Shot from the Heart: On Set with Republic of Fritz Hansen

The Visual Department’s Perspective

Insights from the mastermind of the Fritz Hansen ‘look’, Mie Sandfeld, Visual Department Representative.

“All photo shoots begin with a brief – here we state which products we are going to take pictures of. Next, we need both to consider the purpose of the images and the target group. This is very important to make sure the images display our products in the right way – both practically with angles etc., but also emotionally to catch the viewer’s attention and hopefully get a positive reaction from them.”

Planning the Shoot
“When planning this photoshoot, it was important for us to consider the overall “theme” (look and feel), as well as which products would be most relevant to take pictures of. For us, the most important aspect of our visual communication is to inspire people and make them fall in love with our products. With our brand identity and our proud legacy in mind we want to inspire people with a vibrant relationship between material and space and a clear sense of texture.”

First time Shooting with the Phase One XF 100MP Camera System
“We were very much looking forward to seeing the result of the photoshoot and especially the quality of the images – and they truly did live up to our expectations. It is very impressive how many details come to life in the images. We work with products with many details and in many beautiful, natural materials which sometimes can be difficult to present in images when shooting larger settings of furniture and accessories. But when the quality of the images is so high, people can easily zoom in and get to know all the details in the products. The very high image quality allows us to use the images in multiple ways – in large full-scale settings as well as close-ups with a focus on the details of a specific product/material.”

“With our brand identity and our proud legacy in mind we want to inspire people with a vibrant relationship between material and space and a clear sense of texture.” – Mie Sandfeld

The Photographer’s Perspective

Ausra Babiedaite, the commercial photographer at Gils Studio, tells us about her creative and studio workflow, and how she plans for a big brand shoot.

“I think everything starts with an idea generation; with a very abstract idea and a ‘feeling’ of a shoot. When planning a shoot like this, considering the brand is crucial. I feel like I am carrying the responsibility not only to deliver great looking images but also to represent the brand aesthetics. After a brand profile research and a brainstorm, I made a creative brief with three different concepts and presented it to Fritz Hansen. We elaborated on the ideas and decided that concept with a textile was the most interesting and could represent furniture in the best way.

I knew that Fritz Hansen is an exclusive Danish furniture producer and a very distinctive high-profile brand with a strong focus on lifestyle. My task was to create an exclusive feel and emphasize highest quality design. That’s why I decided to have a very clean minimalistic studio as the location and focus only on their high-end products.”

“This collaboration of Phase One and Fritz Hansen was unique. They are two brands that represent high-end products and the highest quality in their own industry joined for a project.”- Ausra Babiedaite

Creative Freedom for Photographers
“Editorial shoots are the most exciting ones for creatives because you have no rules (or very little) and you can get creative. On this shoot, I had lots of creative freedom, but I wanted to remain true to Fritz Hansen’s aesthetics and values when shooting their products. I tried to find this perfect ‘golden point’ where I could reflect brand’s aesthetics and have a sophisticated twist that would make this series more special. And I think using textile was a very beautiful touch to the whole series.”

Preparing the studio and workflow
“Since we were using large furniture products, I needed to consider the space. When we decided to go with a textile concept, I knew that a studio would be the optimal space. I wanted to hang textile in different layers and play with dimensions. Having this very minimalistic, clean studio with grey walls and a concrete floor allowed me to put a focus on the beautiful Fritz Hansen products.”

Image quality Using the XF IQ3 100MP Camera System
“When shooting products that are characterized by luxury aesthetics and highest quality design, you want to make sure that the images you are producing are the best. With the 100MP, I was surprised that a picture could be so detailed. If you zoom in you can see a structure of the texture clearly. I especially love seeing those perfect imperfections on natural materials such as wood. Shooting with 100MP allows you to have this freedom to crop images and still have great quality and detail.

“This collaboration of Phase One and Fritz Hansen was unique. They are two brands that represent high-end products and the highest quality in their own industry joined for a project. It’s wonderful to get an opportunity to work with such strong profiles. Shooting with IQ3 100MP Camera System was truly an unforgettable experience for me!”

The Editor’s Perspective

Søren Christensen, Editor on Set shares his thoughts about using Capture One Pro on set and which tools make his work easier.

“Using Capture One Pro on set makes it easy for me to quickly reach the kind of look that I want in my pictures. Combined with the user interface that is super simple to use it makes the process of taking pictures easier.”