Creative Conceptual Imagery for Australian Manufacture Designer Doorware Catalogue Photography

During mid 2021 amidst the Covid Lockdowns, we worked on producing their latest brochure. They required a series of images showcasing their range of door handles, cabinet and bathroom accessories.

Challenges of Working During Pandemic Lockdowns

Once concepts were decided on, we set out sourcing props and building sets which took longer than usual due to delivery delays. Production of the hardware delays also meant there was a 3 week pause in between photography. 

This time around we wanted to create images that were more conceptual and colourful. We had the opportunity to work with contrasting colours and a wide range of shades.

About the Client

Designer Doorware designs and manufactures superior quality door furniture and architectural hardware from their Melbourne based warehouse. This is our third year working with them in producing images for their catalogue.

Zaket & Plover Studio Fashion Photography

Another season photographed for our Melbourne based client - Zaket and Plover womens wear. On the day of photography we also photographed their other label LD &CO.

Client: Zaket And Plover

Studio: Glow Studios, West Melbourne

Talent: Sylvie Goetz & Gopkia Kanangot (Giant Management)

Equipment: Canon 5D mkIV / Profoto acute lighting system

Capturing the Mood with Infused Whiskey Decanters Product Photography

Infused had commissioned IJ Productions to create a series of images for their range of whiskey decanters and reusable metal and stone cubes.

Working on the concept involved planning what was possible to shoot in a day and props required. Once a shot list was fleshed out the client went about sourcing the appropriate props and we gathered all the items required to build sets. In the past we have found working this way produced consistent results. View previous photo shoots examples.

Making Products look good on a plain white background.

There is only so much you can do creatively on a plain white background but to shoot it well can actually be a lot more complicated lighting wise compared to photographing something in-situation or on a dark background. Deep etching or contouring of the object is unrealistic and flattens the object in the frame. IJ Productions Principle Photographer Ivan Lee prefers photographing products on a reflective surface to create a mirror effect that adds depth and dimension to the product (but we can deep etch if required).

Lifestyle Product Photography Images That Stand Out

Being in the middle of stage 3 lockdown we kept to a minimal crew with the client and Photographer only. The minimal props involved meant a prop stylist wasn’t required. 

A few stained pine boards and plenty of whiskey (some for drinking) was pretty much all we needed as the whiskey sets provided enough items for propping.

With a shot list finalised before the photo shoot we worked efficiently on creating the final lifestyle images as we knew what props were required for each image and what order to photograph in for minimal down time.

Another use for the images was for Amazon listings which meant composition also had to work within a square format.  

To capture images at the highest quality and dynamic range, A Hasselblad digital medium format camera and Canon Professional DSLR was used for the photo shoot. Images lit with Profoto Flash lighting equipment.

Please view our Professional Photography Portfolio to see more work.

Pondalowie Vineyard Wine Photography

Pondalowie Vineyards Wine Bottle Product Photography

Pondalowie contacted IJ Productions because they required professional wine bottle product photography for their latest range of wines. Images are to be used online on their website and social media which was why Ivan had to create a  well executed and  sharp with dramatic lighting for the bottles.  Using one of the finest camera systems, the Hasselblad digital medium format camera that captures images at an incredible 50 megapixels at two times the sensor size of the standard digital SLR and professional strobe lighting system by Profoto.

The first release of Pondalowie was in 2002 and since then it has always met with critical acclaim including being awarded a five star rating by James Halliday consecutively every year from 2006 to 2016, Pondalowie wines are widely regarded as some of Australia’s finest red wines.

They established 25 acres of vineyard in the Bendigo region in Central Victoria and planted Shiraz, Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Viognier. Their winemaking technique is with  minimal intervention learned during our more than 20 years making wine in France, Portugal and Australia.

Pandemic Lockdown Photography No.05

During lockdown Ivan photographed the Pondalowie Special Release at home. Creating a scene involved props from home and creative lighting to mimic window lights. Image was used for Pondalowie newsletter and socials.

The Special Release is a complex wine with hints of Tobacco, plums, oak and blackberries. Most excellent drop for watching the 11am press conference.

Winemakers: Dominic & Krystina Morris

Ulupna Winery Bottle Product Photography

We were contacted by the design and marketing team at Ulupna winery to photograph their latest range of Italian wines and new labels of their Australian wines. An urgent 2 day turn around was required; Photo shoot organised on Tuesday, photographed on Wednesday and files delivered by Friday.

Needing images that show the detail in their labels that include gold foil and subtle tones they contacted IJ Productions because of our experience and technical expertise in wine bottle & Product Photography. Working with multiple lights and light modifiers we set up a complex lighting system that included a 2400W Profoto professional strobe light. Camera system chosen for this was the 50 megapixel Digital medium format camera from Hasselblad that captures an incredible 16bit colour dynamic range (DSLR are only 12-14bit).

We spent only a few hours photographing the wine bottles individually and as groupings with the client there to approve images.

Ulupna vineyard is located in Goulburn Valley Australia. The winery is a family business that started out as a small B&B in the 1980s as a retirement activity of Nick and Kathy. Since 2000 approximately 22 hectares of vines have been planted; 50% Shiraz, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Chardonnay.

In 2012 Ulupna started predominantly exporting all wines to China, Korea, Hong Kong and Singapore. Starting in 2016 they have concentrated their efforts on the local market.

Studio: Glow Studios, West Melbourne, Australia

Client: Ulupna Winery

Winemaker: Vio Buga 

Photographer: Ivan Lee

Camera: Hasselblad X1D 50MP Digital medium format camera  w/HC80mm 2.8

Images are captured on the  Hasselblad X1D  50 megapixel digital mirrorless medium format camera.  The Hasselblad is a high resolution professional camera that captures far more detail and colour compared to 35mm digital cameras such as ones from Canon, Nikon or Sony due to the sensor being nearly twice the size of a 35mm frame.

Lighting: Profoto Acute 2400 w/ Profoto Acute head and strip softbox, Profoto 7B w/ modified Broncolor mobilite & Picobox

View Our Wine Bottle and Advertising Photography portfolio

Corporate Portrait Photography for Melbourne and Brisbane Law Firm Elit Lawyers

Elit Lawyers Corporate Portrait Photography in our Melbourne Studio

Elit Lawyers was founded by Danielle Snell & Robert McGirr during the Covid-19 Pandemic, Their goal was to create a multi-disciplinary law firm that challenges the traditional law firm model. We went to create a series of images in our West Melbourne studio that reflected their unique approach and avoid the standard corporate law firm portraits.

BankVIC and Ambulance Victoria Editorial & Corporate Portrait Photography

Portrait of Ambulance Victoria Pilot Matt Shepard for BankVIC

We had the opportunity to photograph Ambulance Pilot Matthew Shepard at the Essedon Airfield. Working with The Incubator Creative Agency and their videographer, we had moments between takes to capture the images required.

As part of BankVic’s partnership with the Hawthorn Football Club, Hawthorn FC recognise an Emergency Services member at each Melbourne home game who is known as the BankVic Emergency Services Champion. A champion is nominated by each of the Emergency Services agencies for going above and beyond their normal duties to contribute to the Victorian community. Check out our Corporate and Editorial Portrait Photography Portfolio.

The Importance of Great Product Photography for E-commerce

How to boost your ecommerce with great product photography

Take a moment to imagine the image in our heads. How it appears, what colors we see, how it smells and sounds. This is how we remember information in general and this is the visual aspect of memory that most marketers aren’t leveraging for their ecommerce product images.

When it comes to e-commerce product photography, the visual is often the second most important aspect in creating that memorable image within the head of your target market. For your customers to know what you’re selling, seeing it in their heads is essential.

If we want to make our customers happy and keep them coming back then they need to be able to see what we’re selling. And, if we want them seeing our products in their head for a long time then it needs to look good as well as be functional.

It’s not enough to just take a photo of the product, that’s too plain. It needs to look visually appealing and tell a story. We need to present our products in such a way that makes what we’re selling easier for the customers to see and understand.

The images we choose from the hundreds of thousands of products on offer on ecommerce websites tell our target market a lot about what we are selling, how it works as well as possibly inspire them.

How we choose to show our products tells our customers what that particular product means to us. It’s how we present the product and how it’s packaged that draws attention and makes it appealing to buy.

So, when it comes to ecommerce product photography, the visual is the second most important aspect in creating a memorable image within the head of your target market.

If you want customers seeing your products in their heads for a long time then it needs to look good as well as be functional. It’s not enough just to take a photo of the product, that’s too plain and uninteresting.

Contact IJ Productions if you are looking for a Product Photographer in Melbourne and we can discuss how we can help create memorable images for your website.

Three Chain Road Craft Gin Distillers Photography

Product Photography of Three Chain Road Craft Gin in our Melbourne Studio.

Three Chain Road is a Craft Gin Distiller from Rutherglen, Victoria and is made by Buller Wines who are well known for making great fortified wines. Working with Trish from Design Energy, a boutique Wine label specialist, we wanted images to have dramatic shadows created by coloured glass and textured objects. In our West Melbourne studio (Glow Studios) we put together a simple set with a few props to photograph the range of gins.

To capture the fine colour foil on the texture labels, a lot of attention was placed on complex lighting. The mixing of hard lighting for dramatic effect and soft gradient lighting for tone comes from years of lighting experience for all sorts of products. Our studio has all the strobe lighting and modifiers required for studio and location photography.

One of our tricks to photographing ice which is fast melting is to use hand carved acrylic cubes. We have a selection of cubes for any liquid and drinks photography.

Images are captured on the  Hasselblad X1D  50 megapixel digital mirrorless medium format camera.  The Hasselblad is a high resolution professional camera that captures far more detail and colour compared to 35mm digital cameras such as ones from Canon, Nikon or Sony due to the sensor being nearly twice the size of a 35mm frame.

ABOUT BULLER WINES

Established in 1921 by Reginald Landon Buller and has been associated with Rutherglen’s finest fortified wines for almost 100 years.

In 2013 the winery was purchased by the Judd Family and now has 3 co-owners- Gerald Judd, David Whyte and Michael Murtagh.

Distiller & Wine Maker: David Whyte

Label Design: Design Energy

Digital Retoucher: Steph Fraser

View our Wine and Liquid Product Photography Portfolio

Koala Comforts | Commercial Photography

On location Commercial Photography for Koala Comforts Towels, Blankets and Sleep wear.

New Australian label Koala Comforts needed content to launch their range of towels and blankets. Coming out of lockdown in November we spent a day on photography in Caulfield and Blackrock.

Having to work quick and with no Lighting Assistant, multiple high power battery powered lights were used to light the scene and shooting directly to the computer for immediate client approval help speed up the entire process.

Credits:

Client: Koala Comforts

Talent:

• David Galea

• Tamera

• Luke Edwards / Brazen

• Nuggett

• Mikaela Jade /Vivians

• Jem

Hair and Make-up: Montana Yates

Belinda Woolcock for Spinfire Tennis Ball Machines & Tennis Warehouse Australia Advertising Photography

Campaign and Product Photography for Tennis Warehouse Australia & Spinfire Tennis ball Machines Featuring Australian Tennis Player Belinda Woolcock

Tennis Warehouse reached out to IJ productions during the Covid stage 4 lockdown in 2020 to photograph their new Spinfire Tennis ball machine. Product Photography was completed by Ivan at home due to travel restrictions (Melbourne residents were only allowed no further than 5km radius from their home for a few months). A day was spent photographing the machine and most images can be seen on their website.

Once lockdown restrictions were lifted photography with Australian Tennis Player Belinda Woolcock could take place in our West Melbourne Studio.

Tennis Court in Action Images

Another 1/2 day was allocated to shoot on location at Melbourne Tennis Centre Courts with Belinda using the Spinfire Tennis ball machine. A series of images of her using the machine and setting up the machine was taken. The high sun would have been an issue if we didn’t have high powered Profoto battery powered flashes and high sync speed GODOX portable flashes. Now we had perfectly lit images without the harsh midday sun shadows.

Super fast flash duration was required to create a sharp image to freeze the movement without blurring. Using a mixture of specialised studio strobes we were able to capture very fast movements in camera with minimal digital retouching.

Client: Tennis Warehouse Australia

Camera: Hassleblad Digital Medium Format/ 80mm & Canon 5D MKIV/24-70mm

Lighting: Profoto B1/Godox AD200 & Profoto Pro 7B /Acute 2400

Advertising Photography for Argentinian Winery Domaine Bousquet & Warburn Estate

Warburn Estate Winery is the Australian distributor for Argentinian Organic Winery Domaine Bousquet, having photographed their range of Gossips wine, Photographer Ivan Lee was asked to create a series of images for the Domaine Bousquet range of wines.

Working with Melbourne based Stylist Bonnie K. we created a set from stained wood.

Client: Warburn Estate

Stylist: Bonnie Kay