I’ve spoken here before about a certain psychological as well as physical let-down that sets in upon the completion of a custom project that’s been months in the making. What I haven’t touched upon is the transition that occurs between projects; that is, how letting go of the old one and ‘tooling up’ or preparing for the new one occurs.
A crucial part of that process is photographing my work. Since just about everything I build is one-of-a-kind, a photographic image is all I have to show for what I’ve created after the piece leaves my shop. Oftentimes, once I’ve delivered an order, there are few subsequent opportunities for me to get back to photograph it. Either I bring my camera and lights along with me at delivery or set aside some time before delivery to shoot the piece in front of a seamless backdrop. In the case of a 28′ long installation , as is often the case for a custom cabinet installation, on site is the only option!
I’ve had to learn a few tricks, mostly the hard way, about doing my own photography over the years. The first and most important is that controlling the light is critical. The second is that the camera doesn’t lie – it shows everything that’s there, whether you actually see it or not – glare, shadows and reflected images are a few examples. Another trick is that images are 2d and while they give the illusion of being 3-dimensional, they aren’t and the magic and art of photography lie in the manipulation of that illusion.
So, one of the biggest tricks I’ve had to learn, and accept, is in using photography not just to document the work that I’ve done, but to create, or contribute to a feeling about it. It may not seem like it, but, as is true for much about creating custom-made furniture and cabinetry, there’s a lot most people don’t see.
Just as I virtually build a piece when I draw it, when I photograph it, I lay the ground work for generating future interest in that kind of custom work.
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