One of my favourite handbags designer and long-standing client Frau Frieda just makes the most beautiful bags. To show off these stunning pieces we created a jungle atmosphere with complementary tones to highlight each of the bags.
The set up for this photoshoot took hours and the organization even longer. When working with natural materials there is a lot of preparation that needs to be done and a lot of unexpected surprises. Therefore, investing plenty of time for preparation is key.
After setting up the plants, I focused on choosing the underground colours that I needed for the shoot. I then planned out which position I was going to shoot the bags from. Once this was done, I started arranging my lights.
For the setup, I used in total 3 Siros 800S and the Scoro 1600S with 3 Picolites and a range of light attachments. My main light for this shoot was the Picolite without any attachment, which I put on the left side of the setup at a very low angle. I then placed a piece of cardboard in front of the main light, in which I made random cuts and holes. This helped me create long and natural shadows.
To the right of the main light, I positioned a Siros 800S with an L40 Standard Reflector pointing downwards. I also attached a honeycomb to the L40 Standard Reflector. This added some texture and highlights to the plants. To fill in the shadows, I hung a Siros 800S with an Octabox above the set and positioned another Siros 800S with a 60 x 60 Softbox along the right side. As I was still missing some texture and highlights on the bags and the wall behind it, I decided to use two more Picolites with honeycombs. Here the compact size of the Picolite was a great advantage. I was able to position them almost anywhere in the set, without affecting the whole setup.
For the next shots, I had to completely rearrange the set up for the plants. However, the lighting could stay almost the same as the bags were being shot in a similar angle.
There you have it! It took me roughly 22 hours of work to complete the photoshoot and finalize my photos. I also had assistance from my wife and colleague - Monica Jethwani. She helped me get the shoot together. Rüdiger Lauktien from Lauktien & Friends assisted me with editing the images. Many thanks to them and to you guys for taking interest in my work. Till next time.
Nils Wilbert
