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No crisis for this business...

This business is doing really well and they are ultra demanding for their catalogs! ...Lets have a cheerful chat here! ...the subject is both ultra demanding to photograph, as well as open for jokes...

picture_017_internet.jpg
 
Nice work. Wood is surprisingly difficult to photograph. But straight lines make it easy to cut out of the background.
Actually I'm not very satisfied out of this Charles... (they are!). The colour is accurate alright, but they insisted to use the cover from another shot because it presented the nature of the wood there too (it was a test shot done in their premises in natural light where the cover is coming from). The rest has been done in my studio and I tried to convince them to use the original cover since the nature of the wood was already presented (there the cover doesn't show nature detail)... but you know what they say: "the customer is always right" ...even if he is wrong.

Never the less, I was surprised with the difficulties associated with coffins, before I try it, I thought it's just like any other furniture, but it's not! They use so much varnish on them that it practically turns the surface into a mirror and then you have to show both the glow and the nature of the wood. OTOH the colour is very difficult to be accurately reproduced. But I have managed to overcome the issues and the next ones are gonna work superbly...

This one I think is better, (although with much more difficult surface) still, it hasn't been done with the method I have end up with.

picture_009_internet.jpg
 
Hello,

I wondered the extend of the retouching involved in that case. And also the "cultural element" in such items and the way you adapt in photography and /retouching.

It looks overly polished so I wonder if it's a requirement on the maker's side (varnish) or if it's has been asked in post-production?

Also the background is very "neutral" (not to say sad) again, is it a requirement?

I have never been asked to retouch coffins (I would have no problem with that).

So I just wonder.

Here they make coffins made from wicker/willow or sea grass (I think it's the right term) to ease the degradation process and be "earth friendly" (the dead are already hearth friendly but that's another story)

willow-coffin-studio11.jpg


notice the more "cheerful" approach (and the cut is less straightforward)


I remember a time when coffins where made to last "forever". Hopefully someone just noticed that "forever" is an illusion ;)

Sorry I didn't crack any joke... Couldn't find any. :)
 
Hello,

I wondered the extend of the retouching involved in that case. And also the "cultural element" in such items and the way you adapt in photography and /retouching.

It looks overly polished so I wonder if it's a requirement on the maker's side (varnish) or if it's has been asked in post-production?

Also the background is very "neutral" (not to say sad) again, is it a requirement?

I have never been asked to retouch coffins (I would have no problem with that).

So I just wonder.

Here they make coffins made from wicker/willow or sea grass (I think it's the right term) to ease the degradation process and be "earth friendly" (the dead are already hearth friendly but that's another story)

willow-coffin-studio11.jpg


notice the more "cheerful" approach (and the cut is less straightforward)


I remember a time when coffins where made to last "forever". Hopefully someone just noticed that "forever" is an illusion ;)

Sorry I didn't crack any joke... Couldn't find any. :)

Hi Sandrine... As I said before, the makers want all the varnish, wood detail and colour to be as accurate as possible, the method I've ended up with, (none of the ones I've published yet has been done with it - I will post after I will finish with the current project) is to shoot 3 shots all in multishot 16x with 1.5 stops of exposure compentation from one to another, using the polariser filter in different polarizing for each area I want to maximise its presence and then come up with three layers (one for the cover and another two for the main coffin) so that I can tune lighting according to the appearance of each layer... Lighting is with fluorescent light boxes (Dulux L valves) constant for all three multishots...
Obviously the type and material you've posted is much less demanding, ....mine is the "vampire bed kind"!
 
For $600 you can't beat these for going out in style:

http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/photo.day.php?ID=52081

I want one in the form of a Mini Cooper S, with me in an upright sitting position, one hand on the wheel the other on the shifter and a wild look of exhilaration painted on my face, then take it to a field and torch that silly concoction...Now, that's style!

But Chris... you're still young! OTOH, what you describe doesn't create any mysticism... Nahhh.. I prefer "Dracula stories"!
 
This business is doing really well and they are ultra demanding for their catalogs! ...Lets have a cheerful chat here! ...the subject is both ultra demanding to photograph, as well as open for jokes...

picture_017_internet.jpg

Hi Theodoros,

I think the wood looks really good here, but I personally would put a shadow underneath the area under the coffin that is lifted by the legs, and a darker background with a gradient to help ground the coffin. As is now, it sort of just floats and to me looks a little odd.
 
Oh, I don't plan on an early exit, just want to have some fun with the exit.

LOL... I wonder why it has to be the Cooper S though... it has long "past away" and it's not very environmental friendly, being a petrol engine without a catalyst... How about a "De Lorean" like it was used in "Back to the future"? ...it will still be impressive after many centuries! ...Better "entrance" and "exit" too!
Hmmm... you gave me an idea! I'll have a discussion with my wife on the matter!
 
Hi Theodoros,

I think the wood looks really good here, but I personally would put a shadow underneath the area under the coffin that is lifted by the legs, and a darker background with a gradient to help ground the coffin. As is now, it sort of just floats and to me looks a little odd.

It's got a shadow Maggie, just a bit of it... The requirement was anything but to ground the subject. "Floating" is much more spiritual and attractive for the possible customers... In Christianity it relates with a "trip to heaven"... Maybe if the order was from someone living in "Carpathia mountain", then it could be "nailed" in the ground.
 
It's got a shadow Maggie, just a bit of it... The requirement was anything but to ground the subject. "Floating" is much more spiritual and attractive for the possible customers... In Christianity it relates with a "trip to heaven"... Maybe if the order was from someone living in "Carpathia mountain", then it could be "nailed" in the ground.

HAHA! LOL! I just burst out laughing.

Got it! :-D :-D
 
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