Alicja Kołodziej 5/27/19 Alicja Kołodziej 5/27/19

Star of Bombay - Star of Photography

Idea behind this project was to get a feeling of luxury at the same time light and comfortable interior matching our hero bottle. After a short apartments research We didn't find any interior that would fit exactly our colour vision of this shot.

At that moment We have decided to do whole project in studio. We have build a wall, stylised fake window, gathered props that fit the style of Bombay gin.

Alicja Kołodziej 5/8/18 Alicja Kołodziej 5/8/18

Commercial Photography on the white background

Lett Studio is commercial photography but one could wonder what that means exactly?

The easiest way to decode the meaning of these two key words (commercial and photography) is by referring to a dictionary…..

Lett Studio is commercial photography but one could wonder what that means exactly?

The easiest way to decode the meaning of these two key words (commercial and photography) is by referring to a dictionary.

Commercial or in other words Advertisement -> advertising (verb) is an “action encouraging potential customers to buy specific goods or use specific services” (acc. PWN – Polish Scientific Publishers)

Photographing is “recording images using a camera” (acc. PWN – Polish Scientific Publishers)

However what happens when we put these two words together?

ONLINE STORES vs. TRADITIONAL STORES

At first glance commercial photography is encouraging customers to buy goods, using images. This I suppose is the most accurate definition, because is it not the attractive photo, that catches one’s eye while browsing through an online shop or auction? A good photo is bait for a potential customer – an invitation in the direction to purchase.

Of course, one cannot argue the importance of a well- written and accurate description but as science shows we are becoming a visually- wired civilisation and most aren’t keen on paying too much attention to the fine print.

The situation shifts a bit when it comes to traditional stores. There, we can touch a product, try it on, inspect it at close-range or even smell it. In online retail the key factor influencing sale is the photo, or more accurately a product photograph professionally referred to as a packshot.

Research shows that product photos are important for 77% of e-commerce customers.

E-bay on the other hand carried out research showing that adding at least one professionally taken product photo increases sale by 2%

What is a PACKSHOT

A Packshot is nothing other than a photo taken on a white background. A well carried out one has no unnecessary shadows, is well illuminated, and has no specks of dirt or other obstacles in its frame (like a wardrobe in the background). One can try to produce a perfect packshot on their own or delegate the task to an employee by giving him a camera and an appropriate retouching program. However is such a solution cost-effective? The initial sum of commissioning this task to a professional commercial photographer seems higher, than delegating it to your own employee. Let’s pause and calculate how much it will cost us to dedicate the time needed to learn how to attempt a well- conducted packshot and the risk of failing at this, not to mention putting aside other standard tasks. The final account sums up to quite a high number.

Contrary to what one might think, taking commercial photographs is not a piece of cake. The proper lamp setup – so they illuminate the entire product, use of diffusors – for nice flashes and immaculate white background are key. Poorly done packshots instead of encouraging to buy our product, discourage and lead to the loss of credibility in the eyes of a potential customer.

Alicja Kołodziej 4/18/18 Alicja Kołodziej 4/18/18

COMMERCIAL PHOTOGRAPHY - what do champagne, vodka and gin have in common?

Lettstudio is commercial photography. We desired to create something fresh by combining product and portrait shots.

Our main goal was to introduce a product by telling a story that would lead into the atmosphere of a memorable evening…..

Lettstudio is commercial photography. We desired to create something fresh by combining product and portrait shots.

Our main goal was to introduce a product by telling a story that would lead into the atmosphere of a memorable evening.

THE LEAD CHARACTER - alcohol

We started this project by brainstorming which alcohol would be best to photograph. After many discussions we decided on:

Martini, Ciroc and Star of Bombay

Each of these alcohols is unique. The shape of their bottles, color of liquors, labels are all different - for us a fantastic challenge.

The pink color of the liquor and label in Martini charmed us. Ciroc’s bottle has an uncommon shape and the Bombay Sapphire with its ornaments on the side is enchanting.

50 shades of Hot Shots Music Club & Bilard

Our location of choice for this project was the Hot Shots Music Club & Bilard on Dąbrowskiego Street in Zielona Góra. The club’s interior design is elegant and polished in every detail but most important diverse. To us, this meant the possibility of telling more than one story. We were thrilled to cooperate with Mr Marcin Nitschke who made the club available to us and helped out on every step of the project.

MEET OUR TEAM

Hair and Makeup were done by Agata Sękowska from “Amazing Make-up”. This was a perfect choice. Agata not only did a professional job preparing our models but was also indispensable during the photo shoot.

During the shoot Gabriela Polubińska was our assistant. She is like an active volcano with a constantly high level of energy. Gabi helped out with anything we needed and was the best in setting up the perfect frame.

A male element of our team was Paweł Bębenek. He specializes in filming and does it masterfully. He puts his whole heart into his work, so every one of his films turns out to be a special gem. You can see this for yourself in the clip under this text:

Our models were: Karolina Flejszer, Nastya Rogachova and Daria Przychodzka.

foto. Gabriela Połubińska model Karolina Flejszer — foto. Gabriela Połubińska model **Karolina Flejszer**

foto. Gabriela Połubińska, model Nastya Rogachova — foto. Gabriela Połubińska, model **Nastya Rogachova**

foto. Gabriela Połubińska, model Daria Przychodzka — foto. Gabriela Połubińska, model **Daria Przychodzka**

THE PHOTO SHOOT - what can be achieved in 10 hours

We spent several weeks preparing for the photo shoot. It started out at 8 AM and lasted for 10 hours. Our goal was to create 3 final photos.

The initial one was planned to be set near the main bar. It’s decoration, colorful lights, which were reflected in the elegant black tiles quickly gave inspiration for our first frame. The main hero of this one was Martini. We wanted to give the liquor an elegant and feminine vibe. Karolina - dressed in a beautiful and long dress posed for this photo.

Our second frame was surprisingly taken in the same room.

It never ceases to amaze us how differently perceptible one place can be. We were in one bar and every photo that we took had a completely different character and energy. Hot Shot Music Club is a place where we can not only grab a beer with our friends but also shoot some pool or have a party.

The alcohol we used for our second frame was Ciroc pineapple vodka. The mess on the table was there to give a wild party vibe. Taking this shot we wanted it to be associated with emotions like: happiness, lust and fun. Nastya dresssed in a jeans jumpsuit with yellow inserts was our model here.

Our last photo was taken in a different part of the club, a weekendly dance party takes place here. The beautiful purple wall created a perfect composition with our model Daria’s blue dress. The Bombay Sapphire’s blue bottle combined with the purple quilted wall gave the photo dynamism. We were aiming at presenting Bombay Sapphire Gin as an elegant and chic brand of alcohol.

A PHOTO SHOOT IS NOT EVERYTHING

the power of retouch

After our successful photo shoot it was time to retouch our work. The photos were meticulously polished in our studio. In order to achieve the desired effect we took a few extra shots of the liquor bottles - this was specifically planned before our photo shoot.

The effect of our work exceeded our expectations and we would like to thank our team for all of the hard work and passion they put into creating this project with us. Commercial photography is not only about selling products but also about connecting people and telling incredible stories.

lettstudio_commercial_photography_star of bombay_web.jpg

Alicja Kołodziej 4/17/18 Alicja Kołodziej 4/17/18

TULLAMORE DEW in the Bachus Realm

A while ago we posted a re- cap of how we took shots of our Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey. We are great admirers of this elegant and natural brand. When we think: „Tullamore Dew”, we see an Irish Pub where every customer feels at home, and indulges in a glass (or two ;-) ) of whiskey, whilst chatting and laughing away in a friendly environment. As fans, we decided to try forming a connection with the producer. To our great pleasure, somewhere along the second half of January, we received a package filled with alcohol and Tullamore Dew accessories.

We automatically had a number of ideas for some fantastic photos – as you may have already noticed, our imaginations have no limits.

WE START WITH A PACKSHOT

However starting simple is usually a good idea. That’s why we decided to begin with taking a few packshots. To those of you who are new to our trade, here is a small explanation of what a packshot is. A photo like this is taken against a white background. These sort of pics show products that are later used in catalogs, brochures or in on-line stores. Taking a photo like this is seemingly quite easy. All you need to do is set up the background, a few lamps and it’s time to shoot.

It does have its challenges though. Especially when it comes to products which are shiny – for example made of glass (like a bottle of alcohol). Everything reflects in glass. You can easily notice every scratch, speck of dust or finger print. A poorly prepared object means unnecessary extra Photoshop hours, spent on eliminating each and every flaw.

Our Studio specializes in commercial photography so we are professionals in taking Packshots.

THE PHOTOSHOOT - Baccus Restaurant

These sort of pictures did not satisfy our appetites. We decided the best scenario for our star products could be set in one of the finest Zielona Góra restaurants: The Bacchus Winery (Winiarnia Bachus). Ania Anklewicz - the fabulous and brimming with positive energy manager of the place, helped us make it happen.

Laden with equipment and accessories we made our way down the stairs and through the front door, which one of the restaurant chefs opened for us. You must know, that The Bacchus Winery is a very characteristic place. Situated in a former wine cellar its walls expose the old brick, automatically creating a charming and homey vibe. While Piotrek went to the car in order to grab the rest of our equipment I started unpacking the lamps and tripods, transforming the inside of the restaurant into a photo shoot environment.

IN SEARCH OF THE PERFECT FRAME

When the most necessary things were unpacked Piotrek started searching for the best frame to take our shots. We decided the scenario of the bar would best complement the 12-year-old Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey. That’s how the purple- labeled bottle became the star of that days shoot. Her colors corresponded perfectly with the bar behind which was the filled with chefs, restaurant kitchen. The staff initially didn’t mind us at all, but after a while the flash of lamps caused them to pause their work from time to time and observe what we were doing.

With every hour the restaurant was filling up with employees. Waiters, chefs, barmen all were slowly preparing for the arrival of their first guests. You could load up on the amazing energy that you encounter in this place. We could observe a coordinated team at work, which created a unique vibe striving to make its customers feel welcome and at home. Our photo shoot definitely disrupted the rhythm of how things usually got done there. As we had quite a lot of equipment it was difficult not to be in their way. However they were wonderfully understanding for which we are grateful.

TWO DAYS LATER

After two and a half hours (which in “photographer time” is quite fast ;-) ) we were ready to pack up.

We did come back after a couple of days though. We couldn’t help passing on an opportunity to photograph the classic green labeled Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey. So the atmosphere of the Bacchus Winery drew us back into its threshold.

We decided the best frame for this bottle would be in the guest section of the restaurant. Looking at it from a perspective creates an incredible depth, which is perfectly complemented by the lit fireplace. As you can see the main character of this photo is a glass into which the Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey is being poured into.

This photo was a bigger challenge for us than the last one. Not only did we have a more complicated frame and composition, we also had less time – only one and a half hour! That is extremely little, especially considering the amount of time we have to spend unpacking and setting up our equipment. We were up for the challenge though and decided to take a risk. Looking back we are confident we made the right decision.

We are extremely happy with the outcome and are looking forward to more. As they say, the more you have, the more you want.

lettstudio_beverage_photography_tullamore_dew_whisky_editorial.jpg

lettstudio_beverage_photography_tullamore_dew_whisky_editorial2.jpg

Alicja Kołodziej 4/17/18 Alicja Kołodziej 4/17/18

TANGERINES IN AN AQUARIUM – how Lettstudio came to life

LETTSTUDIO is us: Alice and Piotrek. Together we create a commercial photography studio, however before our business came to life we were both independent photographers…..

LETTSTUDIO is us: Alice and Piotrek. Together we create a commercial photography studio, however before our business came to life we were both independent photographers.

Piotrek was passionate about commercial photography. He worked for one of the local companies as a commercial photographer.

I was mostly interested in taking portrait photos and commemorating sports events such as: speedway or tennis matches.

THIS IS HOW IT ALL STARTED

So what was it that made us decide to join forces and create something together? To be honest, it all started during our second date during which Piotrek asked me to help him create a commercial shot.

For me it was a completely new and interesting challenge. My job boiled down to throwing tangerines into a water-filled aquarium.

It was a lot of fun, especially since the room in which we were shooting was soon wet from the water spilling out of the tank.

During that time creating such a photo was simply a nice way of spending time together. Now such “dates” are enjoyed by us on a daily basis as we create photos as Lettstudio.