For this concept test session I set a goal of building three scenes with Curio Wellness two new flower collections, I knew I wanted something using the compositing digital sculpture building techniques I have been exploring creatively and technically the last few weeks, and I also wanted to do a classy still life in camera scene so I set about planning the scenes, first as sketches on paper (I am old school!) then a list of items I needed and finally studio day.
Their new exclusive line uses a fresh color palette that I wanted to match, I had my eye on this colorful stick and peel tile set and decided to order it and I wanted to use my new clay props I got in from a Ukrainian etsy artisan last month, the combining of all those colors, textures and aesthetics was bound to come up with something interesting. The pose would be the clincher.
The flower containers I used were Chocolate Mint OG and Garlic Wizard two super dope specimens that I very much enjoyed shooting and sampling... whistle while you work ya know. the GW being the stand out here, kudos Curio.
Here is the same scene shot in vertical 16x10 full frame format, the arrangements did not change but the perspective did slightly and that was ok. I shot this @ f16 and then f11 to get everything in focus, leaving a bit of softness in the back corners.
This scene's lighting was built around two rim lights a key light, a white bounce card for the fill and a flash for the background gradient, so four in total and a bounce, it took me about 2 hours and a couple dozen test shots to get the look I wanted, patience is a virtue in this business, but I digress...
Both images I sent to my retoucher - Rajan, who removed the stickers magically from the jars & some dust on the tops. Dust is ever present in my studio, it is in an old warehouse, the graffiti and community are great the dust not so much. sigh.
I took some of the everyday jars from another session and built another digital sculpture composite, I wanted to go for a high key, colorful, bright and organic look with a wellness vibe - just like the brand I might add, after spending a few hours cutting out the props and arranging them to create something out of nothing, this is the result:
The mix materials, woods, metallics, flowers, tropical leaves, cannabis and visual props arranged in a vertical composition that was pleasing to these eyes, the whole structure was built over several hours using much trial and error until slowly the final vision started to emerge, I was pleased with the result, never satisfied (sigh) but pleased.
This scene I called "Your Happy Week - Seven Days Seven Smiles" was actually the first collage I created in the session, the concept was simple as was the arrangement compared to the final vertical image:
I was thinking about making a "pillbox" out of the containers to connect the concept with the idea of "everyday relief" but decided to leave this concept to be developed into a pitch for the client - Curio, I'll let you know if they bite.