LUXURY PRODUCTS

The “Uptown Hardware Store”

Meeting Notes

Quick recap

This was a photography class focused on product photography, specifically shooting watches, where participants shared and discussed their recent assignments. Don provided feedback on the watch photography techniques, emphasizing the importance of showing “10 after 10” time displays, proper lighting setups, and post-processing considerations. The class discussed technical aspects including using focus stacking, lighting setups with multiple lights, and the use of Photoshop for retouching. Don announced that the next and final class would be held on August 31st, giving participants two weeks to complete additional photography assignments including a “Hardware Store Luxury Challenge” where they would make inexpensive items appear luxurious through photography techniques. The class also included discussions about photography equipment, with Don sharing his experience reviving an old Canon PIXMA printer, and participants discussing ink cartridge alternatives and photography tools like beeswax for product styling.

Next steps

Debra

Consider purchasing blackout curtains for next year to help with cooling the house.https://tasks.zoom.us?meetingId=PyNaG1WWSvmn58bZ1YQgvg%3D%3D&stepId=cfa9a7bd-9a98-11f1-8f68-760e2959cfee

Don

Summary

Home Cooling Solutions Discussion

The group discussed challenges with keeping homes cool during hot weather, particularly focusing on Debra’s issues with her house reaching 85°F despite setting the air conditioner to 78°F. Trish recommended installing blackout curtains to better insulate against sunlight, especially for south-facing homes like Debra’s. The conversation also touched on the limitations of older aluminum windows and the use of ceiling fans as additional cooling measures.

Watch Photography Challenges Discussion

Debra and Luciana discussed challenges with photographing watches, particularly the difficulty of capturing them properly and the extensive retouching required, especially for cheaper models. Don mentioned technical issues with uploading files and confirmed receipt of the necessary PSD and JPEG files. The conversation concluded with Don sharing his experience with an old printer that he was planning to dispose of, but was instead advised by Perplexity to seek a driver update.

Printer Restoration and Ink Costs

Don successfully restored an 8-ink printer that had been sitting unused for 8 years, overcoming initial startup issues and successfully printing a test page. He noted that while the printer is expensive to maintain with genuine Canon ink (now $118 for a full set), third-party alternatives are significantly cheaper at around $28 for two sets. The discussion included Debra’s concerns about high Epson printer ink costs for her P-700 printer, with Don recommending specific third-party brands that provide comparable quality at lower prices.

Photography Challenge Deadline Planning

Don proposed a two-week deadline for completing a photography challenge focused on making everyday items appear luxurious, specifically mentioning the Hardware Store Luxury Challenge involving items like power strips, can openers, and bar soap. Debra requested the two-week timeline due to being away most of the current week. Don shared his experience photographing products for Dial Corp, including a detailed story about shooting a commercial for Soft Soap with a custom-built sink setup.

Photography Portfolio Development Guidance

Don shared a story about working with a challenging Art Director on a difficult shoot that required multiple attempts and expensive materials. He then provided guidance on photographing soap products, advising to choose the right soap with good edge definition and suggesting it can be photographed with props to make it appear more valuable. The group agreed to focus on creating portfolio shots, with Don setting a goal of generating 8 portfolio shots total from the class, which would be about 2 shots per week.

Photography Project and Techniques

Debra presented a detailed photography project involving a $12 watch from Walmart that required extensive post-processing work. She explained her lighting setup using three lights, focus stacking techniques, and significant Photoshop work including color adjustments, spot removal, and refinement using ChatGPT. The group provided positive feedback on the final result, with Don praising the quality and emphasizing the importance of pricing complex retouching work appropriately based on the time invested. Luciana then began describing her own photography setup involving water and slate, though the transcript ended before she could complete her explanation.

Photography Work Review Session

Luciana presented her photography work involving a watch, explaining her lighting setup with multiple lights and the use of ChatGPT to create a water splash effect. Don praised the editorial quality of the shot and noted that while it wouldn’t work well as an advertisement, it would be effective for editorial purposes. The discussion included technical details about the photography process and composition, with Don suggesting that the watch strap should be left in the image.

Watch Photography Feedback Session

Don provided feedback on watch photography, praising the editorial feel of a shot but noting it needed adjustments including closing the clasp and using chopsticks to form the correct curl. He emphasized the importance of showing watches at 10 after 10 position for luxury watches and explained techniques for achieving proper lighting and shadow effects. The group discussed specific cleaning and smoothing needed for the crown area of one watch, with Don recommending checking Google Images before shooting to see industry standards.

Final Meeting and Photography Guidance

The group confirmed that August 31st will be their final meeting, with participants planning to share their photography work at that time. Don provided guidance to Luciana about using beeswax for photography, explaining that pure beeswax without oil doesn’t stain and can be used to secure objects. The discussion concluded with casual conversation about weather conditions and water scarcity in different regions.

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The Hardware Store Luxury Challenge

Choose an aggressively ordinary object:

Power strip or outlet extender
Utility knife
Tape measure
Ratchet set
Padlock
Extension cord
Work gloves

The assignment is not to make it look “nice.” It is to make it look engineered, precise, desirable, and expensive.

Luxury isn’t always built into the product. Sometimes it is built around it.

Create two photographs:

The Hero: clean, minimal, sculptural, controlled
The Drama: darker, cinematic, forceful, slightly mysterious

ADDITIONAL ITEMS TO CONSIDER

1. The Disposable Razor

A cheap plastic razor photographed like expensive grooming equipment.

This gives you translucent plastic, reflective blades, fine edges, and tiny manufacturing flaws. It could look like a Braun, Apple, or high-end Japanese industrial-design campaign.

Concept: Commodity becomes a precision instrument.

2. The One-Dollar Pen

Not a fountain pen. A perfectly ordinary ballpoint.

Treat it as an object of authority, design, and personal ritual. Black lacquer surfaces, architectural composition, beautiful paper, a restrained hand entering the frame.

Concept: Luxury through intelligence and ritual.

3. The Can Opener

This is wonderfully unglamorous… which is exactly why it works.

Chrome, rubber grips, gears, handles, and mechanical detail give students plenty to light. Photograph it like a piece of German culinary engineering.

Concept: Revealing overlooked design.

4. The Five-Dollar Flashlight

A small hardware-store flashlight presented like tactical equipment or a beautifully engineered adventure product.

Use atmosphere, hard edges, dark surfaces, and the beam itself as part of the composition.

Concept: Function becomes power.

Very visual, although it can slide into action-product advertising rather than luxury, so be careful.

5. The Bar of Soap

Use the cheapest anonymous bar possible, not artisanal soap with herbs sticking out of it like yard debris.

Photograph it as sculpture: wet, dry, carved, foaming, floating, or isolated within beautiful materials.

Concept: Luxury through touch, purity, and sensory suggestion.

Consider:

Creating shape in black plastic, chrome, and rubber
Using edge light to separate an awkward product
Turning seams, switches, screws, and texture into features
Selecting angles that hide “cheap” construction
Using gradients, reflections, and controlled highlights
Retouching imperfect plastic without making it look artificially smooth
Creating perceived value through restraint

LUXURY PRODUCTS

The “Uptown Hardware Store”

Meeting Notes

Quick recap

Next steps

Debra

Don

Luciana

Morgane

Trish

Collaboration