S3600453
LOCATION SHOOT: 2
HOMEWARE STYLING BY:
Nancy Tran
THE TEAM.
JOE WANG
photographer
NANCY TRAN
stylist
OVERVIEW. Muji was founded in 1980 in Japan. Their full name Mujirushi Ryohin stands for ‘no brand quality goods’, a philosophy they’ve kept to this day. They stand for simplicity, functionality and qualitative as their items are not produced to stand out. They’re plain, timeless and minimal. Muji’s goal is to rationalise satisfaction expressed with “This will do,” and not “This is what I really want.” They want to give their customers the confidence that their product are just enough for them. In order to embrace the company’s philosophy I had to also think like them. For the shoot I wanted to create something that gave the feeling of a rationalised satisfaction of ‘enough.’ For this shoot I decided to to feature a series of glass cups. I feel as though there’s something with the perception of just looking through a glass cup and how it distorts the vision we see of the other side and I wanted to play around with the effects of it. I chose this specific location as I believe minimalism can be created at any atmosphere and location given. The location had a very distressed, rough and harsh look to it but through the lens with the cups, the overall ambiance was very calm, tranquil and still.
TA RG E T M A R K E T. Muji projects to a unisexual demographic of any age. Customers of the company are conscious shoppers and are likely to be loyal as they do not change their lifestyle choices often. They admire quality and sustainability that is offered in Muji products. Muji appeals to those who are ethical, simplistic, minimalists and practical consumers. Muji projects to a unisexual demographic of ages 15 - 80 years within the metropolitan area. Consumers of the company are conscious decision making shoppers who is content and does not change their lifestyle choices often. They are appealed to the ethical, simplistic, minimal and sustainable products that are offered in Muji. These shoppers seek desire to enhance their lives and are willing to pay more for a lifestyle choice but also show sensitivity towards the environment.
LOCATION
2 2 2 R U SSE LL ST, M E LBO U R NE 30 0 0 ( 7 0 0 K M)
Parking: There are many levels of parking space in the area. The city is a very accessible area with many parking spaces and can cater to people with disabilities. Amenities: The CBD provides many toilets, seating areas, shopping concessions and pharmacies in case of any emergencies or last minute needs.
222 RU SSE L L ST, ME L BOUR NE 3000
I decided to use this specific car park as I’ve done previous photoshoots at this location. I wanted to work with a different concept with this carpark, in this case, minimalism. My aim was to create an ambiance within a very distressed looking location while keeping in mind of Muji’s philosophy. The final photo creates a mood that infuses the brand image and also a very urban feel which may be complimentary for Muji’s branding in Australia nationally. Originally I wanted to shoot the cups on a ledge of a rooftop to get a plain sky on the horizon. However, as I was inspecting and experimenting locations, I found that the idea was quite hazardous as the cup may fall over. There were also hand rails on the ledges of each location which would have been in the way of the actual shooting of the glass cups. Luckily I was able to find a slanted concrete platform that was safe enough to place the cups without having to worry about any accidents. The hand rails were still a problem but through trial and error with different angles, we were able to make the shoot very successful.
CONCEPT SKETCHES.
THE LIFESTYLE ISSUE APRIL 2018 ISSUE NO. 22
THE
MINIMALISTIC LIVING
PURITY
OF
LIFE.
NATURE,
NATURALLY,
MUJI.
MERCHANDISE
CUP 1: IKEA
CUP 3: KMART
CUP 2: MINISO
CUP 4: IKEA
S T Y L I N G K I T. • S P R AY C L E A N E R • MIRCOFIBER CLOTH • PA P E R TOW E L S • WET WIPES • WATER BOTTLE • N E W S PA P E R
STYLING REQUIREMENTS. •
S P R AY A N D C L E A N E AC H C U P
•
U S E C LOT H TO G E T R I D O F M A R K S
•
W I P E AWAY E XC E S S WAT E R D R O P L E T S
•
C A R RY E N O U G H WAT E R S O T H E S H O OT
•
W R A P C U P S C A R E F U L LY I N N E W S PA P E R TO P R E V E N T DA M AG E I N G A R M E N T B AG S
•
U S E W E T W I P E S TO K E E P H A N D S S A N I TA RY
MARCH. SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
25
26
27
28
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
23
24
30
31
‣ Received brief
‣ Contact Photographer/ Approval
‣ Brainstorm
18
25
‣ Concept development
‣ Location sourcing
‣ Confirm shooting day
19
26
20
21
22
‣ Organise team meeting
‣ Discussion for brief
‣ Source locations
‣ Concept deveopment
27
28
29
‣ Create masthead overlay
‣ Source products
‣ Team meeting
‣ Location inspection (w/ photographer)
‣ Discuss editing style
‣ ‣ ‣ ‣
Confirm locations
Travel arrangements
Weather check
Final concept
APRIL. SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
1
2
3
‣ Obtain cups
‣ Clean and wrap them individually
‣ Prepare for shoot tomorrow
‣ Prepare styling kit
‣ Photoshoot: 2PM
‣ Overview of photoshoot
‣ Collect photos
‣ Evaluation
8
9
10
‣ Edit final photo with overlay
WEDNESDAY 4
THURSDAY 5
FRIDAY 6
‣ Receive final edited images
‣ Prepare assignment documentation
11
12
‣ Collect final printed photo
‣ Location Shoot 2 Submissions
SATURDAY 7
‣ Edit final photo with overlay
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
1
2
3
4
5
CONTACT WITH PHOTOGRAPHER.
JOE WANG
photographer
NANCY TRAN
stylist
15/03
Contact photographer, photographer approval
21/03
Organised team meeting, discussed about the the brand and theme
28/03
Team meeting, discussed final concept, editting style and conducted a location inspection
29/03
Confirmed location and final concept
02/03
Reminder about the shoot with details (location, time, weather. travel arrangements, etc.)
03/03
Photoshoot at 2PM, after photoshoot go through photos together, discuss editting, collect photos, evaluation
05/03
Received final edits and final shot
WEATHER. M A X: 19 MIN: 11 The weather that was forecasted for this day was very unpredictable. It would alternate between rain, cloudy sky, strong sun rays and windy weather; typical Melbourne weather. However, I do believe that the weather did not effect the shoot in any way as the car park location setting the abiance and mood that they weather did not matter too much.
PRINTING: DINKUMS. Address: 460 Swanston St, Melbourne VIC 3053 Website: www.dinkums.com.au/ Contact: (03) 9349 4355 Open Hours: 8am - 6pm (everyday) Cost: $2.90
REVIEW
Once again, I went back to Dinkums as a happy customer. During the time I visited the store it was quite busy but they were still able to get everything printed and cut very nice and neatly. This time round I decided to choose the silk finish option for my paper with 170 gsm. I quite like the feeling and quality of the paper. It is somewhat bendable but also sturdy and does not feel cheap at all. The price for their services are very affordable which is quite accessible for university students who lives on a budget such as me
APERTURE: f/1.8 SHUTTER SPEED: 1/30 ISO: 200
APERTURE: f/3.5 SHUTTER SPEED: 1/30 ISO: 200
APERTURE: f/3.5 SHUTTER SPEED: 1/30 ISO: 200
APERTURE: f/3.5 SHUTTER SPEED: 1/30 ISO: 200
APERTURE: f/1.8 SHUTTER SPEED: 1/25 ISO: 200
APERTURE: f/1.8 SHUTTER SPEED: 1/30 ISO: 200
APERTURE: f/3.5 SHUTTER SPEED: 1/30 ISO: 200
APERTURE: f/5.6 SHUTTER SPEED: 1/50 ISO: 100
EXTRAS (UNEDITTED)
It’s safe to say that I am extremely satisfied with my final magazine cover shot. I believe my concept of portraying minimalism in a distressed setting was very successful especiallywith creating the ambiance of tranquility which really reflects from the glass cups. In the end I had to only use 4 cups as 6 was too many to fit within the frame but I am still very pleased with it. The final image was chosen as the composition of the cups were displayed very nicely and was easy to place the masthead above it. It definitely gave the Muji’s philosophy of “This is enough.” With the play on the depth of field, it really makes the glass cups more than just glass cups. I also like how you are able to see the distortion of the building in the background through the water as it gives a sense of clarity and stillness of the scene. Muji’s pattern of promotional graphics are warm toned, however, I decided to stray away and went with the cool tones that the area naturally gave. I didn’t want the editing to be too much to stay with the theme of rationalised satisfaction and the final is already more than enough for me.
Some improvements would be developing concepts earlier to make the process a bit more faster. I feel like I tend to dwell to much on small details and lack moving onto the next thing. Another thing would be spanning my work load more evenly so I won’t be stressed in the periods of times that I’m doing work. This time round I feel like my work schedule was a bit unorganised but it still went well smoothely enough. Strength I found in myself is that I invest a lot on the company I chose, Muji. I made sure that I understood their brand’s philosophy and kept it in my head as I completed the shoot til the very end. It was hard to
NANCY TRAN
stylist
not do something more extravagant but I was also a lesson for me to let go and rationalise myself.
“
Nancy’s product shoot was organised and operated very professionally and efficiently. She sent me different product placement draft sketches and a mood board a few weeks prior with a detailed description of the setting scene she envisioned, location and message portrayed by the desired shot. On the day of the shoot, Nancy had all the product material thoroughly prepared which consisted of a bag full of supplies such as water bottles, cloth and the glass cups used as preparation of the shoot. She began by giving me a in-depth rundown of what sort of angles and compositions she wanted to attain and what her overarching concept consisted of. The placement and handling of the product was meticulously carried out and her ideas were articulated eloquently making the clarity of the concepts e asily comprehendible. This created a sound workspace, giving me confidence from understanding the end goal thoroughly. The portrait shooting was carried out in a leisurely relaxed manner where Nancy gave me the style and composition of shot she wanted which lead into the actual shoot. The mood board she supplied gave a clear vision of what sort of editing she desired. Overall the shoot was very successful, all ideas were articulated clearly and communication was perfect. - Joe Wang
“
Once again, Joe has worked wonders with his camera and vision. He was able to adapt very well to the given circumstances and was very proactive into finding solutions with me. He was also able to adapt with the brand message which shows he was more than 100% involved with the shoot. I’m very happy to have a photographer like him, he’s very easy-going and friendly to work with but also very professional.
JOE WANG
photographer
THANK YOU. BY:
Nancy Tran