As product photographers, we work with a lot of different clients in Edinburgh, all with very different requirements and challenges.
One more unusual one was to produce a series of images of a set of tennis rackets on a grass court. You might think this was fairly straightforward, except it was the middle of winter!
Given the unpredictability of the weather, plus the fact that grass isn’t likely to be looking at its best in January, artificial turf was the only way to go. It also meant that we could photograph the tennis rackets in our studio, where we’d have more control over the lighting, not to mention the fact that we’d be warmer!
The artificial turf had a few imperfections but we kept these in as it helped create the impression of real grass.
A quick look on Amazon allowed us to find what we were looking for. There were some cheaper options but we wanted something that looked fairly realistic.
When it finally arrived, the grass looked good but there was something missing. It just needed something extra to give more of a hint of a tennis court, so we painted a white line down one edge. When the rackets were positioned next to this, it gave the impression that they were actually lying on a court.
The client also required some shots against a white background for e-commerce.
Although the aim was to create the illusion on being on grass, we didn’t expect this to be completely realistic. Only real grass would do that job. Instead we aimed for some images which would stand out clearly online and give enough of a suggestion of the products in use, which is what lifestyle product photography is all about.
The brief included close ups of the tennis racket.