VIWONE PACKSHOTS
In this article, we share our first experience creating packshots for Viwone, a luxury headphone brand known for the elegance of its products and their innovative technology for sharing.
This project allowed us to explore two types of photography: still lifes and model shots, both on white and black backgrounds in the studio.
The Vision Behind Viwone Packshots
When it comes to luxury products, every detail matters. As a premium brand, Viwone wanted its headphones to be portrayed in a way that reflected their identity: a subtle blend of sleek and urban aesthetics with commercial appeal. Our mission was to capture these two dimensions in the visuals.
The marketing agency Alien Agency led the artistic direction of the project, bringing an innovative idea: integrating the Drip concept into Viwone’s new brand identity. Unfamiliar with Drip, we immersed ourselves in this world that fuses extravagance with design.
Still Life: The Headphones as Objects of Desire
For still life packshots, these images showcase the product in its pure form, highlighting its high-end finishes, premium materials, and sleek lines. We set up our own studio in a spare room, allowing us to experiment with lighting to enhance the reflections on the colors and materials.
We aimed to avoid the somewhat abstract photos often seen in this field. We chose white and black backgrounds to maintain a level of consistency in the photos with models. Sometimes, for a first project, it’s best to keep things simple.
Technical and Creative Challenges
Balancing the spotlight on the headphones and the model is a delicate task, as the subject often needs to be photographed from the side, with the face not necessarily taking precedence over the headphones themselves.
Personally, I prefer natural photos where the headphones are worn in an environment that complements them, without necessarily being the focal point. This conveys a subliminal message and evokes an ambiance and emotions rather than simply showcasing a product. However, for this exercise, which literally involved “identity” photos of the headphones, they were the main subject, significantly limiting the posing options for the models.
Another challenge was that each model had unique features, such as size and more flattering profiles, requiring adjustments to at least two different key light setups, which often necessitates the help of an assistant.
One of the major challenges for the still life shots was positioning the headphones in various poses while hiding the support that held them. For the shiny headphones, it was also essential to control the reflections.
One of the most tedious aspects of packshots is cleaning the images to remove dust, fingerprints, and supports. Ideally, it’s best to have a product in perfect condition, but this is not always feasible for various reasons, particularly the physics of gravity.
The Day of the Shoot
We really enjoyed the atmosphere of the shoot. The Viwone team, the Alto studio, the models, the makeup artist Sophie, and the Alien Agency team were all very friendly and professional. The ambiance was truly pleasant. A big thank you to Brice for his invaluable help on this logistically busy day; we’ve had the chance to work together again since, and he remains as selfless as ever.
A half-day goes by extremely quickly when there are many themes to cover. We weren’t able to complete the second, more experimental part, which we hope will be saved for a future project. I also believe that creating a detailed storyboard of the desired visuals is the best way to achieve a clear intention and precise results.
The Viwone Experience Through Images
Ultimately, this project allowed us to take our first steps into the world of packshots, which turns out to be more complex than it seems. In my opinion, a good packshot photographer is someone with solid experience and extensive practice in this very specific field of photography.
The Drip concept could have been pushed even further, which I believe is an excellent idea, as in the current context, going to extremes is sometimes essential for standing out. We hope to have the opportunity to revisit this style of photography, but this time in a real environment rather than on backgrounds, which would provide more perspective and enrich the brand’s visual identity.