Product photography comes in all shapes and sizes

I had fun with this BigSteelBox photography shoot, but it did not come without it’s own challenges. Product photography in the studio puts my technical brain in charge for a while which I really like. Similarly, when it comes to large shipping containers the technical aspect is there, I just don’t have the convenience of a fixed studio setup.

BigSteelBox Photography

The challenges in the BigSteelBox photography here are not complex but still require some effort. 

The challenge

Most people would think that taking some pictures of shipping containers would be straight up simple. And in one way it is, however when each box has to be moved by a huge forklift the pressure can start. We started shooting in the morning and you don’t have to be a photographer to know that the morning light is soft and warm compared to mid day. Not only that but the angle of light is constantly changing through the day. 

Staging the set (shipping yard)

Moving these big steel boxes around the yard took ten minutes plus, each. You have to consider that space is limited in these shipping container yards. That, coupled with the box that I was shooting from taking up space as well (tripod has to stand somewhere). All this made for little variances in each shot. Acceptable in most cases but these photos would be (are) used side by side whenever used so they must look the same, angle and lighting. So every time one of the shipping containers was set down the angle had to be different than the last.

Lighting

Studio lighting on the BigSteelBox photography shoot was important. The sun is a strong source of light therefor the main source of light. However it can cause dark shadows and even loss of detail in both the highlights and lowlights. For this reason I used my battery powered strobes to help balance the exposure. They were also used inside the shipping containers when shooting with the doors open to show the possible custom shelving option.

Dealing with the BigSteelBox was a complete pleasure. Daryl was organized and a genuine people person. I highly recommend checking them out if you have any storage needs. www.bigsteelbox.com