Product Photgraphy

During the pandemic, MullenLowe had the task of launching the social channels for The Prisoner Wine Company’s new brand Unshackled. Because we were fully remote and I had the equipment from my small business, I had the opportunity to photograph the initial images used for their social media and motion graphics posts.

Photoshoot Behind-the-Scenes

For this photoshoot, I was given basic direction for the aesthetic and then given leeway to come up with how to execute it. First, I built a plywood tabletop supported with 2x2s to fit onto portable sawhorses so the set could be portable. Then I made two boards from 2x2s and MDF (this was during the time that building materials were outrageously expensive) and then used different techniques to finish them.

The grey panel was finished in faux-concrete created using cement dye and drywall compound with a large trowel. This was combined with 12×24″ slate floor tiles to make a dark, industrial (some would say ominous) prison look. The other panel was a stucco finish created with fine sand, drywall compound, and tan cement dye. This panel was to be used top-down so there weren’t other pieces needed.

Lighting was provided with a monolight and several speedlights. Various modifiers, reflectors, and flags were used to shape and contour the light as needed. A clothes iron was used throughout the shoot to support fill and bounce boards, which the creative team found very amusing.

Social Video from Photography

With the resulting images from the shoot, we created several Instagram stories and social posts. To animate them, I re-created the label’s codex rings in After Effects with the correct letter strings to build the text of the label. I then reproduced the curve of the bottle and simulated the light and shadows on the metallic label.

This post was created for International Women’s Day in 2021.