This time we created a 3-in one tutorial for you:
First, Alex took pictures of a luxury jewelry ring good for e-commerce, making it look almost perfect out-of-the-camera.

Then, he added props to make a creative image with the same ring, and in third tutorial Artem will show you how to clean and “polish” image in Adobe Photoshop.

Blending CGI and Photography is the modern recipe for commercial success.

Not because it’s always cheaper or easier to create a CGI product or environment—oftentimes it’s quite the opposite; poor or cheaply done CGI is always obvious and is a surefire way to tank an ad campaign.

The reason CGI and photography are converging is because CGI enables advertisers the opportunity to pursue bold and unique presentations of commercial products that capture people’s imaginations to sell more products.

There was a time when watches were ubiquitous. Everyone had one. Not only did they tell time, they marked it well. Graduations, anniversaries, retirements—watches became symbols of accomplishment and even status.

So, it was no surprise that images of watches dominated commercial advertising, from magazines to billboards. And yet, times change. Now there’s a whole segment of the population that doesn’t even wear a watch anymore.

As product photographers, it can be challenging to create a watch concept that truly stands out. An image that captures the attention of passionate collectors as well as the upwardly mobile Gen-Y crowd whose only timepiece to-date has been their cell phones.

In this advanced photography workshop, you will learn how to shoot a pair of headphones, including some closeup details, using a simple suspension rig to create the perfect orientation.

Then, we’ll take you through the complete post-production process to bring out the absolute best in the product. Adding such visually compelling images to your portfolio and social media is a great way to grab attention.

As CGI becomes more ubiquitous in consumer product advertising, you would be forgiven if you assumed this month’s workshop is a 3D render—after all, not only have we recently released a brand new CGI course, but that’s how the majority of these hyperreal images are created nowadays.

But we wanted to demonstrate that you can still create this effect the old-school way, by shooting the core image in-camera and applying some ingenious post-production effects.

As you’ll learn, it’s important to have a clear vision of the final result in mind to guide your approach, from capture to final composite.

Time to strap on your helmets and get ready for a deep dive into some truly amazing post-production techniques for blending studio product photography with complex backgrounds.

In this advanced photography and post-production workshop, you will learn how to shoot a liquor bottle and seamlessly blend it into a variety of complex backgrounds.

This is an important skill for commercial photographers and retouchers because it’s not always possible to go on location for an environmental shot.

When creating advertising images, brands and creative agencies often seek to have the style of image visually convey a message or theme with regard to the product.

Sometimes, that message is one of durability and toughness; other times, it may be one of elegance and refinement. 

Last month, we explored high-concept-style imagery that is often used in advertising.

This month, we paired up with professional stylist Olena Lytynska, an artist, set designer and professional image consultant with decades of experience in fashion and marketing, to create a stunning cosmetics composition that blends art with advertising.

In this advanced workshop, the emphasis is on turning a simple product shot into a stunning and original high-concept image that grabs people’s attention. When you shoot products commercially, there is somewhat of a spectrum of styles and composition approaches used by professional photographers depending on the needs of the client.

Sometimes, you need simple, but functional packaging shots that clearly depict a product’s shape, texture, and color. Other times, you need to capture a product’s utility.

And then, at the other end of the spectrum, you may need to shoot the product in such a way as to make it irresistible or so visually compelling that it stops viewers in their tracks.

In this Christmas-Style Composition workshop, you will learn how to set the right Christmas mood for your images.  As usual, we’re going to create a really interesting setup with some cool props.

This is great for when you are showcasing your product in your portfolio and for social media.

Enjoy and have a great Christmas Eve!

In this advanced cosmetics workshop, you will learn how to create an eye-catching product image featuring a glossy mascara pen surrounded by swirls of black liquid splashes.

In this advanced photography workshop, you will learn how to shoot a bottle of Whiskey and pour. We are going to show you how you are going to create this for Halloween night.

As usual, we’re going to create a really interesting setup with some cool props. This is great for when you are showcasing your product in your portfolio and for social media.

In this advanced photography workshop, you will learn how to shoot high-gloss and complicated surfaces such as the kind glossy shoes have.

As usual, we’re going to create a really interesting setup with some cool props. This is great for when you are showcasing your product in your portfolio and for social media.

In this creative cocktail studio photography workshop, you will learn how to properly set up lighting to create a desired look of the cocktail. How to deal with various liquids and hidden tricks of pouring them in the right manner.

Props are essential also as they help to create the right mood for the scene.

In this advanced product photography workshop you will learn how to photograph fire and flame and create fireball-like shapes in a studio, then shoot a bottle of whiskey and combine everything into an advertising image.

You also will learn camera settings for capturing fire, and how to combine it with strobe lighting to make a perfect exposure match.

Also, you’ll learn how to film slow-motion videos of fire and products that can be used for promotion on social media, on your portfolio or for your clients, without using a special camera.

In this High-end photography Retouching and photography workshop, you will learn how to shoot difficult and unusual objects like a bar of chocolate and create stunning advertising compositions!

In this Pro Club workshop, Alex and Artem get creative with nail polish items combined with some very special liquid forms. You can use this technique to create some great advertising images!

With Alex you’ll learn how to set up the scene and lighting and how to get dramatic effects in a small studio for optimum in-camera results.

Then Artem, our post-production guru, will show you how best to enhance your images for a stunning final result. We will help you overcome some common challenges and use this technique to give your portfolio the ‘wow’ factor.

In this special workshop, you will know how to create fascinating images for daily objects like kitchenware. Create expensive looking shots for your clients which sell!

Artem Pissarevskiy will provide inside tips and tricks to give you the best learning curve and how to master the final result. After you have done your assignment Artem will point out and help you out to achieve exactly that type of retouching needed.

In this food photography workshop, you will learn how to create a stunning composition of a burger in mid-air using an advanced technique for a believable high-end advertising result.

In this special post-production workshop, you will get into the depth of compositing with our master of Photoshop, Artem Pissarevskiy.

Together with studio photography magician Alex Koloskov, who provided the images such as Advertising Cognac Image used in this fantastic and stunning workshop.

Interview with Eric Gordon

We continued interviewing industry photography professionals, and this time we got an interesting interview with Eric Gordon, a commercial studio photographer from Santa Barbara, CA.
 

Eric answered questions such as:

• How did you start to earn money from your passion? What were your first steps towards earning money?
• What is the best advice you can give for a person who moves his steps in product photography?
• How to attract and get work from international clients.
• How did you start in photography?

Interview with Vadim Chiline

We continue exploring world of commercial photography, and this is another interview with one the best jewelry photographer in North America Vadim Chiline.

Interview with Philip Sydow

We continue interviewing industry photography professionals, and this time we got an interesting interview with Philip Sydow, a commercial studio photographer from Virginia.

We continue exploring world of commercial photography, and this is another interview with one of industry professionals, studio photographer Philip Sydow.