For this project my client approached me with an idea of doing an ‘exploded shot’. He liked the idea of a watch case with watches and several parts falling out for promotional purposes. The idea was to create a visual as if everything was launched after an explosion and falling down again with various parts scattered from the watch box. After discussing this idea on a more detailed level we started this project with a few quick sketches. Upon approval by my client, the next step was to think about doing the setup for the photoshoot.

Building the shot

First I had to source hardware to be able to create the visual. So I needed solutions to keep various components of the visual in the right place. For the smaller bits this was done with the help of fish wire. Heavier parts like the watches are held in place with magic arms. This was necessary due to the weight and also to be able to position these parts with more freedom.

The box is held in place by a small tripod and some attached clamps and kept in place for the entire shoot. First I got the setup of the main component right, the box. Next it was time to add the various watch parts hanging from thin fishing wire. This was the easiest choice as it is easy to edit out in the final image. Although it was quite a challenge to get all the small bits tied up with the super thin wire in the first place.

Next step was to put the watches in place so that the composition of the image was coming together. It took many shots to get the watches looking the right way and it was extra complicated as the parts that are hanging down from fish wire were constantly turning. Once all the photos were taken they were merged into one in Photoshop.

Something was missing

While editing the image it was clear that there was something missing so I decided to add a falling polishing cloth to the image. This was another challenge as it means dropping the piece of fabric endlessly to take a photo and hope that it looks appealing enough to add to the final image. Let’s say it took a long time to get it right.

Amongst the parts that were sent to me there were business cards and I decided to add one to complete the composition. First I bent one so it looked like it was floating in the air. Next I photographed it with multiple setups of lighting to get the right look and feel. This finished the image and resulted in a happy client.

Final Result