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Commercial and Industrial Photography
Looking for constructive criticism
Nov 29, 2021 12:12:14   #
claytonsummers Loc: Orange County, CA
 
This is a photo we did for a new ad we are running. It was done quickly, but we did have some guidance on what marketing was looking for. They wanted the white background, the color from the lego style bricks, and our parts.

I think this came out pretty decent, but would like to get some feedback from this group. The white space at the top is for our text and logo.

Thanks,


(Download)

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Nov 29, 2021 12:46:29   #
DWU2 Loc: Phoenix Arizona area
 
The parts in the foreground are out of focus.

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Nov 29, 2021 14:31:24   #
luvmypets Loc: Born & raised Texan living in Fayetteville NC
 
It would appear to me that you have the right concept and what you need is some refining. I'm in agreement with DWU2 that your foreground needs to be in focus as well as the Legos in the background. This may require you to do this shot as a focus stack.

As a consumer, viewing this photo, it is not showcasing your products; it's a jumbled mess. Each one of your products should be easily seen and identifiable. First, does the client require this shot in portrait mode? If not, shoot horizontal to give yourself more room to spread the items out and you might want to use platforms of varying heights to give separation and show each item it's own "stage". You could perhaps put more than 1 item on a platform but make sure that each item is well presented and doesn't interfere with any other item. If you have to shoot in portrait mode than I suggest stair casing your platforms to get the most use of the space. Here again you may have to shoot this as a focus stack.

If an item is meant to magnify something the item it is magnifying should be in focus.

With the legos you can arrange them in pleasant looking piles and put some together to represent "building". Also use the very bright colored ones and not pastels so they show up better and don't look washed out. Maybe stick with bright red, dark blue, bright yellow and black.

This is JUST MY OPINION!!!!

Good luck and I hope you show us more photos of your project.

Dodie

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Nov 30, 2021 15:50:42   #
CPR Loc: Nature Coast of Florida
 
I reduced the photo so it was a full page on the screen, as it would be seen in a magazine. The blue circle draws the eye and then to the tall piece with the red line above it.
I think it's just too busy to show the clients parts well. The logos are just WTH are they for?

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Nov 30, 2021 15:53:38   #
claytonsummers Loc: Orange County, CA
 
Thanks, everyone for the feedback so far.

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Dec 1, 2021 11:52:42   #
E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada
 
From a standpoint of the industrial or commercial photograph, it does not make the grade simply because the viewer is not going to know what any of that stuff is. There is no main subject to attract the viewer's eye and even a catalogue layout the sites are not well defined. Even if the viewer knows exactly what each item is, the lack of impactful composition becomes confusing.

Jobs lie this can not be done in a hurry. It's the old story- the exposure takes only a fraction of a second but the setup might take all day.

If the shot was for advertising, I would lie to know what the theme of the ad was- the copy and so on. That would help with a further suggestion as to how to approach this kinda work.

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Dec 3, 2021 15:25:53   #
claytonsummers Loc: Orange County, CA
 
E.L.. Shapiro wrote:
From a standpoint of the industrial or commercial photograph, it does not make the grade simply because the viewer is not going to know what any of that stuff is. There is no main subject to attract the viewer's eye and even a catalogue layout the sites are not well defined. Even if the viewer knows exactly what each item is, the lack of impactful composition becomes confusing.

Jobs lie this can not be done in a hurry. It's the old story- the exposure takes only a fraction of a second but the setup might take all day.

If the shot was for advertising, I would lie to know what the theme of the ad was- the copy and so on. That would help with a further suggestion as to how to approach this kinda work.
From a standpoint of the industrial or commercial ... (show quote)



Thanks for the insight. This is an ad for the back page of a trade rag. I think the idea was for the parts to deliberately be a bit messy, like a kid building something out of Lego brick. I don't like how we did the text, but I got outvoted :)


(Download)

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Dec 3, 2021 19:06:30   #
E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada
 
claytonsummers wrote:
Thanks for the insight. This is an ad for the back page of a trade rag. I think the idea was for the parts to deliberately be a bit messy, like a kid building something out of Lego brick. I don't like how we did the text, but I got outvoted :)


Actually, it looks better with the copy and the layout. Perhaps all the clutter is good because it shows lots of potential for someone who knows the technology. Good concept- lego!

The shot fits in well with concept and that is the whole idea of advertising photograhy.


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Dec 3, 2021 19:14:20   #
claytonsummers Loc: Orange County, CA
 
Thanks, I feel much better about it now : )

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Dec 3, 2021 23:17:45   #
E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada
 
claytonsummers wrote:
Thanks, I feel much better about it now : )


Do not feel bad!

I have done advertising work for major agencies and small businesses alike. I have made images for which I was well-paid and the clients, art director, and everyone concerned was 100% pleased. Yet, I entered someof these images in professional competitions and get lousy reviews.

Many of the judging panels rate work on traditional aesthetics and criteria such as composition, lighting, use of light, theme or motif, etc.

Some organizations give out awards in the advertising industry- they score on the entire ad images, copy, layout, creativity, viewer impact of the entire layout. The image is assessed in context with the entire job. Some images will not stand up well other own them because space was provided for copy. The combined image and text then form the total composition.

When I visit agences to offer my services, I don't only show individual images, rather I show "tear-sheets" with complete ads.

The best ads result when the account executive, art director, copywriter, and photograher work as a team toward the concept. Great art directors will ask me to stick firstly stick withte layout and concept but if an alternative idea materilaizes or comes to mind- shoot it as well!

I have the most fun on low-budget jobs where I get to do it all.

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Jan 7, 2022 21:03:52   #
Abo
 
CPR wrote:
I reduced the photo so it was a full page on the screen, as it would be seen in a magazine. The blue circle draws the eye and then to the tall piece with the red line above it.
I think it's just too busy to show the clients parts well. The logos are just WTH are they for?


Yep... it's too busy by far.

In the immortal words of Ludwig Mies Van de Rohe; "Less is more".

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