The Coffee Shot
My First Trial in Product Photography
Written on the 1st of May, 2022
In 2017, I noticed a trend in coffee consumption in Kuwait, especially cold brew coffee. A family member started her online coffee business on Instagram in the summer of 2017. She sold cold brew coffees and cookies. In 2018, I got a call from her stating that she needed high-quality images for her Instagram account. I didn't know how to photograph products or food, but I accepted the challenge. I told her about the risk of not fulfilling her expectations due to my lack of product photography experience, and she agreed.
I looked up images on Google and Pinterest for inspiring ideas. I found a few ideas, but they were shot using sophisticated gear that I didn't own. However, I had just bought a new camera with two new lenses back then. The Nikon D850, Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8E ED VR lens, and Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8E FL ED VR lens. Hence, I needed to use them. I also used my Yongnuo YN560 IV Speedlite without a modifier and a tripod for the photoshoot.
Unfortunately, I was not too fond of most of the images I shot that day. I did not have creative ideas to advertise her coffees and cookies. However, some photos turned out to be excellent, especially after a few adjustments in Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop. She was happy with the results I got and used them on her Instagram account and got more orders from clients.
Sadly, she shut down her operation and business account in 2019 because of the decreased demands and the inability to sustain a profitable business in the long run, as the raw material was expensive to purchase.
The Gear I Used
