Getting Creative with Creative handicrafts - Part 1

Here comes my public relations photography assignments on creative handicrafts. Their uniqueness that i adore and salute is, their workforce is rural but their products(cloths, bags,folders, cushion covers etc) meet modern ends. The team behind their products are rural women who are using their manual skills to create products for urban audience, keeping in pace the current taste, fashion and trends in the market.

This time i went prepared, as i had paid a visit earlier to the location, i knew the lights(dim yellow lights at the roof) at the store, thus i had studied in advanced the camera setting required for the shoot and how to do my shoot.There was a five feet glass mirror so i took two chart papers to create a plan white base for shots that i take. Please find the first image below for the same and the few images i took in that set up :-

Please find the pictures finally selected from this shoot and beautifully presented by fashion blogger megna on her blog-

http://megna-isawredandgreen.blogspot.com/2011/10/creativeness-of-creative-handicraft.html

I also found some unique creations during the process of this shoot, will share with you in my next post, until then keep getting creative ... ;)

Kalapi Unlimited ...

This upcoming designer, "Sonia Kalapi" has an unlimited love and passion for creativity. My earlier post was on how i did my shoot with her bags/clutches. Presenting to you her another version of creativity with my another post on  public relations photography on fashion :-

During the shoot which was done at the store, three most important points i learned about public relations photography on fashion were :-

1) Understand the soul of the subject/product.
2) Converse with the designer and the journalist/writer/blogger/freelance before the shoot.
3) Understand the concept in the mind of the journalist/writer/blogger/freelance doing the story on the subject and discuss the pictures and placement of the subject/product with him/her during the shoot. Thus enhance the whole shoot with your photography skills.
4)Carry four sheets of White/Black chart paper.

2)Scissors, sellotape. 

3) A visit to a the location before the shoot, to check the availability of efficient lights.

After reading the above point and images see the images finally selected by  fashion blogger,"Megna" on her blog. - 

http://megna-isawredandgreen.blogspot.com/2011/10/who-what-where-part-2.html

Finally selected images are not here but on the fashion blog, to understand the shoot from the fashion point of you and also from the fashion blogger point of view.

Kalapi Limited Edition represents the vibrant free soul of the Indian youth of 21st century, A salute to the same through my pictures .

Unexpected Encounters are often enchanting

When it comes to exploring new places or things my energy level gets double to give it a try or i never leave an opportunity to grab and learn from new experiences. It happens in many ways and one of them is what i will share with you today.

My friend,"Megna Basnett", is the reason behind this one. Like i said,"We share the passion of exploring new or trying something new", and she being the well read one is always a learning experience for me to be with her. Be it chatting while walking on the road, trying out food outlets, shopping etc etc and the list goes on. She eats sleeps and drinks fashion as she is not only passionate about it but also well read and has the right eye for it. 

One day we were hunting the streets of  colaba cosway and it so happened that we bumped into this store called "kalapi". She noticed that the owner of the shop also designs bags, clutchs and cloths, though i had been to that store before with ma but never noticed it, but she did(as i said before she eats, sleeps and drinks fashion :) ). Going through the bags she ended up writing on her blog about sonia kalapi's(the owner and designer) creations and offering me an opportunity to click pictures for her blog.

During the shoot which was done at the store i learned a lot of things about fashion photography :-

1) Do a recce of the location before the shoot so that you know your requirements.

2)Carry a tripod if you shake even for a fraction of second.

3) For a accessory shoot  always carry a white box/ Big white or black chart paper.

White Box

4) Check the lights, if you have to work with just the available lights on the location then carry a reflector. Thermocol acts as a brilliant reflector is such cases.

5) If the products are made of cloth make sure that they are ironed.

6) Always click three images of a product in bracketing mode.(under, over and correct exposure)

7) Always carry macro filters for close up shots of the product. Thus you can have one normal shot  one detail shot of the product.

8) Always discusses with the writer on what kind of angles she is looking at for the products, what is her angle of story she wants to work on so that your pictures should take shape of the idea the writer is working on.
9) When clicking bags, pouches or clutchs make sure that the product is erect from top to bottom and facing the camera lense.

9) When you click the designer, make sure to take the head shot till shoulder as that is the most effective angle that speaks about the personality of the products clicked.

10) Just don't go and ask for a picture, speak to the designer, talk about how you intend to do click the products, make the designer comfortable by talking about yourself and your work.

Find below the pictures clicked during the shoot, These vibrant products are part of "Kalapi limited collection"   by designer Sonia Kalapi, made with love as sonia quotes :-

                                                                     Sonia Kalapi

After reading the above point and images see the images finally selected for the fashion blog by the blogger (finally selected images are not here but on the fashion blog) as that is when you will understand the shoot from the fashion point of you and also from the fashion blogger point of view.

They say,"images never die", make sure when you click pictures for a story, then your pictures should make the idea of the writer stay forever, That is the best gift of photography:- 

Presenting to you my first official assignment, "Kalapi"  for Fashion Blogger, "Megna Basnett"

 http://megna-isawredandgreen.blogspot.com/2011/08/who-what-where-part-1.html