Richard Gottlieb

Services You Can Use: Toy Product Photo Studios
September 25, 2008

One of the key elements in a successful product launch is photography. The product image that shows up in ads, on the Internet, on sales material, in catalogs and anywhere else an image is required is an essential part of communicating a game or toy. The photo is your only connection with your consumers. It is therefore key that the image be of as high a quality and as powerful as possible. In order to find out more about studios that shoot toy product images, I spoke with Gary Franco of GF Studio Inc. Here is my interview:

Richard:

Gary, tell me about GF Studio?

Gary:

Hi Richard, my company, GF Studio, is a leading commercial photography studio accustomed to working with many toy companies:  from small start-ups like Sprig Toys - the new green toy company, to Fortune 500 companies like Toys R Us (all the product shots etc. for the last 21 years), Panasonic, Office Depot, Sure-Fit Slipcovers, and many others. First and foremost we are a service business. We need to get products in and out on time, even those "I need it today" shots. We are also one of the only private commercial photography studios that was trained by RR Donnelley and Sons about the digital file and how to get the color right.

Richard: What do you mean get the color right?

Gary:

Making sure that the colors look the same in print, as they do in more accurate digital colors, is a major challenge that calls for lots of patience and years of experience. You must keep the color from looking too flat and losing detail.

Richard:

Why is it so challenging? With today’s technology, can’t someone just shoot a product and then fix it in Photo-shop?

Gary:

That is a common misconception. I am a professional photographer. And as a commercial photographer it is my responsibility to make the product look the best it can on set, not fix it in Photo-shop. The old fashioned philosophy GIGO (Garbage In, Garbage Out), is as pertinent as ever.

Richard:

Do you think that it really makes a big difference on the web what the product looks like?

Gary:

Yes, especially on the web! It makes a huge difference. The first impression is what it is all about. If your product looks just average or is not inviting, it follows that the perceived value of the product is lower. If the image that is seen on the Internet is attractive, and properly conveys the details or features of the product or looks romantic, etc. then it will sell better

Richard:

What advice would you give to companies looking for a good photographer?

Gary:

Here are five elements to look for when choosing a studio:

1.   Look for experience; for example, we have over 20 years of experience in the Toy Industry.

2.   Find a one-stop studio. What I mean is that the studio is capable of working with all types of products, and with the capacity to ship, receive and manage a large quantity of products. 

3.   Seek a studio that has online tracking so the client can know where their products are in the process.

4.   Choose a studio that can provide the client’s art director with remote art direction. This means that he or she can see the products as they are shot or just after being shot. This speeds up the approval process.

5.   Finally, the studio should have a staff that can retouch, silhouette, and other pre-press processes. The only way to get good color is to compare the actual product to the final color proof so that it is correct.

Richard:

How important is the relationship with a good photography studio? Does it really matter that much?

Gary:

Yes it does matter. I always tell my clients that a great photography studio becomes a partner in their advertising. The studio should always be thinking about how to make images better. A studio should become another mind thinking of ways to help, a great resource for an art director to use if they so choose. Professional photographers know that their job is to promote the client’s product, not the photographer’s talents!  This is a very important part of the client-studio relationship.

Richard:

Please give the readers contact information for your company as well as a couple other studios with whom they can contact?

Gary:

There are a few product photography studios in the metropolitan area, New York City, and Long Island and you can find them just by looking on the web but make sure that one of the things you look for in a good photo studio is experience in your industry. GF Studio has over 20 years experience shooting for the Toy Industry. Our website for the Toy industry is www.gfstudio.net/toys

And our other website for the rest of the world is www.gfstudio.net Thank you for the opportunity to discuss the need for good photography. Just remember a “Good Image Sells Better!”

Posted by Richard Gottlieb on September 25, 2008 | Comments (1)