Sunday, August 18, 2013

Creative and Aesthetic Significance of Pack-Shot Photography

Pack-shot photography accurately replicates the product range to look real and simple. It is a requirement that every corporate and multinational company needs



A pack-shot is an impactful image of any kind of product, which has major characteristics like packaging and labeling.  It is used to portray the products status in the advertising field. It is an important incentive to sales, with the goal of triggering product recognition. This craftsmanship relies in the hands of a professional commercial photographer’s ability to transform essential qualities of a product into a purely pictorial form. He needs to ensure that the subtlest details are noted.  Even the dullest packaging appears very stunning when pack shot photography is done. A good commercial studio discusses with the client about the concept and pictorial approach according with their style of products they want.

The need to make an image look like the item in reality is the only objective of such specialized shoots. The concept has to be consumer friendly and allow the buyer to understand the features as the product cannot be touched or felt online. It takes patience for an expert to develop the ambiance to get the set up for different kinds of pack shots. With this it becomes easy for the buyer to pick the right item even if there are similar items being sold in the same group. While in other special photo shoots where one needs to add glamour or props, or do family pictures like wedding in the case of pack shot photography the idea is to replicate the reality. Hence it needs minimal amount of effects or enhancements.

Today it is the duty of the shooter or the studio hired to check that the product shots are authentic. So much so that the color tones of the brand, information on the product and its shape and other characteristics are all the same when the product is delivered to the customer. For instance when a buyer has a choice of many wine bottles to choose from he will browse the product gallery online. The arrangement of the shapes and bottles giving more importance to the aged and vintage stuff is important. The visual of the pack shot conveys everything there is to communicate with the buyer. Additional text like price list, name of the brand its legend and age also help the buyer.

Today there are different kinds of pack shot photography that can be availed. They can follow the regular standard method of shooting, or be creative depending on the item to be shot. Some products look best when shot against solid monochromatic backgrounds like Black or white. At times the canvas is more vibrant with right tones without undermining the value of the item. For example it is easy to create a beach sequence and keep a table in the foreground and shoot some chilled pinna cold filled glasses.

In the end it boils down to how the image has attracted the buyer. One cannot deny the creative, or aesthetic sense of pack shot photography. But at the same time it should be considered an important factor that brings the consumer close to the product.

About Author:
Md. Asaduzzaman Shakil
Owner and Chief Photographer of Product-Shot.co.uk