IPad Lifestyle Product Video Challenge

We were chatting, as you do, in the office and we decided that we should set ourselves a quick creative challenge. To produce a Lifestyle product video, nothing too complex and it had to be short  with  a cinematic feel.

So with only a small amount of preparation, I texted Katie, who as you know models for us now and again and explained our challenge. The timing was perfect, as she was available at short notice so we were good to roll.

So the basic storyboard for the video is a woman using her iPad at various times of the day, from waking up to going on a night out in Manchester.

Product video Manchester - Scene 1

After being woken by the iPad alarm at 10am!! The word ‘Lazy’ springs to mind (women and their beauty sleep),the blinds are then opened  and it’s time for a fry up…

Lifestyle product video manchester - Scene 2

…or in this case a nice healthy Strawberry smoothie, well you need to have your 5-a-day! The day continues checking out the ASOS website on the iPad, seeing what’s hot and what’s not.

Lifestyle Product Video Manchester - Scene 3

The day carries on and and after checking Facebook and ‘Poking’ a few people…. Katie’s ready to hit the town. The final 2 scenes are the iPad being placed in her bag, and door being closed behind her. Goodbye Stockport hello Sankey’s… personally I would have gone to Coco Savannah’s in Stockport but that’s just the way I roll.

Lifestyle product video Manchester - Scene 5

So here is the finished video, we hope you like it. It was a fun video to make, and hopefully proves that it’s worth setting yourself a few challenges now and again, to keep things fresh. All filmed on Canon 5d mk2 and 90mm TS-E lens, for those techies out there…..like me!

 

The New Adventures of Miss Stockport

Sounds like a Super Hero character… Miss Stockport, here to make your day!

It was a few weeks back now when Katie emailed me saying she’d seen one of the photo’s from our last session in the Daily Mail.

That’s one of the problems with selling stock images, you know the image/size/market sector etc who has purchased an image but not the exact details. As in this case, it’s just a matter of luck if you actually see it in print.

The image used is the one below and it was part of an article on heat transfer from Laptops whilst using then on your knee.

Image used to show the impact on using Laptop on knee.

So I thought it was about time we did another shoot to add a few more images to our stock.

Stock Library image content can be about just about anything, as in the image above, the search criteria may have been ‘Blond woman laptop knee sofa’. So the more variety the better, it’s just a matter of matching all the keywords searched for.

So for this shoot, first we went for something topical, being in debt!!

Bills, cards and calculator..... I'm skint!

One thing I always do on any images showing Credit Card numbers, Account Details, Names and Addresses is alter them in Photoshop, however small they are in the frame they get changed or removed.

I had a few images in mind that probably may never sell, but it’s all a numbers and chance game, you just don’t know what image may be required.

If  a picture editor wants an image of ‘woman on phone’, through one popular Stock Library that returns 37000 images to choose from, little chance of them chosing mine.

On the other hand ‘woman wiring a plug’ returns only 16 results, so although an unlikely search, it’s worth shooting an image that fits that search.

Katie wiring a plug.

Another search with low results is ‘woman changing a light bulb’ again you never know so it’s worth shooting a selection of images round this criteria.

As a matter of interest, how many models does it change a light bulb?

3 …….one to hold the bulb and 2 to turn the ladder.

Sorry had to do a light bulb joke, obviously Katie managed to change it all on her own.

Changing Light Bulb

And after a couple of hours of changing bulbs, wiring plugs, cutting up credit cards, pulling on jeans, taking pills, doing yoga it was time for a bit of rest and relaxation.

It’s a tough job being a model………

The tough life of a model.

Relaxing after a hard days work.

Not too difficult for the photographer either.

A bit of blue for the Dads.

Well I thought I’d show a few photographs of a great model I photographed recently called Steph. Steph is a local girl with a great look,  and as not to disappoint all the Dads expecting a bit of blue, here you go;

A bit of blue for the Dad’s

Steph and I discussed a few ideas prior to the shoot, we were keen to capture 2 completely different looks. She has an interest in the ‘Pin-Up’ style of photography, with a bit of a fun but cheeky undertone, as well as her more natural, I’ll call it “Rock Chick” look.

Big Eyes and Blue Hair

Steph was an easy model to work with, good fun and had great interaction with the camera. Slightly odd taste in music!! But hey not everyone has great musical hero’s like me…… he presses play on his Van Halen CD

Behind The Mask

So after capturing some images of Steph’s more usual look, well not that she wears a black mask on a day to day basis.. that’s more like Tom’s scene! We moved onto some more ‘Pin-Up’ inspired photographs.

A little burlesque

I suppose the above shot is more burlesque than Pin-Up but still incorporating a shocking pink background…I knew I’d use it one day! I love the colours that are in Steph’s hair, blue’s, purple’s and green. When her hair is down you can’t see these other colours.

Well last of all for all those wanting a bit of cheek… here you go;

Naughty neighbor

I think this was the first time we’d hung the washing out inside the studio!

Miss Stockport 2010

Thought it would be only fair to congratulate Katie, who’s just been voted Miss Stockport 2010. Katie is the sister of a good friend, who was Chief Bridesmaid at my wedding. Katie has modeled a couple of times for me, with a view to us building our Lifestyle Photography stock library.

 

Katie reading a lifestyle magazine

 

As you can see looking interested and at an imaginary  person to her right, is all part of being a good lifestyle model.

 

Now a Business Woman in Hotel Room

 

Different magazine and location, this time Katie plays the role of a business woman unwinding in her hotel room. With Stock Photography, the idea is to shoot as many scenarios as possible as you never know what images a buyer is after. Reading a magazine may be part of their keyword search but formal/business/hotel may also figure, as opposed to relaxing/casual/fun in the first shot.

 

Who's at the door?

 

A different feel to this shot, relaxing in her apartment, glass of wine in hand….. and who’s just buzzed the intercom and put a smile on her face? Not me, I was already there.

Looking forward to doing another shoot soon, but now it’s time for me to get off to the polling station to cast my vote on the future of who should lead Britain.

Gordon Brown?

Nick Clegg?

David Cameron?

 

It's all about the eyes!

 

I’m sure it was a far easier decision voting for Miss Stockport!