Product Photography Critique

art director?

And you guys are really helping a lot... thanks for all the useful ideas and hints on how to improve!

Hi Nina,

Art director/creative director are the people who control the look and feel of the job.

When the account executive of an advertising agency wins a print job after tendering, he would brief the creative/art director of the agency. Art director would meet with the client with or without his team of graphic designers and copywriter (depending on size of job). After thorough discussion with client, he would produce visuals with his team to present to client for approval and to sign off. The visuals could contain page layouts, images done with colour magic markers or line sketched, etc. When they have been signed off (approved), then the photographer or illustrator would be commissioned to produce these images. The photographer or illustrator has to follow the visual precisely. Therefore, the creativity had been decided even before the photographer is commissioned.

Generally, there are two types of photographic work, one is commissioned with strict instructions. The other is either speculative or commissioned without instructions (normally by inexperienced or uncommitted clients) where you have a free hand and be as creative as you see fit.

So answer to Robin's question, if an art director is involved, there is no need to worry about the composition, because he is the one who decides on composition, background colour, props, camera angle, mood of the shots, etc.....

wow, thanks for the explanation. I had no idea of the complexities within the business.

Concerning this shot, I would just like to clarify, the client, my classmate, wanted these photos as a different take on some photographic work she had gotten done before.

The lamp and table combination are expressions of Chinese ink paintings, much like those ones you see with mountains, clouds spilling in and out from the valleys, and Chinese calligraphy splashed across the page. The page here being the paper like fibres in the table. the lamp here being the mountains. and she had a red lamp as well to cut across the mountains, representing the characters.

in the previous shoot, she had dark photos done with only a spot and a small fill, with a dark backdrop. she also had the mountain feeling done to her liking, so she wanted something else. something different that maybe describes the flow of the lamp itself, and an interaction with the table.
these photos will be used to enter a design contest

again, thank you all for your help!

Hi Nina,

I can see the message in the design of the table and lamp now. Thanks.

In this situation, your classmate acts as the client who commissioned you the work with instruction and meaning behind her design. You have satisfied your client with the shot which conveys the message. So it is well done. You should be proud with the shot. Many commercial photographers would be happy producing pictures of this quality.

Good luck with the design competition.

again, thanks a lot