New "set pieces"
Who knew that appliances now have double-duty in my apartment.
Regardless, it’s now a win-win for my clients, as well, :)
You know, I remember the days when my apartment was just an apartment and not a virtual photography set.
Of course, since the pandemic hit and I started shooting Zoom meetings and presentations, my place is now a popular stage for all of the speakers, trainers, consultants and other expert-based business owners.
So now, when I get a new appliance or decoration item, it’s no longer for the good of my home - it’s also a new set piece to play with for the photos.
And recently, I repurposed two new “set pieces” into the equation.
First, a couple was moving out of the building and left a bunch of their stuff in the common area in the lobby.
Usually, I walk past this area and pay it no mind. I’m generally not interested in sloppy seconds.
However, this time, amongst DVD’s, coffee cups, a storage container or two, I noticed there was a cool, black-and-white, 4-panel room divider - no holes, no real wear and tear, just leaning against the wall.
When I was a TV Producer and shot interviews with show guests, we often used all kinds of materials - fences, trellises, staging flats, bare wood, ladders, anything interesting including this same prop, as background elements in the shots to spice up the visual.
My old tendencies kicked in and the creative juices flowed, so I immediately bee-lined to the panels, grabbed it and brought it upstairs.
A couple days later, my refrigerator died.
Since this fridge is older than me and has been in my apartment longer than I have, it finally met its maker - the Frigidaire in the sky, :)
But, in its place is a brand new fridge - with a stainless steel front that adds a new shine in the kitchen. And much like the 4-panel room divider, a new visual toy to play with!
Of course I immediately wanted to play with both “set pieces” in shoots, and have already worked them into virtual client sessions:
I’m always looking to evolve the work I create for those I serve, even if it involves new appliances and hand-me-down decorative furniture, :)
Especially when it’s not an overtly distracting, over-the-top thing.
While the cool texture and reflections in the stainless steel fridge and the interesting geometric patterns in the panels are prominent, they’re not overly competing for your attention.
They’re complimenting what’s important in the shot and adding a new layer of visual variety.
As long as it does the job and helps create compelling and persuasive images for my clients, that’s ultimately the goal!
Speaking of compelling and persuasive images, how are you doing in that arena?
Considering an upgrade from the random camera phone snap shot to help promote your virtual work? Want to add a little more polish to your social posts, blog articles and website?
If so, you know I’m here to help, :)
Interested in learning about what that help looks like, I invite you to check out my website where I flesh out how professional virtual photography can help position you as the authority in your field that you are.
Any questions? Let’s talk about them.