At one point in my life I considered being a furniture maker. I had the woodworking bug. I read books and magazines on the subject. I built really, really bad tables with drawers that didn’t work quite right — all of the things we do when we first start a new endeavor, we screw up. After a close call between my finger and a table saw I rethought things. I’m fine with that. But I still really like good furniture. Having tried to do this myself, I have a great respect for those who do it well. Over the years I’ve had several furniture clients, some of whom make great stuff, others not so much. The clients who make great furniture are still around.

Shooting furniture takes a lot of time and patience and a LOT of space. In general, you need three times the width of a piece on either side to properly light. In other words, if you have a piece that is four feet wide, you should have at least twelve feet of space on each side. As always, when it comes to space, more is better. Also, you need to be able to tightly control your light. This means artificial light (I use studio strobes) with light modifiers such as grids, snoots, barndoors and occasionally softboxes.

Most furniture comes in three varieties, lacquered, painted or upholstered. In general, painted and upholstered furniture is a bit easier to shoot than lacquered since the reflectivity is usually lower. Specular highlights and glare are much less of a problem with painted or upholstered pieces. With painted and upholstered furniture, broad light sources often work well (softboxes, umbrellas, heads bounced off of ceilings, also cloudy daylight). Lacquered furniture is much tougher. Generally we want to see the wood grain clearly through the stain, but we also want to get a sense of the type of lacquer and finish. Is it glossy (like a French polish,) flat (tung oil,) or somewhere in between?   It’s this balance between seeing the sheen of the surface and the color and grain beneath that presents a big challenge.

I treat all of the furniture I shoot as architectural pieces. In other words, I make sure that the lines that are supposed to be straight are straight, level and plumb. This means either using shift lenses (or large format) or being able to fix it in post. Keeping things square and level is a big deal in the furniture making world, don’t screw it up by not having your camera level. In general, I use the longest lens that I can as determined by the space and the piece to be shot. Longer lenses don’t exaggerate perspective the way shorter ones can.

I approach lighting large products, such as furniture, as an exercise in surfaces. Generally, each piece will have three surfaces facing the camera — front, top, side. Each surface will have different needs for lighting and therefore, each gets it’s own lighting setup. Sometimes this can be done all at once, other times it requires using multiple exposures.





First image shows the placement of the first light, in this case a 4 foot softbox to camera left and at about 10 feet high. This provides the primary light for the side of the chair/ottoman as well as overall soft fill.





The next image shows the placement of a grid spot raking the front of the ottoman. This light, placed at about 2 feet high really brings out the texture in the rush weaving under the cushion. This light is also flagged off as to not spill too heavily on the cushion itself.





Third image shows the placement of a front fill to even out some of the shadows. It also provides a highlight along the lower rails of the ottoman. This light is placed camera right. We’re using a 7-inch reflector shooting through a 3×6 light panel.





Final image as delivered to client shows minor tweaking of light output and a small bump in contrast. The client will put a clipping path on this for inclusion in their product catalog.

Shooting furniture is a lot like my other passion, shooting food. It’s technical, slow, methodical, and the subjects don’t get an attitude. It’s a challenge to be sure. The clients I work for spend a lot of time and money developing these products so they need to make sure they show them in their best light. I realize that not everyone has access to the space and equipment I describe here. But there are a number of inexpensive options to studio strobes. A number of third party manufacturers make a wide range of light modifiers for flashguns, but you’ll give up some power and versatility using these systems, as opposed to studio strobes.

But more important than space or gear is time. Take it, go slow, look carefully at the product and the shots. I know that if I knock one of these out in 20 minutes, I’m forgetting something.

For a recent shoot at JFK airport, I carried my 400 2.8, a 70-200, three super wide lenses and two Nikon Bodies, plus I still had room for two speedlights. I can’t say enough about this bag; it’s designed to fit in the tightest of overhead airline storage units and with the sturdy rollers and retractable handle is a shoulder and back saver. It also has hidden shoulder straps just in case you need to convert it to a traditional backpack. The coolest feature is the built-in security system. TSA combination locks secure the main compartment zipper closed. Plus it has a front and rear security cable & combination lock that allows you to lock it to immovable objects.

The front lock will secure a laptop case to the front of your roller. This lock is very effective when a laptop case is stored in the front stretch pocket. Would I lock this bag to one of the chairs at Union Station in Washington DC while I grab a coffee? Not a chance, but I have locked it up to some crazy things in hotel rooms when I needed to leave my room to grab a bite. While it’s not a rolling safe and shouldn’t be used as one, it does give you piece-of-mind that your bag won’t roll away if you’re temporarily distracted or if you decided to grab some shut-eye while waiting for a flight or train.   With over thirty train trips and dozens of cab rides under its wheels with more to come, this bag is showing no signs of wear.

In addition to the rolling backpack, Think Tank Photo makes a great line of bags, belts and photo pouches.

By artificially darkening the corners and edges of images we can direct the viewer’s eye toward the center. The trick is to not overdo it, but to have it be subtle. If you look at an image and think, ‘Oh, darkened corners,’ you’ve most likely gone too far. There are several points along the way where you can employ this trick, but my preference is in Photoshop, after the image has been cropped and the contrast adjusted.

My personal method involved the Quickmask tool and an Adjustment layer. On you image, enter Quickmask mode (Q key command) and select a round paint brush of appropriate size. Then simply mask the majority of the image. Remember this is a mask, not a selection, so the areas you paint will not be affected by the next step.

After you’ve masked the appropriate areas, exit Quickmask mode (Q key command again.) The areas you haven’t masked will now be selected. Add a Curves adjustment layer (Layer, New Adjustment Layer, Curves) and bring the mid-tones down to the appropriate point. I usually use 10% as a good starting point. This is the area where you can go too far if you’re not careful, so take your time.

The great thing about doing this on an adjustment layer as opposed to directly on the image is the ability to edit the curve as well as the layer mask after the fact.

Sometimes we simply have to go with the situation presented to us. Those situations don’t always allow for full control at the time we shoot. But using a number of little techniques and gimmicks can really help a shot pull through.

Back in March I posted an article entitled, Working for the Man about what life is like as a corporate shooter. Well I thought it was time for an update. We just survived a corporate-wide rumor that the Hatchet Man cometh, but as with most corporate chatter it was nothing but a rumor. So I live to shoot another day, but I have to wonder that at age forty-seven, my mental state can only downplay these rumors for so long then sheer panic will begin to set in. I’m starting to feel like Tom Smykowski from Office Space, the guy who worries every day about being laid off. Unlike Tom I’m not going to develop the “Jump to Conclusions” mat–but I do plan to take matters into my own hands–more on that later.

Life at the corporate giant is rather slow right now, budgets are getting cut so managers and departments are cutting back on luxury items such as photography. But I have to admit that despite the slowness there are peaks of excitement that make it all worth it. I was asked if I could head to Washington DC to cover an event at the Air & Space Museum on a Sunday night. The corporate sponsored event was celebrating the 40^th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing and all of my childhood heros were going to be in the house, John Glenn, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Mike Collins. My reaction? It is Sunday and I was going to watch Family Guy–but OK, I’m there.

There’s not a lot of glamour associated with event photography, it’s just a matter of being in the right place at the right time. Loaded with two camera bodies, two flashes with dome diffusers a 17 – 35mm on one camera and a 28 – 70mm on the other is all I really needed. It’s just a matter of working the crowd, pardon me and excuse me, are two key phrases you will use often and did I mention focus?  For this type of guerilla shooting I always make sure I am in manual focus. Event photography is a lot like shooting fish in a barrel, point, focus, shoot, thank you, move on. There is pressure at these events as well. First, this was an historic night, could be the last time where this many big names are in the room at the same time and second, for my last shot of the evening, our senior vice president wanted a picture in front of the Lunar Lander in the museum with Neil, Buzz & Mike, talk about pressure. Fortunately for me the shot turned out great and to top it all off, the bar was still open as I packed my gear. Finally, two weeks after the event I got a call from Buzz Aldrin’s office wondering if they could have a copy of my photos for Buzz’s website. Say no to Buzz Aldrin? Not a chance.

I’m a big fan of marketing and advertising my business. I really try hard to put my work, my business and my name out there as much as possible. With that said, sometimes I get stuck. Getting stuck in your marketing is no different from getting stuck creatively. It happens to all of us and learning how to break out of that rut and into more productive areas is important for any business owner.  It’s at times like these that books like this one come in very handy indeed.  Sometimes we need a creative kick in the pants, sometimes the foot is more business oriented.This book, in particular, seems to be a solidification of many of the ideas and themes that the author has been kicking around and preaching to those of us who would listen for some time. The author has been a consultant to photographers for many years. Anyone who reads blogs, forums or attends industry events has probably come across her name before. Admittedly, many of the themes she addresses here are also addressed on her blog and in writings on her website. Here in the book, they are addressed in much more depth.

Like any good how to, this book starts wide and then gets into specifics. The first few chapters I find especially helpful. They are concerned with big picture items like being true to your creativity and developing a solid marketing foundation (she calls it the Vision Marketing Statement.) The rest of the book addresses specific techniques and tools like postcards, emails, and dreaded cold-calls.   Think of the first chapters as strategic and the later chapters as tactical. While it’s written with commercial photographers specifically in mind many of the lessons and pieces of advice work well for the retail photography world as well as other creative fields.

One of the first pieces of advice given in the business field is to make sure to develop a unique professional personality. Amongst photographers we would usually say to develop a unique personal style and vision. The author certainly toes the line on this front–and with good reason. It’s refreshing to note that she has also followed that advice as a writer. As you read the book you can’t help but get a sense of her personal writing style. Her style is light and at times a bit quirky. Perfectly written for its audience. I mean we’re photographers, we’re all a bit strange and her writing speaks to that very well.

Overall I’d call this book a welcome addition to the business end of your bookshelf. There are times when we need visual inspiration and times when we need business inspiration. This is one to reach for when you need the latter. It’s mix of contemporary tactics (email, postcards, Twitter, etc.) and timeless strategies (VMS and creativity) that are beneficial now and in the future. She ends the book with a list of her 10 photographers commandments with the 10th being my favorite: “It’s art–not a tumor.”   Which I think is a perfect ending statement. As tough as this business is, it’s still a great way to make a living.

Read excerpts and reviews from Amazon: Tell the World You Don’t Suck: Modern Marketing for Commercial Photographers

I’ll be the first to admit, I see photographers do shoots in exotic locations, shooting beautiful models or covering major sporting events and yes I get a little envious but there is something to be said for being a corporate photographer. First – the steady paycheck and benefits are nice, tuition reimbursement, paid time off is also nice and now and then an interesting assignment comes your way, like flying in a helicopter with the Army or freezing my butt off in the second largest wind tunnel in the country – NASA tops the list. But with all the nice things about being a corporate shooter there are as many downsides to this type of photography.
Where do I begin”¦.

Unless you’re shooting for a creative company, such as Disney, or National Geographic, there’s not a lot of attention paid to the photographer, in fact we are often seen at times as a nuisance, just a guy with a camera, the Rodney Dangerfields of corporate America – but I guess a lot depends on the type of company you work for? I’m in Aerospace, so a great deal of attention is placed on engineering and software and production, not photography. We are the people you call when Hank is celebrating his thirty years with the company and his boss wants to throw him a lunch, just him, the boss and about twenty of his co-workers, and if I hear one of them ask, “Hey you got film in that camera” one more time, I’m gonna throw it into the crowd”¦then run my a** off. Let’s see, there is also the occasional passport, or photo of a piece of equipment, or the downsizing. Thankfully I consider myself very lucky, not only for still being employed, but I actually got a raise and a bonus* – go figure. (*please note this bonus is in no way tied to AIG, in fact if Congress saw the bonus, they my be inclined to slide a little extra cash my way, never know – it could happen.)

Where was I – yes, the ups and downs of shooting for corporate America.

To quote Steve Buscemi from the movie Armageddon, Why do I do this? Because the money’s good, the scenery changes, and they let me use explosives, OK?”

Well I don’t get to use the explosives but I do get my hands on some very cool gear, I’m keeping my fingers crossed for the Nikon D3, maybe later this year or early next but my recent purchases have included ProFoto Strobes, a Nikkor 400 2.8, PocktWizards, SB-800’s and a 900 on it’s way, gear from ThinkTank and a lot more.

The other upside – I can still do my freelance, shooting stock and portraits mostly, but it allows me an opportunity to do what I love – make photographs.