howlett photography

View Original

still life cosmetics - perfume & fragrances - on location

I'm so delighted to finally be able to share this week's blog featuring on-location product and fashion still life photography for Playboy Fragrances. The overall aim of the shoot was to encapsulate an aura of summer fun across a variety of shots, including eye-catching still life and gif images for use in social media platforms. Having a great location and working with a familiar team made shooting a blast; and with all the beautiful weather, I was glad to not be stuck in a dark studio for a change!

The West London house used for this shoot was ideal for both the indoor still life sets and outdoor scenes.  Styling was undertaken by Sophie Sturridge, whose carefully considered approach created a summer travel vibe. You can see examples of this in the first set of still life images. Outside, the main focus was the pool, the best feature of the entire shoot! Surrounded by tropical plants and beautifully designed garden furniture, it was the perfect fit for this brief.

To add and more summer glow, I mixed daylight with flash; you can see the result of this in the shoot above, along with a behind-the-scenes peeks at the models splashing delightfully in the pool between shoots and my own still-life poolside set up.

The final part of the brief was to create a set of gif files - an ever increasing request, especially as social media has now become such a strong advertising platform. Gifs are a fun way to add a bit of movement to a still image, whilst also gaining traction online. 

A special thanks go out to weareapproach A fantastic retouch team who did an amazing job with the post production and retouch. And to Still Life stylist Sophie Surridge who helped create the still life setups.

My next blog will feature some creative cosmetics gifs, so stay tuned for more.