Category Archives: Studio Photography

Water Effects Studio Shoot for Spinlock

Posted by Richard Boll on 13th January 2025 – 2:54 pm

Water Effects Product Photography for Spinlock.

In the summer of 2024, I had the opportunity to collaborate with Spinlock on a dynamic two-day product photography shoot. Spinlock’s brief was clear: to showcase their Explorer range of bags, including the compact 2-litre waist-worn bag and the spacious 35-litre roll-top bag, with an emphasis on their 100% waterproof capabilities. The result was a creative exercise in product and water effects photography, combining bold visuals and technical precision.

Highlighting Waterproof Design with Water-based Photography

To demonstrate the bags’ waterproof properties, we incorporated dramatic water elements into the shoot. The 2-litre waist-worn bag was plunged into a tank of water, freezing the moment it went beneath the surface. For the 35-litre roll-top bag, we sprayed and threw water across it in the studio, emphasising its resilience and functionality. These water effects not only highlighted the products’ features but also added a sense of energy and movement to the imagery.

Factors to Consider in Water Effects Product Photography

Photographing products with water involves several challenges and considerations to ensure the best results. The first step is controlling the water itself. Whether it’s splashes, sprays, or submersions, understanding how water behaves in motion is important. Fast shutter speeds combined with specialist high-speed flash and precise timing are key to capturing dynamic water effects without losing clarity.

Lighting also plays a pivotal role. Water reflects and refracts light unpredictably, so careful placement of lights and modifiers is essential to avoid unwanted glare, reflections or shadows. For this shoot, critically placed lighting helped accentuate the water droplets and splashes while maintaining focus on the bags.

Protecting the equipment is another significant factor. Using waterproof covers and maintaining a controlled environment minimises risks to cameras and lenses during water-based setups.

Finally, creative direction and planning are key. Collaborating with stylists and art directors on the shoot ensures that the water effects align with the brand’s vision and that the products remain the central focus of the imagery.

Striking Visuals and Bold Colour Combinations

The choice of a strong red backdrop by Spinlock’s art director provided a striking contrast to the Explorer bags’ colour palettes. The blue of the roll-top bag and the yellow and grey of the waist-worn bag popped against the vibrant red, creating visually compelling product shots that draw the viewer’s attention. This approach reinforced the bold and adventurous spirit of Spinlock’s brand.

Lifestyle Integration

In addition, the shoot included studio images featuring a model wearing waterproof gear with the roll-top bag. As water sprayed across the scene, the imagery captured the functionality and durability of the products in action.

Technical Excellence with the Fujifilm GFX 100 II

For this shoot, I used the Fujifilm GFX 100 II, a 102-megapixel medium format camera that excels at capturing intricate details. This equipment was crucial for rendering the textures of the bags and the dynamic water splashes with stunning clarity, ensuring that every droplet added to the narrative of waterproof reliability.

Balancing Creativity and Clarity

The project also included product shots, also known as packshot photography, to clearly illustrate the features and design of the bags. Balancing creative water-based shots with clean, strong product photography ensured that the images catered to a range of marketing needs. This shoot exemplified the power of combining creative concepts with technical expertise in studio product photography.

Spinlock: Excellence in Design and Manufacture

Spinlock is an independent and innovative company based in Cowes, UK, the ‘Home of Yachting’. They have over fifty years of experience in designing and manufacturing for the marine sector.

With a history rooted in innovation and excellence, the company has consistently set benchmarks in quality and functionality. Known for their cutting-edge sailing gear and accessories, Spinlock’s products combine durability with performance, making them a trusted choice for professionals and enthusiasts alike. Their commitment to pushing the boundaries of design has cemented their reputation as a global leader in the watersports and marine industries.

See more examples of my product photography here and examples of my lifestyle photography here. Get in touch to discuss any projects that require premium images.

Luxury Brand Product Photography: Diageo Present Eight Limited Edition Scotch Whiskies in Original Fine Art Print Boxes

Posted by Richard Boll on 1st February 2024 – 10:15 am

Filed under Advertising Photography, Commercial Photography, Product Photography, Studio Photography, Whisky photography

Diageo Luxury Limited Edition Whisky Presentation Box

I was commissioned by the boutique content marketing and digital commerce agency Precious Media, on behalf of Diageo, to take studio photographs of an exclusive luxury presentation box containing 8 limited edition whisky bottles. Diageo was founded in 1997 and is a global brand leader in premium drinks, known for products that include Johnnie Walker, Smirnoff, Guinness, Baileys and Captain Morgan. Only 20 whisky presentation boxes were produced. 10 were sent to the UK’s leading whisky critics and 10 were made available for sale. Each presentation box was created with 8 bespoke compartments, to hold one special edition miniature scotch whisky bottle inside.

Original fine art prints were specially commissioned by several talented artists to be featured on the outside of each drawer and whisky bottle. These designs are also included in the presentation box as limited edition prints.

8 Limited Edition Single Malt Scotch Whiskies

Each of the 8 whiskies have a unique flavour and character. The tasting notes for the whiskies are as follows:

1. Singleton: Delicate. Light. Perfectly balanced. Uniquely versatile.
2. Clynelish: Muscular and slightly peaty.
3. Oban: Elegant. Mature. Fruity flavours with rich peat smoke and spicy wood.
4. Talisker: From the Isle of Skye. Captures the elemental wildness and beauty of its birthplace.
5. Lagavulin: Intensely flavoured, smoky and rich.
6. Glenkinchie: Known as ‘The Edinburgh Malt’. Fragrant. Light. Subtle. Floral.
7. Mortlach: Known as ‘The Beast of Dufftown’. Bold flavour. Refined. Complex. Elegant.8. Roseisle: Light. Grassy spirit. Nutty. Malty.

The creative process & studio photoshoot

The one-day photoshoot took place at Jet Studios in Fulham, London. It was a collaborative team effort, working alongside several creative art directors and a product stylist. My photographic assistant, Lee Thompson, was also on hand to assist me with tethered shooting and studio lighting throughout the day. Before the whisky product shoot, several weeks of meticulous planning and preparation took place, to decide on the range of images needed on the day, including discussion on optimum lighting, backdrops and angles. There were also ongoing creative conversations on the day itself, to discuss the best approach for the brand photography and any minor changes required.

The brand shots were a combination of illustrative, e-commerce product photography against pure white backgrounds, and creative, stylised shots with a mixture of close-up images showing the finer details of the whisky bottles, and wider overhead photographs of the complete product set depicting the presentation box, 8 whisky bottles and fine art prints. The creative images were shot against a pre-painted backdrop the product stylist had prepared in advance. As the camera was tethered to a laptop, the client was able to remotely view the digital photographs in real-time as they were being produced, providing instant feedback and sign-off for each shot. This made for a highly efficient and collaborative approach to the studio photoshoot, where both the client and the agency were very happy with the final results.
It was a very successful shoot that was well-planned and executed with great lighting, styling and art direction.

The final images have been used on Malts.com. See more examples of my brand product photography work.

There is more to Corporate Photography than Headshots.

Posted by Richard Boll on 1st March 2023 – 1:23 pm

Filed under Corporate headshot photography London, Corporate Photography, Corporate Portraiture, Editorial Portrait, headshots, Studio Photography

When people think about corporate photography, they often see it as limited to either company portraits or headshots taken of CEOs, senior leaders, and employees. But there is much more to corporate photography than just business headshots.

As a commercial and editorial photographer, I often get asked to photograph a wide range of other corporate lifestyle and ‘behind-the-scenes’ aspects of a business including:

• people working, having meetings and discussing ideas, and socialising at work

• office interiors

• architectural details of the outside of company premises

• annual company social events, business networking meetings, conferences, and award ceremonies

• before-and-after shots of construction sites

• office technology that is of particular significance to a client’s business

• automotive, furniture, and food production factories where products are being manufactured

Corporate clients in the past have used these shots for a wide variety of applications including on their websites, and social media including LinkedIn, annual company reports, business plans, editorials in magazines, press articles, newsletters, emails, etc.

Many corporate clients will commission a variety of different photography styles, as well as professional headshots, to reveal their working environments, properties, and office buildings. The lifestyle aspect of these photographs makes a statement about their organisation and highlights their corporate brand and image in an effective and professional way.

It’s worth giving this some thought before you choose a particular corporate photography style.

I’ve helped many clients in the past, working closely with art and marketing directors, to choose the best style for images that suit their brand and company values. We discuss various ideas and options that can help make these important decisions.

If you need an experienced corporate lifestyle photographer, email me at richard@richardbollphotography.com or call +44(0)7812908229 to discuss your next project. More of my corporate photography can be seen here.

Studio furniture photography of the CROP outdoor seating range for Allermuir

Posted by Richard Boll on 2nd November 2021 – 5:17 pm

Filed under Advertising, Editorial Photography, Furniture Photography, Product Photography, Studio Photography

The CROP range of outdoor furniture was designed for Allermuir by Benjamin Hubert of Layer. The design was named after the rolling fields of crops in the British countryside; represented in the parallel lines in the chair’s designs. The range is distinguished by its stackable steel rod frame, with robot-welded wires forming the seat and backrests. The line took 12 months to develop and comes in the wake of a challenging year.

“This connection with the natural world allows the collection to sit sensitively in an outdoor context, relating each piece to its surroundings through a shared visual rhythm,” explains Allermuir. “This relationship between the product and the great outdoors is enhanced by the dynamic interplay of light and shadow produced as the sun moves across the linear graphic structure.”

It was a privilege to be asked to produce a range of new photographs for Allermuir to capture the originality and elegance of the furniture. I carried out the studio product photography in the summer of 2021, and the well-received images have been used for a huge range of editorial applications. The images ranged from still life product photography of the chairs, as well as some photographs that were more lifestyle in nature. More of my product and furniture photography can be seen here.

Art directors: Abigayle Clayton-Grimshaw, Matt Ousby, Katie Anderson and Andy Barker.
Assistant: Scott Hobson-Jones

studio photography for allermuir

studio lifestyle photography by richard boll

Studio furniture photography of Circo chair and Play Storage for The Senator Group

Posted by Richard Boll on 20th July 2021 – 1:48 pm

Filed under Advertising, Advertising Photography, Commercial Photography, Editorial Photography, Furniture Photography, Product Photography, Studio Furniture Photography, Studio Photography

It’s always a pleasure to be commissioned as a product photographer to produce original images of new and innovative designs. The Senator Group has an ethos of innovation underpinned by beauty; a concept that is clear and present in all of the designs that they offer. I was commissioned to take studio furniture photography of two new furniture designs for The Senator Group that included the Circo chair (designed by Justus Kolberg) and Play Storage (designed by Senator’s in-house team). The product photography produced had editorial and advertising potential that creatively expressed the qualities of the designs. More of my product and furniture photography can be seen here.

Art directors: Edward Jonson and Carla Birtwistle
Assistant: Scott Hobson-Jones

Furniture photography of a chair designed by Justus Kolberg. Richard Boll Photography.

Furniture photography of play storage designed at Senator. Richard Boll Photography.

Studio Furniture Photographer for Gabbertas Studio

Posted by Richard Boll on 5th April 2019 – 12:52 pm

Filed under Advertising, Editorial Photography, Editorial Portrait, Furniture Photography, Product Photography, Studio Furniture Photography, Studio Photography

Richard Boll Photography was recently commissioned as a studio furniture photographer for the designer Mark Gabbertas. The brief was to produce a range of imagery that creatively expressed the qualities of the designs.

The new website for Gabbertas Studio went live in April of 2019 and features many images taken for the designer by Richard Boll Photography.

Mark Gabbetas became a furniture designer after having initially worked in advertising as well as having been trained as a cabinet maker. He served an apprenticeship in Codrington Furniture and also Stemmer & Sharp in London. Having opened the Gabbertas Studio in London in 2001, he later moved the business to the Oxfordshire countryside in 2016.

More of my studio furniture photographer portfolio can be found here.

Location Lifestyle and Furniture Photographer for AXYL Range of Furniture in London

Posted by Richard Boll on 22nd January 2019 – 4:17 pm

Filed under Advertising, Commercial Photography, Furniture Photography, lifestyle Photography, Location, London, Product Photography, Studio Photography

The AXYL collection is a collaboration between Layer Design and the British furniture brand Allermuir. The range comprises of furniture pieces each fully made from reclaimed materials.
It is the first time the London-based designer has collaborated with Allermuir. I was commissioned as a studio furniture photographer and location lifestyle photographer in London in a joint commission from both Layer and Allermuir. Produced with editorial and advertising potential, the images have been published across various design industry platforms including Dezeen, Domus, Urdesign and Designboom.

The studio product photography for Layer was carried out at Holborn Studios in London.

To see more of my furniture photographer work click here.