When Product Photography Meets Art
An unusual “product” to photograph… the unique, handmade Grub Grinder.
One of the joys of being a product photographer is that you’re never entirely sure what you’ll be taking pictures of next. This was certainly the case when I was approached by Leamington Spa-based artist Amber Stephen, who needed photographs of her art project - a handmade sterling silver “grub grinder”. This was a device designed to act as a pestle, grinding and crushing dried insects for use as an ingredient in meals.
Amber’s project had considered the relationships between society and food, climate change and cultural attitudes. Insects are an established food source in some parts of the world, while being largely regarded with suspicion and revulsion in others. There is a strong environmental argument in favour of sourcing more of our protein from insects, but how do you begin to shift a deeply embedded belief that such things are simply not for eating?
The piece itself had been commissioned by the Arts Society for the Millennium Gallery in Sheffield. Amber wanted a record of the project for her portfolio. She wanted some standard, catalogue shots on a white background as a record of what the piece looked like, but also some that showed more of the “personality” of the piece.
Separating into two halves, the Grub Grinder offers internal space to store dried insects - either intact or ready-ground.
This second set of images was more of a challenge, as Amber wasn’t sure what she was after. We agreed that I would try a few different approaches, and then we’d review these initial images to refine the brief, so I could then arrive at a final set of images that met Amber’s requirements.
I thought a sensible place to start was to imagine the Grub Grinder as a domestic product, rather than an art piece, and took some lifestyle photos, showing how it might be used in the kitchen. Taking inspiration from recipe and food photography, I made a few images of the Grub Grinder in a kitchen setting, with appropriate props to demonstrate the use of ground insects as an ingredient.
The intent here was to show the Grub Grinder and its associated insects in as appetising a setting as possible.
I also experimented with textured backgrounds, some light and airy, and some darker and “grittier”. These were more focused on the Grub Grinder as a standalone object, with more attention given to its own surfaces and textures.
Although Amber liked the initial batch of photos, she decided that the kitchen elements featured too strongly, and that we needed to dial it back. She liked the slightly darker lighting of some of the images. She felt the top-down - or “lay flat” - viewpoint suited the product, and wanted to include a hint of the kitchen setting, but reduce the props to a minimum and concentrate more on the form and appearance of the Grub Grinder.
Personally, I was sorry to see the “ingredients” go, as I thought they worked really well and made for some interesting and eye-catching images. I fully understood though that Amber was not trying to present the Grub Grinder as a product people could buy and use, and that a more minimalist approach was the right way to go.
With that in mind, I created a final set of images to accompany the catalogue photos. Amber was very happy with the results, and I returned the Grub Grinder (and the packet of dried mealworms and crickets she’d provided to use as a prop!) ready for it to be sent off to its new home in the gallery.
Positioned on a simple wooden board, this photo presents the Grub Grinder in a minimalist way, so the viewer’s attention is directed to the shape and finish of the piece.
Although similar in style to the previous photo, this image describes more of the function of the piece, with the inclusion of the ‘unground’ insects.
With the Grub Grinder closed and the bugs yet to be ground, this photo poses a few questions, which adds intrigue to the image. However, it still includes the elements of a kitchen setting, and the rectangular board with its circular hole give it a strong sense of shape.
In product photography, it’s not always necessary to adopt the kind of iterative approach described above. But sometimes it’s difficult to have a detailed brief from the outset - the item to be photographed may not be a “product” in the usual sense of the word, or its function may be difficult to convey in a still image. The Grub Grinder was one such item, and the collaborative way of working that Amber and I adopted for the project is something that occurs to some extent or another in most of the product photography work I do. Even when working to a brief, it’s always valuable to have a open dialogue with the client about what’s going to work best for their photos, to make sure a great idea that pops up along the way doesn’t get overlooked.
Do you have a product photography project you’d like to discuss? Please get in touch!
