SPRING 2020: 8: ASSIGNMENT EIGHT: HIGH END SUNGLASSES

DUE JUNE 30, 2020

ASSIGNMENT: HIGH-END SUNGLASSES

THE BRIEF:

Sunglass (Lifestyle) for a boutique.

$540 pair of sunglasses. (You can use stand-ins of course… heh)

With a pair of sunglasses do 2 shots for the brand’s advertising. The images will also be used on their Instagram.

The images must look authentic. The brand has a “natural feel’ to their ads, and prefer a more accessible image over a highly stylized, obviously studio shot. Think fun and light, not high fashion and aloof. In fact, they want the images to appear to be super well made “instagrammish” shots as though a fan made them, but did it really well.

STUDIO CONTROL:
Whether you decide to shoot them in a studio or on location, the production must be studio level qualitty. So if you are taking sunglasses into the world what is the worst nightmare?

Reflections… you must control the reflections. So although you are out on location, you will be flying flats, scrims, bounce cards, and controlling the light with the same perfection as you would if they were in a studio.

Post-processing: color image, please

Remember – Authentic, high end, believable, and above all REAL. These images can not look like “ad” shots. They have to cleverly feature the product while showing a lifestyle as well. (That being said, they should still technically be ad level images.)

These are surprisingly difficult shots to do, and I suggest you visit a few websites to get a flavor of the style they are looking for. Of course, you must blend your style with what is wanted for a truly unique experience.

With talent:
Consider them hanging from a shirt, or gently tucked into the top of a purse. Perhaps they could be sitting on someone’s head. Face with sunglasses are fine, just remember this is NOT a headshot. It is lifestyle photography with movement, and freshness in both talent and location.

Without talent:
Sitting on a bench, or the dash of an old car. Or perhaps on a motorcycle tank, or hanging from the handlebars. You could put them next to keys, or on the deck of a boat. Use a cell phone or briefcase to add some upscale props.

Both shots should be very similar in style and post-processing you want to make them a bit “Instagram” funky, then do so but do not wander too far off of your own style’s reservation, please. I want to know YOU did them.

Vertical shots (for magazine ads and IG, so vertical works).
Two shots. Remember the BTS shots.
If you do them outside, bring your reflectors, scrims, flats, booms, and white cards.
MAKE – do not ‘take’ this image.

Excellent!

RESOURCES

Instagram Sunglasses Ads

Consumer Ads

Magazine Ads

Additional Ads

Lifestyle Sunglasses Ads

Michael Kors

THEY LIKE THESE:

ASSIGNMENT INFO:

PEOPLE

Wardrobe, location, and action will help you sell this line of sunglasses. I would think about the background and how the subject works with it, as well as being very careful about the reflections on the sunglasses themselves. Demographic doesn’t work, but remember that sunglasses are a ‘cool factor’ product, and that means you have to factor in that feeling iconic “hipness”.

STILL LIFE

Props may run from beer to sand to opera tickets. Whatever you do, the still life must show a lifestyle compatible with the ‘cool’ sunglass product. This is NOT a minimalistic shot on white or black, it is a vignette – a scene in the life of a person that would wear these glasses.

LIGHTING

If you can control the reflection on the glasses that would be a good thing to do. However, do some research on Google Images and you will find a lot of sunglasses that have controlled reflections (softboxes, scrims, etc…) and natural reflections (mountains, sky, etc…). You will have to make the call as to your particular style of image. It is much harder to control the reflections on location, obviously. So you have to control the angle and visibility of the scene.