Natelee Cocks shares five simple ways how designers and creative entrepreneurs can upgrade their photography skills.
With a keen eye for detail and an innate passion for design, Natelee Cock’s beautiful images have established her as one of the region’s most sought after design photographers. From products and projects to editorial and even personal photography, she has worked with some of the leading names in the business.
Speaking exclusively to Downtown Design, she outlines five simple ways how designers and creative entrepreneurs can enhance their photography skills and upgrade their portfolios with print-ready images.
Find your light
If possible, recce your location a couple of days before your shoot - at different times. This will give you a chance to see how natural light affects the environment throughout the day and help you plan your project a little better. I enjoy capturing two different lighting setups for every project in order to achieve some contrast in the final images.
Keep it steady
When it comes to the interior, product, or architectural photography sharpness is everything. No matter how steady you think your hands are the slightest shake could ruin that perfect shot! This is where a tripod is key, not only will it help you maintain those perfectly straight lines, but it's indispensable in low light conditions and multiple exposures. I used to really dislike how limiting and time consuming my tripod was but the more I used it the more I learned to love it! Now I consider my tripod an extension of my camera and can’t work without it.
Change your perspective
In photography as in life, perspective is everything. Give yourself time to find that interesting point of view or angle that will capture the space in a totally unique way. I like to take a couple of minutes to capture a few angles with my phone before settling on my final shot. The flexibility of the phone allows me to 'shoot from the hip' in search of that something special, a task that is often impossible through your camera lens.
The devil is in the details
An object or space is often more than the sum of its parts and in order to appreciate the bigger picture, you just need to get a little closer. Once I've captured the hero shot, I like to showcase the time and effort that has gone into details like joinery, design, and the use of texture.
Less is more
The purpose of your image should always be to make your product or space the hero. Remember that styling and accessorizing should serve only to draw the eye to the product or space and not distract from it. When styling a shot, I like to think about what I can remove, rather than what I can add to achieve the perfect balance.
For more on Natelee Cocks, click here.
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