From High School Paper to Professional Photography: The Creative Journey of Tom Gooch

Shooting for the high school paper, led Tom Gooch down the wandering path of creativity and ultimately to his career. With all the bravado of a young budding artist, Tom chose to turn down a full-ride scholarship to Flagler College to pursue his first love of photography. For a seasoned professional, who is quoted as saying “Every moment I pick up a camera is a favorite moment.” It sounds like he made the right choice. After going to college for photography, Gooch spent three years working in NY with some of the country’s top product photographers gaining a keen insight into the world of commercial photography. Before settling into St Johns County, Florida, Tom had a bustling career in Philadelphia, including shooting a series of promotional posts of Mickey Mantle in the dugout! A friend from Ward Design Group, Tom was kind enough to sit down with our office to offer the following industry tips and tricks.

Basic Principles of Product Photography

When photographing products, it’s important to understand core photography concepts like lighting, composition, and color. One of the most common errors Gooch sees when observing product advertising is poor lighting. Setting up a small product photography studio at home or in the office provides control over the lighting and backdrop. Continuous lights, reflectors, and softboxes can manipulate the light. Products should be placed in flattering lighting that shows the texture, shape, and color. An easy tip to remember is to keep your lighting as soft as possible. Test your color by snapping photos of an 18% gray card. If the gray card coloring appears correct on your images, your product coloring will as well. Adjust your lighting until you achieve accurate results.

Remember, compositions that avoid clutter draw the eye to the product itself. Backdrops like fabric, wood, marble, or colored paper complete the scene. Choose background/surface colors that complement the product. A general rule of thumb is to shoot glass or reflective products with reflective backgrounds/surfaces, while non-reflective or wood products photograph best on a non-reflective surface/background.

The second most common mistake Gooch sees is lens selection. The right camera and lenses are critical for crisp, detailed product shots. A DSLR camera allows control over exposure settings to adjust aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. Prime or macro lenses provide sharp focus and dramatic bokeh. Investing in a sturdy tripod and remote trigger helps capture super-sharp shots. When entering the realm of photography or preparing to do your product photos, Tom says, “Be prepared to invest.”

Quality photography requires quality equipment, including lenses, lighting, and post production software.

Preparing Products for Photography

Before any photo shoot products should be cleaned, steamed, or otherwise prepared to look their best. Dust, fingerprints, and other imperfections will be accentuated in photos.

Choosing appropriate backgrounds and props elevates product photos. Low-distraction backgrounds in colors that complement products work best. Remember to use the guidelines outlined by using reflective surfaces for reflective products, while matte products need matte surfaces/backgrounds for optimal performance. Simple props like cutting boards, bowls, or vases help lifestyle product shots. Any props should be cleaned and ironed to remove imperfections.

Thoughtful product styling makes a dramatic difference. Folding apparel for clean lines, adding steam for wrinkle-free garments, and inserting stuffing to fill out a product’s shape help apparel look great. Propping electronics at an angle and ensuring logos are visible provides appealing tech shots.

Tips for Shooting Products

When photographing products, use manual mode on the camera for full control over focus, lighting, and exposure. Adjust ISO, aperture, and shutter speed to achieve the desired look.

Mounting the camera on a tripod provides stability for super-sharp shots. Using a remote trigger or timer to take photos minimizes camera shake.

Capture products from multiple angles and perspectives. Photograph flat lays from directly above and straight-on product shots at eye level. Take detailed shots showing specific product features and lifestyle shots depicting products in use.

Post-Processing Product Photos

Post-processing is essential for pixel-perfect product images. Proper editing improves details, colors, and lighting. Retouching removes imperfections like dust, fingerprints, or background flaws.

Use photo editing software like Photoshop to adjust brightness, contrast, shadows, highlights, and colors. Cropping images and enhancing sharpness make details pop.

When saving final product images, choose the optimal file format and compression. JPEG is best for the web as the compression decreases file size. TIFF files provide lossless compression best for high-quality print materials.

Overall advice:

Tom Gooch’s best advice is to remember the most important rule of photography: “Get out there and experience”. There is no replacement for the experience of practice. The art of photography begins with how you view life and your subject.

Seek Inspiration by Immersing Yourself in Photography

Inspiration comes in a multitude of ways, but it all starts with observation. Gooch recommends spending time studying the work of others through social media channels. High-end professional trade magazines have been predominantly replaced by the ease of social media. This dramatic shift has opened the floodgates of inspiration as artists can share large volumes of their work with relative ease. While researching photographs, take notes of what you like and dislike. You will be surprised how much you will learn by simply paying attention.

Two of Tom’s favorite sources of inspiration include:

Seth Mayer in Colorado Springs, Colorado

Seth Mayer is a well-established photographer with a diverse background in commercial, portrait, and fine art photography. His work explores unconventional techniques to challenge our perception of reality. He has a particular interest in quantum physics theories and incorporates them into his work. His photography has been showcased in various galleries, museums, and private collections. If you are looking for inspiration for your product photos, Seth Mayer’s work might offer unique perspectives and techniques that could help elevate your product photography. You can view his work at https://www.sethmayerfineart.com/

Kevin Black in Philadelphia, PA (and New Mexico)

Kevin Black is a professional photographer and printmaker with over 40 years of experience. He specializes in commercial food photography, but also offers portrait, advertising, and tintype photography. He works with national and international clients such as Twinings Tea, J & J Snack Foods, Comcast, Verizon, Lavazza, and Mars. Kevin is known for his attention to detail, organization, and collaboration with his clients to deliver the best images possible. His use of the historic tintype process adds an enigmatic quality to his work. Visiting his site may inspire you for your product photographs because of his years of experience and unique approach to photography. Visit https://blackinc.net/ to see his stunning images.

Pinterest: An Incredible Technical Education Resource

A great resource for informative and technical skills including video tutorials can be found on Pinterest. Setting up folders in Pinterest will help you organize your favorite images, study guides, and materials, as well as any additional information or resources you find regarding marketing your products or services.

Investing in a professional product photographer highlights your business, services, and products in the best light. Ward Design Group highly recommends our friend Tom Gooch’s services. As a trusted collaborator, we have personally experienced a wonderful working relationship that has delighted our mutual clients. To learn more about Tom and gain valuable inspiration, we recommend visiting his website and following his Instagram and Facebook 

If you are seeking to improve your photography, remember to follow the above guidelines and thoughtfully style your products to create the eye-catching results you deserve. With a simple application of the rules, every business can improve its product image. Exceptional products and services deserve to be captured in the best light. Remember, an image is worth a thousand words and is often the first conversation with a potential client.