Credits: Article and images by @ Quill & Pad. See the original article here - https://quillandpad.com/2024/03/16/how-to-and-not-to-photograph-a-watch/
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Props can both lend interest to a shot and help with composition. I’m still in the early stages of getting really comfortable with props, but not too surprisingly my emerging style is a fairly sober one in which one or two props support (in some cases literally) the watch that is the center of attention.
At the end of the day, pleasing composition is about what looks good to your eye as the photographer, and I’m not reluctant to put some shots out there that look great to me but that may seem fairly unconventional.
For instance, the image below of the sweeping lines of the Patek Philippe Reference 5370P’s case breaks a lot of the classical rules, but it looks just right to me and (at least for me) communicates my appreciation of just how beautiful this hunk of metal is.
(Not) every picture tells a story
For that final bit of gravy, think about what idea or story your image conveys about your watch and what it means to you.
Sometimes the theme is immediately evident and can be supported by the use of appropriate props; other times all you need is the right watch and the right light, as in the shot of the F.P. Journe below that at the same time reveals both the watch’s age and lifetime of use and its stunning, textured yellow gold dial whose subtle patina is the beautiful result of that same experience.
On those flattering occasions when folks see fit to compliment one of my photos, what I hear more than anything else is that it’s evident from my images that I simply love watches.
And for me, perhaps that’s the best “idea” of all: presenting these lovely objects in a way that expresses my love for their beauty and appreciation for their makers.
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Credits: Article and images by @ Quill & Pad. See the original article here - https://quillandpad.com/2024/03/16/how-to-and-not-to-photograph-a-watch/