I have had the pleasure of working with French watch brand Baltic and photograph their dive watch: The Aquascaphe. Here is a short behind the scenes on one of the photos from that series.

Gathering props

Baltic asked me to use free diving gear only for styling. That was their only request. So no air tank, instruments, or regulator. I didn’t even end up featuring fins in the final image: only a mask, wetsuit and snorkel. Simple is better!

Setup and lighting

Studio setting is pretty much one light only. Main strobe has a grid on so light falls off as we get further from the subject to create the right mood. Mylar between the light and the watch reduces reflections and diffuses the light.

A second strobe with a snoot on to narrow the light beam is used indirectly to highlight some areas in the composition.

Styling

Composing the image is as important as lighting, if not more. Figuring out how to place every element to create the right dynamic in a visual is crucial. I take different captures in Capture One Pro until I am satisfied with the composition.

10:10

There is this unspoken rule in watch photography that the hands should be at 10:10. In that particular position, logo isn’t covered and reads well, and the hands open and balance the dial nicely. To keep the hands in that position, crown must be unscrewed. Problem is that watch can’t get wet if crown isn’t screwed in. So the final image is a composite of 3 photos:

1. Watch is photographed with the hands in the correct position in a dry environment.

2. Additional shots are taken with white cards to highlight the bracelet. Crown is screwed in, so there can be water on the watch and bracelet if needed.

3. Main photo is shot last: this capture is the one used in the final image, with the correct amount of water on the watch and around the watch. Dial and bracelet are edited in Photoshop.

There are 3 versions of the Aquascaphe: Blue Gilt, Black Silver, Black Cream. After I was done with the first one, I removed the watch carefully and made sure I placed the next one in the exact same position, so each dial has the exact same angle and is lit the same.

Photos are shot with the Phase One XF medium format camera system with a 120mm macro lens. Default digital back is a Credo 40. All images are edited and captured with Capture One Pro. Retouching is done in Photoshop CS5.

Visit Baltic website here: Baltic-watches.com