginat ion wi l l gu ide yout o w a r d a m o s s - c o v e r e drock or an intricate spiderweb on which to lay theg o l d e a r r i n g s . U n u s u a lbackgrounds are in terest ing for consumers to lookat, and add that al l- important element of entertainment to the pages of thecata log.

3 . Unexpected situationslikethese "drip/dry" shoesattractthe eye of the consumer and addentertainment value to the catalog. Photographed by Amazeenfor Spiegel.4 . Break a few rules. Le tyour imagination guide youto the perfect setting for theaccessories you bring onlocation. Photographed byLynn Sugarman*


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CHAPTER 41 . Simulated daylight in JamesCaulfield's studio allows thephotographer to fine tune themood of a high fashion shot. L I G H T I N GT E C H N I Q U E S

Ph o t o g r a p h e r s m u s thave control over theirmed ium . They choosea f i l m becaus e i t doess o m e t h i n g s p e c i a l . T h e yse l ec t a pa r t i cu l a r l ensbecause i t magn i f ies o r

they decide the instant ofexposure.A n o t h e r t e c h n i q u ewi th in the cont ro l o f thephotographer i s l i gh t ing .I l luminat ing detai ls of theproduct involves cont ro l of

a u g m e n t i n g t h e l i g h tsource with tools that canr e - d i r e c t t h e b e a m s o fl ig h t , s u c h as t e n t s ,umbre l las , re f lec to r cardsand scrims. The choice ofapp l i ed l i gh t f o r a pho


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shadows and re f lec t ions.Pho t og raphe rs becom e aunique combinat ion of ar t i s t and t echn i c i an whenapp l y i ng t he i r know l edgeto the l igh t ing of a set.S t u d i o s h o o t i n gprovides a closed art i f icials i t u a t i o n w h e r e a p h o t og raphe r can f i ne t uneco lo r , i n tens i t y , d i rec t ionand qual i ty of l ight. Beaut i fu l ly l ighted cata log photography can be dramat icand myster ious whi le def i n i n g t h e p r o d u c t w i t h

r i c h n e s s o f d e t a i l a n ddep t h . S t robes a re m os toften used to create studioset l ight ing, because theyare eff icient to operate and

quick to recycle power forr e p e a t e d e x p o s u r e s .Strobe l ight ing has genera l l y r e p l a c e d t u n g s t e nl ight ing in most studios.R e f l e c t o r s , t e n t s a n dscrims wi l l catch the l ightand bounce i t back towardthe subject, softening thel ight ing effect and avo idingg la re by de f lec t ion . Thepho t og raphe r can ad j us tthem wi th f in i te moves inorder to re-direct l ight andbet ter capture the image.The biggest ad vantage of astudio sett ing is the avai lable con trol over l ight.Outdoor l ight ing is mosto f t e n " f o u n d " l i g h t i n g . . .you use i t wh en y ou see i t.

envi ronment . Rarely doesa p h o t o g r a p h e r k n o wexact ly what the l ight outs ide wi l l be at any g ivent ime of day, even in a veryfami l iar spot . It is not possible to look at a scene andp r e d i c t w h e n t h e l i g h twould be perfect, and thenreturn to photograph i t a tt ha t t i m e . T he l i gh t w i l lva ry (even a t t he sam ehou r ) f r om day t o day ,depending on cloud cover,a t m o s p h e r i c c o n d i t i o n sand tempera ture . Cata logs h o o t i n g s c h e d u l e s a r ecompl i ca ted and demanding, and would not a l lowthat kind of planning luxury anyway.

2 . Th e subtle shadow playin this studio photograph byRitchie Williamson createsthe illusion of a dramatic sunset3 . James Caulfield skillfullyuses dark, mysterious shadowsto draw attention to the detailsof this expertly tailored suit.


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1. Soft simulated sunlightstreams through a charmingcountry kitchen, photographedby Dennis Qottlieb.2 . A typical studio set withwhite backdrops and variouslight sources.3 . Brian Kraus heightens textured impact with a shard ofintense light. Although the effectlooks natural, it's a studio technique that must be carefullydirected and planned.

can general ly plan to sh ootf rom ear ly morn ing un t i ljus t be fo re noon t ime, tobreak for lunch and a restbetween 12:00 noon and2 :0 0 (wh e n t h e su n i sd i r e c t l y o v e r h e a d a n dcreat ing harsh g lare andd e e p sh a d o ws ) , a n d t or e s u m e f r o m 2 : 0 0 u n t i ls u n d o w n . Dusk is often ane x c e l l e n t t i m e t o s h o o tbecause of the softness ofthe available light.Midday sun is not themost sympathetic l ight forflesh tones. It is unforgiving light in its harshness,and wi l l reveal any blem ishr e g a r d l e s s o f m a k e u p

If so, the technique of lightsubtract/on may be appropriate. You can subtract thelight instead of adding to it,using screens, scrims andeven an available raincoatto block out or soften thed i rec t sun l igh t f rom them o d e l . D a r k s h a d o w sunder the eyes may becaused by the overheadsun , but can be el iminatedby posit ioning an opaqueor translucent cloth abovethe subject 's head. Evenslant ing sunl ight can ruino th e rw ise f a u l t l e ss co mplex ions; p lac ing a d i f fu sion material between sunand subject creates a glow

enough natural contrast. Ablack cloth near one side ofthe model 's face gives ab e t t e r c o n t r a s t r a t i o .C lo u d y d a y l i g h t i n g w i l ltend to flatten the subjectbecause o f the lack o fcontrast.Experimenting with light-f i l te r ing o r l igh t -b lock ingmaterial will help to d evelopskills in subtractive lighting.Pho tographers know tha tthe color of the diffuser orreflector will color the picture, so they usually selectwhi te (or b lack) mater ia l ,unless they are looking for aspecial effect.For bo th indoor sho ts


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\

CHAPTER 54 . A rule of thumb for catalogphotography is to fill the framewith the product. But artisticlicense helped to shift theemphasis in this shot to theright, creating a more dramaticvisual. Photographed bySharon Schuster,

C O M P O S I T I O N O FP H O T O G R A P H YC

o m p o s i n g i t e m swith in the designatedphotography f rame isa c rea t ive endea vor th a tusua l ly invo lves the a r tdirector, the photographerand the stylist. If it is left to

o f p roduc t . Tha t ad jus t ment may not be apparentunt i l the actua l merchandise is placed on the set infron t of the camera. Art ist icl i ce n se sh o u ld b e e xe r cised in order to capture a

A rule of thumb for catalog photography is to s imply f i l l the frame with theproduct. The closer you areto the object, the better forv i su a l imp a c t a n d me r chand ise focus . Layou ts


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1. Poufs and ruffles envelop themodel, then glide diagonallyacross this photograph by JamesDee Daley. It's a fine exampleof composition that makes themost of available space.2. A classic composition forclassic accessories is giveneditorial impact by the overhead angle taken by LynnSugarman.

who should be shoot ing toa c tu a l re p ro d u c t i o n s i ze ,wil l use a tracing on acetate of the dimensions ofthe shot. The acetate tracing is placed over the v iewf inder o f the camera toindicate the live area that isavai lable for merchandisedisplay. Within this space,the products are placed onthe set at the desired angle.So me t ime s i t i s mo redramatic to show the i temoff-center in the frame. Inthis case, the merchandisei s m o v e d t o t h e s i d esl ight ly, al lowing for somebreathing room or space inthe shot. This kind of cre

the bes t d isp lay o f theproduct and by the desiredeffect of the photograph.L o c a t i o n s h o t s c a np r o v i d e g r e a t o p p o r t u n i t i e s f o r i n t e r e s t i n gcomposit ions. I f the background creates a desi redmo o d w i t h o u t i n t e rf e r in gw i t h t h e m e r c h a n d i s e ,showing some of the background wi l l add ambiencea n d a t m o s p h e r e t o t h ebook. Many catalog companies lose the effect ofl o c a t i o n s h o o t i n g sbecause of a tendency tocrop out al l of the backgro und . Since the object iveof a locat ion sho oting is to

make sense to e l iminatethat element from the endresult. Location shoots arecomp lex , t ime-consuming ,a n d d i f f i c u l t t o a c c o m p l i sh . . . i f s p a c e d o e s n ' tal low the use of the object i v e ( i n t e r e s t i n g b a c k grounds), then i t would bemore expedi t ious to shootin a stud io.Composi t ion is a lso animportant e lement o f tab letop sho ot ing. The arrangement of product and propson or in front of the backdrop can accompl ish morev i su a l i n t e re s t a n d e mo t i o n a l i n v o l v e m e n t f r o mthe consumer. Th is leads to


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I

C o m p o s i t i o n i s p a r t icularly effect ive in showing mult ip les of the samei t e m , as wh e n d e p i c t i n gdepth of color selection. Itis possible to compose sixcolors of sweaters to showthe color choices in a v isually interesting way. This isgeneral ly more pleasing tothe consumer's eyes thanthe t rad i t ion a l me thod o fu s i n g i n d i v i d u a l c o l o rswatch boxes at the bottom of the depict ion.

C a t a l o g s o f t e n s h o wmo re than one i tem of merchandise in a single shot.Co mp o s i t i o n o f d i f f e re n tmu l t ip le products wi l l he lp

ment . I f th is technique isu s e d , i t i s adv isab le toselect products of the samerelat ive size to appear inone shot, so that one itemdoesn ' t overpow er anotherbecause of scale. It us uallyworks best i f the chosenitems to appear in a singlesh o t wo rk we l l t o g e th e rlogically, by design or byintended use. And an oddn u m b e r o f p r o d u c t s i seasier to compose in to ap leasing arrangement thanan even number. One orthree p ieces of merchandise will often arrange better than tw o or four pieces.As much t ime and effort

cleaning and preparing theproducts, styl ing the shotswith props, and in test ingthe l ight ing technique. Thep h y s i c a l r e l a t i o n s h i p o fm e r c h a n d i s e t o b a c k ground is as important tothe look and identi ty of thecatalog as the selection ofc o l o r s , b a c k d r o p s a n dtextures.

3 . Diverse elements ca nbe composed into a strikingarrangement. Here, Togashiuses direction and angles toguide the consumer's eye fromone item to the next.


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CHAPTER 61 . Pearls, antique gems and atouch of lace help to soften thepresentation of these very feminine pumps. Photographed byDenes Petoe.

2 . Colored gels are often placedover lights in the studio to createsophisticated backgrounds.

T O P R O P o nM O T T O P R O PT h e d e c i s i o n w h e th e ror not to util ize propsand/or accessories inc a t a l o g p h o t o g r a p h yshould be made accord ingto need. Is the merchan

point out a special benefit?Does the use of a selectedprop t ie the depict ion inbetter with in a theme? W il li t help the f low and cont inu ity of the book?

blouse accessorized with abel t and sk i r t when shownon a f igure. You may wishto add a necklace or a pairof earrings to complete thefashion look. An umbrel la


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are log ica l extensions ofthe products be ing shown.I t i s a g o o d i d e a t oa cce sso r ize f ro m w i t h i nyour own product l ines i fp o s s i b l e , s o t h a t t h eaccessories can be l istedfor sale.Props and accessor iescan serve another purposeon the page of a catalog.Their inclusion can softenthe presentat ion, and maya d d t h e p e r c e p t i o n o f" h u m a n i z i n g " t h e b o o k .Making the products easi lyrelatable to the consu mer'slifestyle is a desired market ing techniqu e a ttainablein p h o t o g r a p h y . F o r

tu re o r some o ther pe rsonal i tem on their desk.The same thing is true ofitems like pens, pencils, adesk clock, a note pad withan appointment wri t ten oni t . Pe rso n a l i z i n g a sh o th e l p s t h e c o n s u m e r t oaccept the photog raph andto place i t within their ownframe of reference.Sometimes people (andan ima ls ! ) make the bes tprops as they relate to theproducts. Children shownthroug hout a toy book adda touch o f hum an i ty andc o n s t a n t l y r e m i n d t h ereader of children in theirl i ves . Sma l l an ima ls l i ke

p o o l f l o a t l o o k s b e t t e rw h e n s h o w n w i t h a nattract ive model either onit or beside it (in a poo l , ofcourse.)The se lect ion of propsa n d a c c e s s o r i e s i s a simportant as the choice ofappropriate models. Theyshou ld be chosen tastefu l lyand with care. Real freshf lowers or vegetables maybe a better investment foryour prop budget becauseof the "de w y" look that canbe accompl ished wi th the i ruse. Si lk f lowers can bevery elegant, and may beused many t imes, but theygeneral ly do come off as

3 . There s nothing new aboutusing jewelry to accessorizefashion photography. But whena necklace is used as a belt, thaccessory reinforces the avantgarde attitude established hereby James Caulfield.4. In still lifes, fresh flowersdont always rest in a vase.Here, the stylist has curved thestem slightly to echo the lines oa serving platter. Photographeby Seth Roth, QottliebAssociates.


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1. Not many people could resistthis dinner, photographed byDennis Qottlieb. It's expertlypropped with various elementsthat dont distract from themerchandise, bu t rather, makeit more appealing to theconsumer.

When shooting a champagne glass or flute, thechampagne should berep la ced as the p hotographer brackets theshot, as the bubbles willadd freshness and appeal.

Business - to - Businesscatalogs should utilizeprops just as the consumerbooks do. Many businessproducts are hard-edgedgoods which need the soft-en in g of pr op s and

accessories. And manyproducers of business-type catalogs neglect thesubtle touches which canhumanize their sellin gapproach.

2. Champagne can be anextravagance, but not on theset. Those tiny bubbles ignitethe beauty of fine crystal witha dazzling display of light.Photographed by Seth Roth,Qottlieb Associates*

W e wish to thank the following people for their contribution to this book.Ama zeen, NY, NYAlbano Bal ler in i , NY, NYJanet Beller, NY, NYJames Cau lf ield, NY, NYBill Co ttrell, NY, NYReid Comb s, NY, NYJames Dee Daley, NY, NY

Hing/Norton, NY, NYRosemary Ho ward , NY, NYBrian Kraus, NY, NYGiorg io Lari, Mila n, I ta lyKip Meyer, NY, NYStudio M inh , NY, NYDenes P etoe, NY, NY

Lynn Sugarman, NY, NYTogashi, NY, NYMarcus Tullis, NY, NYRitch ie Wil l iam son , NY, NY


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CHAPTER 73. Ted Pobiner Studios capture the elusive quality of amagnificent necklace. The setting is highly artistic, thelighting superb. S P E C I A LR E Q U I R E M E N T S

e r t a i n c a t e g o r i e s o fcatalog products posesp e c ia l p ro b le ms i np h o t o g r a p h y . T h e r e a r es p e c i f i c i t e m s t h a t a rem o r e d i f f i c u l t t o p h o

in te res t to ca ta log marketers, each one of whichrepresents a need for spe-c ia l a t t e n t i o n in t h emedium of photography.

tant because the items aremo s t o f t e n q u i t e e xp e n s ive. Genera l ly , the moreexpensive the i tem shown,the more persuas ive thepho tography and p resen


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1. Th e decision to shoot jewelryon a model or no t is always adilemma. Diamonds are a girVsbest friend, bu t it's hard toimagine them in a more perfector unlikelysetting than thesepea pods. Courtesy of TedPobiner Studios*

and silver are highly reflect ive, and present prob lemslike having the camera lens(and somet imes the phot o g r a p h e r ) s h o w i n t h eproduct . If i t is a tin y reflec-t i o n , i t ca n e i t h e r b eretouched ou t on the transparency or e tched out o fthe co lo r separa t ions . I f ,however, the surface showing the reflection is a largea r e a, t h e p h o t o g r a p h e rshould try to disguise thecam era by se t t ing up awh i t e p a p e r t e n t a ro u n dthe equ ipment . On ly thele n s o f t h e ca me ra w i l lsbMN through a hole cut inthe paper . The resu l t ing

that the sides of the ringw i l l re f l e c t a n y ima g e sf o u n d t h e r e , m u c h l i k eper iphera l v is ion in theeye. The use of re f lectorcards to block out thesedistract ing images is helpf u l . The cards o f wh i te ,g o l d , si lver or grey areplaced to the sides of these t a t a n g le s t h a t a recaught by theshiny surfaceof the r ing.C h a i n s o f n e c k l a c e smust be laid out much l ikea n e n g i n e e r ' s d r a w i n g .Every l ink should be properly al igned and laying f lat.This is usually done with along pin or with a very f ine

g i v e a c u s t o m e r t h eimpress ion tha t someonejust didn't care enough totake the time to fix it, oreven wo rse, convey a message tha t the cha in w i l lknot easi ly when w orn .Jewelry is norm al ly photographed actual size in acata log, but occasional ly i tsh o u ld be sh o w n l a rg e rt h a n l i f e . Th i s d e c i s i o nmight be cal led for i f thereis a lot of intricate, detailedd e s ig n wo rk that w o u l donly show up i f the i tem isen la rged . In this event, acopy l ine that s ta tes thatt h e m e r c h a n d i s e i se n la rg e d t o sh o w d e ta i l


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1. A perception of dimensionmakes jewelry photographymuch more interesting. Thisingenious approach was takenby HingFNorton.

2. Food photography is often acomplex art. The subjects needintense light to be shot properly,but have to be replaced orrefreshed to withstand the hightemperature.

i ts co lor in the merchandise. Since metal jewe lry isl ight in colorat ion, a blackbackground prov ides maxim um contrast. Black luciteor plexiglass is especiallyeffect ive, because of theadded perception of depththat can be attained witht h e r e s u l t i n g s h a d o w s .Luci te is h igh ly re f lect ivema te r ia l fo r a tab le t ops h o t . A p e r c e p t i o n o fd imens ion makes a photog rap h of jewe l ry m uchmore in terest ing.

A "high key" effect canbe obtained w ith the use ofw h i t e o r f r o s t e d w h i t eb a ckg ro u n d s f o r j e we l ry

l u c i t e a s p r e v i o u s l ypointed ou t for black.The use of h igh ly textured backgrounds is alsoef fect ive for jewelry photography. This choice wil ladd contrast between thebackdrop and the sh inyi t em s . Ro u g h l y t e x tu re dwood bark, deep pile carpet ing, woven fabrics liket a p e s t r i e s , h e a v i l yembossed papers...theseare just a few of the available backgrounds that area p p r o p r i a t e f o r j e w e l r yshots.The l ight ing of jewelryp h o t o g r a p h y i s d i f f i c u l ta n d t i m e - c o n s u m i n g .

j e w e l r y s e t . T h e s e p i nspots can be t ight ly c o n t ro l led in p lacement , andcan add important def init i o n w h e r e n e e d e d o nr ings, brace le ts , wa tche s ,nec k l a c e s and p i n s .Je we l ry d e p i c t i o n s n e e dshape and modeling to bethe most e f fec t ive . Th ismeans that a ful l range ofdeep shadows, mid-tonesand h igh l igh ts i s necessary, and must be accomp l i s h e d in t h e c h o s e nlight ing technique.

00D PRODUCTS. P h o tographing food i temsfor a catalog requires a


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sty le and f la i r needed top h o t o g r a p h f o o d m o s te f fec t ive ly . These peop leusual ly do a lo t o f foods h o o t i n g s , w o r k i n g f o rmagazines as wel l as forcatalogs. Their stu dio faci l i t i es w i l l inc lude a w e l l -equipped kitchen in whichto prepare the food dishes.A p o o r l y p h o to g ra p h e dand reproduced food shotwil l not be appetizing, andt h e r e f o r e w i l l n o t s e l l .Color is important in making the sho ts appea l ingand credible, and food styling helps to make a savory-looking presentat ion.Food must be carefu l ly

tastes. In catalog photography, prese ntation is equa llypsycho logical, and contrib-u t e s h e a v i ly t o w a r dmo t iva t ing a cus tomer tobuy.A food styl ist (or homeeconomist) is a necessarymember of the food photography team. This person shops for the requiredfresh ingredients, preparesthe food and arranges it inthe serv ing d ishes. Theya l so p ro v id e t h e su b t l edecorat ions to "dress up"

th e f ood , touches l ike bow smade of orange r ind, min tl e a ves o r su g a r - f ro s te dgrapes, real or candied vio

preparat ion and food service is reflected in the phot o g ra p h y , a n d h e lp s t oe s t a b l i s h t h e c a t a l o g ' scred ib i l i ty . Your shoot ingbudget should include themo n e y t o re ta in a t o p -notch food sty l is t for theshots that wi l l require thisspecial attent ion.Fresh fruit and produces h o u l d be s p r i t z e d ( o rsprinkled) with water andglycerine for a dewy, fresh -f r o m - t h e - g a r d e n l o o k .B r o w n e d g e s o n l e a f yfoods can be cl ipped off ,and spot ty leaves shouldb e r e p l a c e d . M e a t s , i fshown raw o r uncooked ,

3 . Food photography must lookappetizing to be successful. Thetempting arrangement shownhere was photographed byDennis Qottlieb.4. A food stylist shops for freshproduce and herbs, simmers thesoup and even breaks the croissants. A stylist's efforts helpedDennis Qottlieb to catch theactivity in this French kitchen.


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1 . Presentation is everything infood photography, just as it is ina restaurant. This spectaculardessert buffet was photographedby Dennis Qottlieb.2 . Th e photographer, ar tdirector and food stylist worktogether to give the photographpersonality. Lighting, composition and careful propping allcontribute to the overall effect.Photographed by DennisQottlieb.

meats and vegetab les tol o o k mo is t a n d p ro p e r l yp r e p a r e d . Cooked steaksare most appealing whens h o w n r a re o r m e d i u mra re . Foods do have thetendency to dry out on thes e t , s o p h o t o g r a p h e r smust wo rk quickly once thefood has been placed infront of the camera. Mostphotographers wi l l do theirp re l iminary se t ups w i ths t a n d - i n s e r v i n g d i s h e swi thout the f ood . Light inga n d co mp o s i t i o n ca n b efully set up in advance ofplacing the actual food inthe sho t. In this way , everything (including a Polaroid

and moist ; co ld food wi l lbe frosty and fresh.Many art d i rectors andphotographers are puristswh en i t comes to the irse ofreal food as opposed tofake props. It is a matter ofchoice and philosophy. Fort h o se p u r i s t s , o n l y re a lf rozen ice cubes wi l l do;real whipped cream has as l igh t ly smoother tex tu re( a n d a s l i g h t l y w a r m e rcolor) than shaving cream;real fresh fruit is a l i t t les o f t e r - l o o k i n g t h a n w a xcop ies . Bu t occas iona l lyeven the purists will haveto resort to an art i f ic ia lprop. A required fruit may

ones wil l be necessary.Ca ta lo g p ro d u c t s l i keserving dishes and cookingi t e m s a re f r e q u e n t l ya c c e s s o r i z e d w i t h f o o d .T h e a t m o s p h e r e a n dappeal is as important inshots of this type as thosein which the food i tself isf o r sa le . Th e ma in difference, tho ug h, is that theprop food must not overpower the actual i tems ofm e r c h a n d i s e t h a t a reb e i n g o f f e r e d . I f t h ep r o p p e d f o o d i s o v e r p o w e r i n g , c o m m a n d i n gtoo much a t ten t ion , thenthe bo w l , t ray , cassero ledish or cooking pan w il l get


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the v isua l a t ten t ion f romthe hard goods product. Inshowing a set of six champagne glasses, f i l l ing onlyone of them wi th the bubb l y ch a mp a g n e i s mo rein terest ing than f i l l ing a l lsix.

HILDREN'S FASHION. Phot o g r a p h i n g c l o t h i n gfor chi ldren for catalogpages presents another seto f sp e c ia l re q u i re me n ts .Such c lo th ing shown on af igure wil l sel l better thanwhen show n f la t , or o f f - f igure. The chi ldren, as m od-e l s , a re e m o t i o n a I l ya p p e a l i n g a n d re la ta b le .

c h a r m i n g . But i t necessit a t e s wo rk in g w i t h c h i l dren, and (even if they areprofessional models), theyare less contro l lab le andwi l l require a longer shooting t ime.Children's natural anticscan be captured on f i lm forv e r y s p e c i a l d e p i c t i o n s .T h e s h o o t i n g c r e w w i l lproba bly be called upon todisplay a great degree ofpat ience. Lots of f i lm wil lbe was ted, and t ime w il l belost. And such factors asn a p s , hunger , t i redness ,and short a t tent ion spanmus t be dealt wi t h .A c c o m p l i s h i n g t h e

b e co me o b l i v i o u s o f t h eact iv i ty go ing on behindthe camera. I t is a goodidea to plan for plenty ofdistract ion elements; keepa big box handy with smalltoys and s tu f fed an ima ls ,and a goo d supply of f ruit ,cookies, lo l l ipops and ball o o n s . W h e n a c h i l dbecomes t i r ed , or f idge tson a set, send in one of th edistractors and you' l l probably extend the shooting.You've not only given thech i ld someth ing to physica l l y ho ld on to , you 'vealso d iverted the i r a t tent ion from staring into thecamera.

3 . In this Rosemary Howardphotograph, the children relateto each other as well as to theset. Note how positioning ofmodels and props help to givethe scene a sense of mome ntum.


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you can request that thechi ld be brought in for youto see them in person. Aword of advice about chi l dren 's go -s ee s . . . be su ret h a t y o u h a v e a l a r g eenough wai t ing room (andava i lab le ba th room fac i l i t ie s ) t o a c c o m m o d a t em o t h e r s , c h i l d r e n , t o y s ,d iaper bags, and lo ts o fnoise.

OSMETICS. P h o to g ra p h yof cosmetic i tems forcatalogs present a diff e r e n t s e t o f p r o b l e m s .Co sme t i cs i n c lu d e sk inc a re p r o d u c t s ( u s u a l l yl o t i o n s a n d c r e a m s ) ,

perfumes and colognes. Alot of these items can lookvery m uch al ike, except forthe product packaging. Infact, most advert is ing donefo r co sme t i c co mp a n ie sinvolves photographing anattractive model's face, andthe ads look as much alikeas the p roduc ts do . Theonly d i f ference f rom oneb r a n d o f c o s m e t i c s t oanother in their ads is s imp ly a d i f fe ren t cho ice o fmodels.You have to look hard tof ind a unique way of shooting cosmet ics . One s u g gest ion is to p hoto grap hfrom very dramatic angles.

shortening and more of as u p e r - g r a p h i c l o o k . T h euse of mo dels is not alwa ysnecessary to convey theimage of the line. Graphicswashes and streaks of theactual products can showcolor and texture, and canbe more a t ten t ion -ge t t ingthan the usual kinds of cosmetic depict ions.A n o t h e r p h o t o g r a p h yapproach would involve ad i f fe ren t k ind o f se t t ingthan is usually provide d forcosmet ics sho ts . Such asett ing might be on a vani ty, with an array of products shown as they woulda p p e a r o n a cu s to me rs '

4 . Spontaneity is the key tounleashing a child's high energypotential. Rosemary Howardcoaxed reactions here withhandfuls of confetti and toys.5 . Often the only differencebetween one brand of cosmeticsand another is the photographicapproach. Togashi uses anoverhead angle and a child'shand to make this lipstick standout from the rest.


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1. A cosmetic collage byTogashi. Opening lids of products and showing dabs of colorimply usage and make the photograph more relatable to thecustomer.2 . Rough textures of terry andsand help HingfNorton tomake the product more pronounced and also suggest itspurpose.

t o g r a p h m o r e r e l a t a b l ea n d , a t t h e sa me t ime ,more interest ing visual ly.Perfume and f ragranceshots are more dif f icult tointerpret. The visual has toimp ly wh a t t h e p ro d u c tsmells like, unless it is ane x t r e m e l y w e l l k n o w nbrand nam e. (Then it ha storemind the customer whatthe scent is l ike.) Propsmight be the answer here;if a f ragrance is made up ofp r i m a r i l y o n e f l o w e ressence, like Joy is mostlyessence of roses, then theuse of roses in the foreground or background canm a k e t h a t s t a t e m e n t .

s h o w f r e s h j a s m i n eb l o s s o m s , f r a g i l e g a rdenias, and many of theo th e r e xo t i c b l o o ms a sprops in a fragrance depict i on . Some perfumes contain a high content of citruso i l s , a n d p r o v i d e t h eo p p o r t u n i t y o f p r o p p i n gwi th those specif ic fruits orleaves.Exa c t co lo r ma tch i scri t ical in cosmetic photog r a p h y b e c a u s e o f t h esub t le t ies o f d i f fe rencesb e t w e e n s h a d e s . C o l o rchoice is an important factor in the purchase dec i s ion, so i t must be showna c c u r a t e l y , p a r t i c u l a r l y

s e n t e d t h r o u g h t h emed ium o f pho tography .(An exception to this is theavailability and use of cosmet ic samp les on o rderf o r m s . A c t u a l s w a t c h e sa n d d e m o n s t r a t i o n s a m ples of products are nowreproduced on the bound-in order blanks. Cosmeticsl ike blushers, eye shadow sa n d e v e n l i p s t i c k s a r eprovided in small quanti tyswatches for a custom er toac tua l l y use . Fragrance-sce n te d o rd e r f o rms area l so f re q u e n t l y u se d i ncatalogs.)

USINESS TO BUSINESS


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The w ide range o f merchandise go ing v ia catalogs to bus iness peop lec an i n c l u d e e v e r y t h i n gfrom executive planners toh e a vy e q u i p m e n t . T h eco mmo n e le me n t i s t h echannel of distribut ion (thep o s ta l s ys te m) a n d t h edirect method of sel l ing.This is an area of directma rke t i n g t h a t g e n e ra l l yn e e ds i m p r o v e m e n t i npresentat ion.. . traditionally,t h e s a m e a m o u n t o fcreat ivi ty cal led for in consumer ca ta logs has no tbeen developed or invested in business cata logs.An d ye t , t h e t e ch n iq u e s

tial ly the same way to per-s u a s i v e p r e s e n t a t i o n s ,w h e t h e r i n t h e h o m ee n v i r o n m e n t o r i n t h eoff ice. The decision makersw h o a re t h e t a r g e taudience of business catalogs are human beings, notcom puters. Therefore catalog market ing should bewe l l d e s ig n e d a n d p h o tographed in order to beeffective.Photographs of productsshou ld reach ou t to thebusiness audience in thesame persuasive mannera s i n co n su m e r b o o ks .D e p i c t i o n s n e e d t o b ec l e a r l y u n d e r s t a n d a b l e ,

the t rade for business tob u s i n e s s c a t a l o g m a r keters, just as they are forgif t and fashion b ooks.Many business catalogsoffer product lines that are,by their nature, high techand hard edged. W i t h o u tspecial care and attent ion,p h o t o g r a p h y o f t h e s eitems can be equally hardin look and in feeling. It isadvisable to try to softenthe presentat ion of hardl in e m e r c h a n d i s e w h e nplanning and executing thed e s i r e d p h o t o g r a p h i ci m a g e . J o h n N a i s b i t tpo in ted ou t in h is book ,Megatrends, t h e t h e o r y

3 . A unique angle andprovocative lighting lendauthority a nd power to thiscosmetic shot, photographedby HingFNorton.

4. A 4x5 view camera, commonly used for studio still lifephotography.5 . The techniques and graphicsthat work for consumer catalogsalso work for business to busi-ness mailers. The 2001-styleatmosphere here was capturedby Togashi.


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1. Albano Bailerini relies ona bright spotlight to soften thehard edges of electronics. It'sall part of a high touch effect.2 . Th e use ofrelatable propsadds a bit of humanity andwit to this business orientedphotograph by Togashi.

c o n d u c t i n g t h e i r o w nsearch for rel ief from hightechno logy , as i l lus t ra tedb y c o n s u m e r m a r k e t i n gstudies of the use of leisu ret ime. People are pursuingsel f - improvement courses,l ik e f o r e i g n l a n g u a g estudy, cooking classes andart appre ciat ion. They seekrel ief from stress and tension by studying yoga andmedi ta t ion, and they learna b o u t b i o - f e e d b a c k a n dother re la ted st ress con t r o l s . A n d t h e b i g g e s tc h a n g e i n A m e r i c a nb e h a v i o r a l p a t t e r n s i s

ref lected in the burgeoninghea l th and f i tness in te r ests, wi th mi l l ions of peop le ded ica ted to runn ing ,j o g g i n g , aerob ic danc ingand exercise classes, andin concerns for diet, quitt ing smoking and in consuming less alcoholic beverages. Mr. Naisbitt definesthese act ivi ty and interestchanges as "high touch/'the ant i thesis of high tech.He advocates the use ofh ig h t o u ch i n ma rke t i n ga p p l i c a t i o n s a s a w e l co me re l i e f f o r t o d a y ' sconsumers .

High touch can presenta n a d d e d d i m e n s i o n t ob u s i n e s s p r o d u c t p h o tography. It can be used inmany d i f fe ren t ways , bu tthe overall objective is tosoften the look and sell ofthe hard l ine merchandise.The use o f warm co lo rs(su ch a s re d s , b ro wn s ,go lds , ye l lows) as backg r o u n d s w i l l s o f t e n a nimp re ss io n o f a p ro d u c tw i t h h a r d e d g e s . A n dtho ug h colors l ike black arenot as soft, it is possible toadd a color spotl ight in ab l a c k b a c k g r o u n d s h o t ,


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t h u s a c c o m p l i s h i n g h i g ht ouch. Color gels used overl i g h t s w i l l c a p t u r e t h edesired technique.Te x tu re d b a ckg ro u n d scan also soften the look ofbusiness products. Backdrops for shots that showmerchandise that is sleek,s h i n y a n d g l o s s y c a nprovide interest with a highd e g r e e o f c o n t r a s t . . .h e a v i l y t e x t u r e d b a c k g r o u n d s t h a t a p p e a rs o f t a n d d e e p l y d i m e n sioned.T h e us e o f r e l a t a b l eprops in photography wi l l

add a touch of hu m anity tothe bus iness ca ta log . Ad e s k t o p s h o t o f a nappointment book is morebelievable with a steamingcup of coffee shown in thebackground. A depict ion ofcomputer supplies can beso f t e n e d w i t h p ro p s l i kepenci ls, note pads, a telep h o n e m e s s a g e s l i p , o reven a te lephone. A n icetouch on a wom an's desk isa bud vase w ith a f lower.I t i s a lso poss ib le tohumanize a business catalog th rough the se lec t ionof people to appear in the

s h o t s . A c o n f e r e n c eboardroom shot can show" r e a l " b u s i n e s s - t y p e s ,ra ther than mod els. A phot o g r a p h o f t e n ( p r o f e s s iona l ) mode ls a round acon fe rence tab le i s lessb e l i e v a b l e b e c a u s e t h ep e o p le a re t o o p e r f e c t -l o o k in g . A t t ra c t i ve b u s i n e s s p e o p l e a r e e a s i l yfound for such shots, andwith their less-than-perfectf e a tu re s , a d d c re d ib i l i t ya n d h u m a n i t y to t h epho tograph .

3 . The visual: a camera cradledby human hands. The message:the product becomes userfriendly and gains a senseof scale. Photographed byHingFNorton.

4 Light bounces off theumbrella and is reflected by thecard to enhance the backgroundof this typical studio set.5 . B;y zooming in on the merchandise, Brian Kraus picksup every minute detail andtransforms a standard businesstool into a work of art.


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CHAPTER 81. A simple spring showerrequires a special effect, diffusedlighting, well thought out stylingand a bit of luck if it's going tobe captured on film. T H E R O L E O FT H E A R T D I R E C T O R

h i I e c r e a t i v er e s p o n s i b i l i t y f o ri m p r e s s i v e a n deffective catalog photo grap h y b e l o n g s t o t h e a r t

v i d u a l w h o m u s t a t t a i napproval for the shoot ingfrom the cl ient (or the merchants), or from the head ofthe com pany. The art direc

s u m e r ' s n e e d s , a n du l t i m a t e l y w i t h s a l e s i nmin d .T h e a r t d i r e c t o r m u s tapp roach the en t i r e p h i


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is one of the most important factors in a cata log.T h e c r e a t i v e a p p r o a c hshou ld be develope d in theco n ce p tu a l i za t i o n o f t h ecata log, well planned for ina d v a n c e o f t h e a c t u a lshoot ing, and consis tent lya p p l i e d t h r o u g h o u t t h ereal izat ion or execution ofthe project.In considering th e role ofthe art d i rector, we musta lso address the "p lace"(or posit ion) of that personon the set dur ing sh oot ing.The art director is norm allyfound standing behind thepho tog rapher , c l o s e

a cri t ical look at the set;sc ru t iny o f the merchand ise fo r appearance andangle; a check against theapproved layout to ensurethat enough background isa l l owed ; a look at makeupunder set l ights if modelsare being used; and finally,a ca me ra ch e ck t h ro u g hthe view-f inders and then aca re fu I st u dy of a test Po I a r-oid shot.F in i te ad jus tments a reusua lly ma de at each of theart director's checkpoints;smal l moves that improvet h e i n t e r p r e t a t i o n a n dassure better product pho

they s low down the p ro duct ion schedule. I f propercreative plann ing has beenincorporated, there shouldbe no big surprises on theset. Every contingency wil lhave been checked andaccommodated .The art director sets thepace and the atmospherefo r a shoot . A s m ooth , easyw o r k i n g r e l a t i o n s h i p i svital for a catalog s hoo tingbecause of the volume ofw o r k a n d t h e r e q u i r e dd e a d l i n e s . C o m m u n i c a t ions must be ongo ing andc l e a r , w i t h n o s e c o n d -guessing needed. Rapport

2 . The art director sets the paceand the atmosphere for theshoot A free-spirited photograph like this one by QiorgioLari for Spiegel can only comeabout w hen the entire crew feelscomfortable enough to contribute ideas.3 . The art director is the primary decision maker on the setIn a shot like this, he would bethe one who double checked thebackground and the lighting,then tossed his keys on the featured coat for extra pizzazz-Photographed by BrentHerridge.


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1. An art director scrutinizeseach shot for the depiction ofdetails. In this photograph byQiorgio Lari for Spiegel, notehow the flowers on the dress areas clear as the chimes on theclock.2. The sleeves roll up, the pantsare cuffed and the fabrics drapebeautifully. The props andbackground may enhance theshot, but it's the details of theclothes that grab our attention.Photographed by Amazeen forSpiegel.

3 . Good reproduction is key totranslating the photographersvision to the printed page. Thistranquil setting was captured byBrian Kraus.

involved in a catalog sh oot,the art director wi l l be themost fami l iar wi th the m erchandise. Th is knowledgeof product wi l l be ca l ledupon again and again during the course of the sh oot.Du r i n g a ca ta lo g p h o t o g r a p h y s h o o t , t h e a r td i rector should rev iew f i lmd a i l y , ch e ck in g t h e p re v ious day 's resu l ts . Th isw il l help assure the consistency of the photography,tracking the applicat ion ofthe creat ive approach asyou proceed. Since a typi c a l c a t a l o g s h o o t w i l l

require 20 to 30 days, it isi m p o r t a n t t o m a i n t a i n aco n s ta n t v i g i l o ve r p h o tog rap h ic res u l ts . A la rgel ight box wil l enab le the artd i re c to r t o l o o k f i r s t a tgroupings of shots, i .e. al lof the shots app earing on asing le sprea d. This check isfor color balance, al lowinga c h e c k f o r a n y c o l o rsw in g s t h a t m ig h t h a veoccurred in l igh t ing , d is tance f rom camera , o r inprocessing.After the grouping checkhas been done , each transparency shou ld then be

scrut inized individual ly fordetai ls of the depict ion. Asbasic as i t may se em , focusshould always be checked.T h e p h o t o g r a p h e r w i l lhave bracketed each of theshots, exposing f i lm at thed e c id e d re a d in g o n t h el i g h t m e t e r , a n d t h e nexposing again a half stopup and a ha l f s top down.This wi l l prov ide the artd i rec to r w i th a cho ice o fd e n s i t i e s t o se le c t f ro m,c h o o s i n g t h e o n e b e s texposure for the color sep-a r a t o r t o w o r k w i t h f o rreproduct ion.


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CHAPTER 94 . Top-notch photographyshould n o t b e wasted o n poorquality separations a n d printing. This stylistic interpretationby Iggy Ruggieri clearlydeserves irstclass treatment. H D E U T Y O FR E P R 0 D U C 1 1 0 N

ith all of the careand dedication todetail that goes intocapturing the image andmaking the merchandisethe star of the production,

the consumer through thepages of the catalog aseffectively as it can be. Thetwo steps of reproductionare color separations andprinting.

quality of the photographyand by the desired positioning and image of thebook. Top notch photography should not be wastedon poor quality separa


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1 . Imagine if the moon in ReidCombs' futuristic still life wasgrey. A color shift like that canoccur in even perfect photography, so fidelity checkpointsbecome crucial in the colorseparation process.2 . The photographer and modelwere ready to shoot hours ago.But they waited for this precisemoment, when the morningsun would give the shot theatmosphere they felt it needed.

the original film.Technology in color sepa ra t i o n s h as ad van cedrapidly, and now providesthe opportunity to colorseparate f i lm in groups,e i th er e l ec t ro n i ca l l y o rphotographically, which isless expensive than individually shot separations.The equipment used iscomputer-driven and capable of picking up very finedetail from the photography. Electronic systems arefrequen tly utilized for catalog separation w ork. Theseare state-of-the-art scanning systems that will domuch more than just sepa

around on the spread tothe desired position. Theycan also be used to take theplace of extensive retouching and of transparencyd u p l i c a t i o n . However,these electronic systemsshould not be used as acrutch to help save poorquality photography. Theyare expensive to operate,resulting in a cost to correct film that can be muchhigher than simply contracting for good pho tography for your catalog.Color proofing is thecheckpoint for fidelity inseparations. Ideally, transparencies should be turned

match it. However, for sev-era l r e a s o n s , p h o to g rap h ed merch an d i sewill frequently show up infi lm in a different colorthan the actual sample. Itmay be an effect that happens under the shootinglights because of lum inousdyes in the fabrics or substance of the product. Thishappens in makeup, leathers, vinyls and in manykinds of cloth material. Socolor shifts may occur inphotography in spite ofcareful lighting and othercontrols. If change or balance is needed in order tocolor correct the productsand/or the backgrounds,


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con tac t co lo r p roo fs , asopposed to p ress p roo fs ,because of cost efficiencyand t ime . These proofs area photographic process ofsh o w in g wh a t h a s b e e nde f ined in co lo r separa t i o n . They are processedmu ch l ike a co lo r p r in t ,with the layers of the fourco lo r se p a ra t i o n s (cya n ,mag enta, yel lo w and black)s u p e r i m p o s e d u p o n o n eanother to create the fu l lcolor look. As pointed out ,they are cheaper to useth a n i n k -o n -p a p e r p re ssproofs.C o n t a c t c o l o r p r o o f ss h o u l d be v i e w e d a n d

c ise ly wha t w i l l happenwhen you go to press withth e j o b . Be ca u se t h e seproo fs a re pho tograph ic ,t h e y a re g e n e r a l l ys m o o t h e r l o o k i n g t h a npr int ing. But, they are lesse x p e n s i v e t h a n p r e s sp ro o f s , a n d w i t h kn o w l edgeable production, theywi l l se rve the ca ta logerwell in checking color.P h o t o g r a p h y m u s t b es c r e e n e d i n t o d o t s f o rr e p r o d u c t i o n . T he c o l o rse p a ra t i o n p ro ce ss t h a tresults provides you withfour sets of f i l m , one eachfor cyan, magenta, yel lowand black. Each color fi lm

provide f i lm that uses thecyan plate heavily to capture drawing and detai l ofproducts. This technique ofseparation will result in theblack plate being very lightin density (called a skelatalb lack. ) Another techniqueis to use the black fi lm formost o f the de ta i l andshape, wit h the cyan in balance to the magenta andy e l l o w . T h i s p r o c e d u r eresults in a " long b lack , "a n d m a y b e p r e f e r r e dbecause i t is less c o n tam inating of the other colors than a full blue plate.This latter tech niqu e is preferred by many purists in

3 . Whirr! The lyingcolors arepart of the fun in this photographby Minh, bu t they presentsome intricate challenges to thecolor separator.4 . Like this photograph byBrent Herridge, Christmascatalogs are illed o the brimwith the joys of the season.State of the art separation ca nassure that none of the individuality is lost, however, picking upeven inedetails like the lacehem on this dolVs dress.


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^ 3 o " V

meri ts should be made atpress make-ready, balancing the sheet for color thatcan be mainta ined dur ingthe run of the job. In addi t i on t o t he f i n i t e co l o ra d j u s t m e n t s , t h e p e r s o nc h a r g e d w i t h a p p r o v i n gthe sheet should watch forcr i sp reproduct ion o f the

d o t s t r u c t u r e t o a s s u r eclean print in g. And a checkof the inks on the sheet wi l lr evea l if t he i nk " t a c k "( th ickness or dens i t y ) i shigh enough to achieve thedesi red ink g loss on thepaper. Too low an ink tackwi l l resul t in a washed-outlook. However, i f the ink

tack is too h i g h , the inkmight not dry fast enoughto g ive the proper g loss .Longer ovens, wh ich a l lowmore drying t ime, are nowava i l ab l e on newer webp resses t hus m i n i m i z i ngth is potent ia l problem .

1. Th e brightness of the paperyo u choose for printing wouldhelp to improve the contrastrange necessary for an intricatestill life, like this one by BrentHerridge.2. Top quality paper is used forimage making projects likeannual reports. This desktopscenario by Brent Herridge istypical of the shots that might befound in that type of publication.


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CHAPTER 103 . Catalogs a r e often referred toas "paper stores" because o ftheir immense marketing poten-tied. And just like a dramaticstore window, Seth Roth's evocative still life invites a customerto stop, to admire, to linger T H E P A P E RS E L E C T I O N

ca ta log can be we l ld e s i g n e d , beau t i fu l l yp h o t o g r a p h e d , a n dc o l o r - s e p a r a t e d a n dprinted with ski l l and care,but th e overall effect will be

does in the choice of thep h o t o g r a p h e r a n d t h edesigner.M a n y c h a r a c t e r i s t i c ss h o u l d b e c o n s i d e r e dwhen deciding on the right

because of postage weightrequirements and budget ;mo s t ca ta lo g s a re p ro duced on 50 to 80-poundtext paper, with separatecovers usually run on 80 to


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1. Th e photographer sets up anexterior location shot of a couple enjoying a picnic while thestylist waits for last minuteinstructions.2, Th e creative team madeevery effort to heighten texturalimpact in this still life. Thechoice of paper for printingthe catalog can enhance theeffector dilute it. Photographby Bill Cottrell.

shou ld be cons idered fo rthe desi red ef fect of thep r i n t i ng . Sm oo t h , coa t edpaper is general ly selectedfor ful l color catalog jobsbecause of the p otent ial forprint ing sharp, clean dotsand for a rich lay of ink. Ar o u g h - s u r f a c e d , t o o t h ypaper wi l l absorb more inkand res u l t i n f l a t , l essintense pr in t ing. Coating ofthe paper is achieved bym i x i n g p i g m e n t s w i t hw a t e r a n d a d h e s i v e s t ofo rm a substance resemb l ing la tex house pa in t .When a p p l i e d t o p a p e rt h e y i m p a r t a s m o o t h e rs u r f a c e . M o s t c o a t e d

C h o i c e s o f quality o fpaper g rades are des ig nated by rat ings rangingf rom Prem i um t o No . 5 .T hese des i gna t i ons i n d i cate degree of brightness,superiori ty of print qual i tyand pricein descend ingorder. But wi th in each ofthese ra t in gs, there arenot i ceab le d i f f e rences inprint quality.T h e m o s t e x p e n s i v epapers a re used fo r thef inest qual i ty print ing suchas annual reports and top-o f - t h e - l i n e c a t a l o g s .Al though No. 3 and No. 4p a p e r s a r e l e s s b r i g h tw h i c h m a k e s t h e m l es s

grades are popular for cata l o g s w h e r e m a x i m i z i n glong press runs and othercost cons idera t ions makethem pract ical choices.The finish of the papermost of ten used for catalogs is usual ly a choice ofgloss, dul l or matte sheets.A gloss paper has a shiny,po l i shed look to i t , wh i ledul l and matte sheets havea m a t t e - l

Documents

SD Warren Catalog of Catalog Photography