Holzkern

Holzkern is a watch brand that combines wood, natural stone and metal. This was not a commission: it is a personal project, shot with one of their watches, to work on studio product photography.

The starting point

Photographing a watch mostly means photographing reflections. The glass throws everything back, so does the metal, and the stone dial loses its depth as soon as the light is too harsh.

The light

Black background, one main source and reflectors to trace the edge of the case without blowing out the glass. The close-ups go after the veins in the stone and the dial markers. The set itself appears in the series, to show how the pictures were made.

The presentation

The photos are laid out on dark boards with a serif title, like a campaign. Everything was done in-house, from setting up the light to retouching.