NIKE PHOTOBOOK: Still Life Lebron & Kyrie
FOREWORD:
The below process manual is regarding a 'Still Life' photoshoot campaign for Deni Russell's Photography class. The task was to create a series of 20 distinct photographic compositions using our choice of objects, no smaller than a watch and no bigger 1.5ft squared. Each image must include both a noticeable form and cast a shadow. Because of my love for fashion and the sheer volume f my personal collection of Nike Basketball shoes, the choice was pretty much made for me. I shot a collection of photos for both The Nike LeBron XV and Nike Kyrie III, size 13, for the real intention of creating a photobook of Nike products that I can add to my physical portfolio and one day hand off to Nike clientele.
MATERIALS
- Nikon D3200
- Nikon 18-55mm Standard Lens
- Nike LeBron XV 'Ghost'
- Nike Kyrie III "What the?'
- George Brown Art & Design Building: Photography Studio
- George Brown Art & Design Building: Lighting
- 2010 iMac Pro
- Adobe Lightroom (Creative Cloud)
- Tripod from Amazon
PART I: Studio set-up
Upon arrival at the studio, you have a bit of prep to get out of the way before you can start shooting. I envisioned a nice gold lighting and shadow bouncing off each shoe, thus the perfect backdrop to go with this was black. Shout out Drake, OVO, black and gold over everything. It's the photographer's job to set up the room with the lighting specifics and props necessary to take the best shots. So much needs to be taken into consideration - which direction the shadows will bounce, how bright the room can be, your camera's focal length and shutter speed - it all matters. Once you're happy with the room, it's time to start shooting.
PART II: Shoot & Experiment
Every photographer's process is different.
Use different props, change perspective, experiment with angles, use your imagination.
The more you shoot, the more fun you'll have & the better you'll become over time.
PART III: Edits
For me, the most important part of editing photos is setting the vibe. Music, lighting, some snacks off to the side, and 2-3 hours of uninterrupted time, are essential for getting into a good editing groove. Once ready, I get into it, first marking which photos will not be needed. Next I go through all photos cropping each to a desired shape and aspect ratio, then I'll edit the exposure (keep in mind it's essential to have your monitor at its brightest setting). From there, I'll edit each individual photo, identifying the best shots and hammering the detail work on my favourites.
I find I'm never really finished editing photos, there's always something more you can do. But what I try to do is get each photo to a place that I'm generally happy with. I usually export a couple images and test how they look on different sized screens (like my cell) and check out how they look with varying brightness levels and in-app experimentation.
THE FINAL PRODUCT: Nike Kyrie III's
These are some of my favourite shots I've ever taken. I love the way the black of the shoes get lost against the backdrop, really drawing attention to the colour and detail on each piece. In Lightroom, I was able to create a radial filter around the details and punch up the texture/clarity so you can get a sense of what the shoe feels like to the touch.
The shadows are full, the values are rich and the colours pop.
Love how dynamic these turned out.
THE FINAL PRODUCT: Nike Lebron XVs
The Lebron XV is an interesting shoe - It is all about the TEXTURE. It's the first Nike shoe of it's kind to feature what they call 'combat knit', a way of wrapping the foot in a glove-like material. A material that's reflected in a very unique design on the outer portion of the shoe. With these shots I aimed to capture that texture, while also highlighting the signature nuances that come along with a LeBron shoe, like his logo, number and career iconography.
Once again, the backdrop played a huge role. These shoes stood out so much, especially when placed on the white set up. The brown pops, the texture is clear and the 3M highlighted laces glow and reflect. Super stoked on these.
Thanks for taking the time to read through this, more projects to come.
