(click on the image to see it larger)
Perception is everything. This image is one of a series done this summer for a local artist who makes handcrafted art-deco lamps. Great guy, beautiful work. He called me because he'd been struggling for years to get good images of his lamps. They're nightmares to shoot. Their heavily chromed surfaces act as large curved mirrors that reflect the room and everything in it, the lights, the camera and the photographer.
He'd had a bad experience with another photographer and wasn't at all happy with his photos - his money was wasted. He was a bit gun shy about hiring me, but when I informed him about my 100% no-risk guarantee he decided to proceed.
I decided to approach them as if they were museum pieces on display.
He told me afterward that his first thought when he saw the working proof that I e-mailed him was " Ka-Ching! ". The day he put them up on his site he raised his prices 50% - about $300 extra for his least expensive lamps. Demand has increased and with the help of these images he's already picked up agents in London and L.A. to represent his work.
You can see more in my product photography portfolio.
