Sometimes people outside the photography profession think of photography as a simple process of taking a picture. Just about everybody can take a picture by aiming a camera, phone, ipad, etc. and press a button. Technology has indeed made the process of taking a picture that simple. Not that long ago people needed to know what all those dials and setting did on a camera. They also relied on professionals at a lab to take their film and work that darkroom magic that turned it into prints. It’s no wonder that perceptions have changed.

The process of creating a picture is where all the excitement is. When a successful image is created it is done with a sense of authorship. That sense of having a part of myself in an image is where I find my passion and motivation.

As image makers, we have a creative process for product photography. It is a different journey for every image. Most of the time for me it is a collaboration of vision from many people such as art directors, designers, clients, retouchers, and more. There is pre-production and planning, execution, and post production. Each of us have a role in the process from the time it is an idea in someone’s head to the point it is reproduced in print or on a screen. The ideas evolve as they go along and everyone has a part in it.

Even the most straightforward product shots have a creative process. We choose the most descriptive and flattering angles. The type, direction, and amount of light are tools we use to tell something about what we are photographing. We describe and draw attention to what makes a product unique and hide any weaknesses.