Watch Photography Tips at Harrods with Vacheron Constantin & Leica

One afternoon whilst visiting Harrods in London, I visited the Vacheron Constantin boutique where they happened to have the three-hand Overseas with a blue dial in stock, and so I asked if I could take a look. The attendants kindly obliged, and whilst I was trying the watch they asked whether I’d be interested in an event they had coming up the following week, which was going to be in conjunction with Leica Cameras in Harrods, doing a short watch photography tips workshop with Justin Hast – a photographer from Hodinkee (you can follow Justin on Instagram @justin_hast_ ). Luckily, I was able to make the time available and so put my name on the list!

In this article I thought what would be useful is to try and share some watch photography tips that we learned on the evening, and some of the photos that we were sent afterwards. This is in no way me claiming to be a “good” photographer as I know I am far from it, but simply passing on the tips we learned from Justin over the evening in the hope that it might help someone else, especially in these difficult times of Covid-19.

Watch Photography Tips with Justin Hast

When the session started, there were only three of us in attendance and so it was a really good experience in terms of hands-on time, and getting the opportunity to both ask lots of questions and get a great look at each of the stunning Vacheron Constantin pieces on display. After a welcome introduction, Justin went through the different types of Leica camera available to look at, and the different types of focusing mechanisms afforded by each. As we were all beginners with photography, especially watch photography, we went with the Leica Q camera (affiliate link), which fortunately for us had a useful auto-focus feature!

Initially, we each got given a camera to get used to using by taking a good old-fashioned wrist-shot of whatever we had on to attend the event. As we went through, Justin shared some tips with us on how to get a good wrist-shot including the lighting (natural light being the best option and avoiding reflections), but also where possible to keep the lens of the camera flat to the dial of the watch, and to take care not to be slightly off to one side or tip the watch back or forth.

In setting the scene, wrist-shots tend to look better with the model wearing a sleeved item of clothing (a shirt or jumper), and ideally with a cuff as well to add a bit of variety into the image. Your hand should ideally be flat when taking the shot rather than the tendency to make a fist, and the shots taken in portrait to help post-shoot editing. Here are a couple that illustrate the difference between having a cuff showing or not, as well as landscape versus portrait orientation:

Once we were used to the cameras, we each picked one of the Vacheron Constantin pieces available for the evening before having a go at an ever-popular stalwart of watch photography: the pocket shot. For this, we each used one another as a model for the shot as obviously this isn’t really something you can do on yourself! Much of the same tips apply here, most notably about having a long sleeve with cuff, and where possible ensuring that the model’s clothing has a lot of layering which helps the photo look more visually interesting. Luckily for me, my model was well prepared and so I was quite pleased with my shot, which you see below:

Lastly, we moved on to flat lay shots, where you lay the watch down and photograph it against a handful of accessories. In the room for the workshop, we had a bookshelf available with various suitable accessories, and so we set about looking at how we could try these shots ourselves. Again, Justin was able to provide some helpful tips, reiterating the same advice from earlier about making sure that when taking the shots that the camera lens is directly above and lined up to be flat against the dial (this ensures an even view of the case and dial, a clearer look at the piece, and helps the dial remain in focus for a crisper, clearer shot). A secret tip from Justin was also to put something small like a £1 coin underneath the case, just to elevate it off the surface a little, as this provides a little more depth to the shot.

Below are a couple of examples from the workshop showing the difference between the lens being lined up flat against the dial, or at an angle, illustrating the benefits of the lens being lined up flat against the dial:

My Top 10 Watch Photography Tips from the workshop to remember:

1 – use natural light as this is always the best

2 – set the hands ideally at 10:08, however it is equally important to not obstruct the brand’s name and logo

3 – after completing 2, remember to put the crown back in!

4 – make sure the watch is clean – capturing a great shot to later find fingerprints on the dial is immensely frustrating!

5 – try to keep the camera lens lined up flat against the dial

When shooting a wrist shot:

6 – wear a long sleeve and – where possible – have a cuff showing

7 – keep your hand flat, don’t make a fist

8 – shoot in portrait as this allows for more flexibility when cropping the photo later

9 – if a pocket shot, ensure that the model has layered clothing

When shooting flat lay shot:

10 – put something small like a coin underneath the watch to lift the case slightly off of the surface

 

Finally, we thought it would be rude not to share some of the shots of the great Vacheron Constantin timepieces available on the night:

A huge thank you to the wonderful teams at Vacheron Constantin and Leica within Harrods for a great evening, and of course to Justin for sharing his knowledge and experience!

If you have any questions, please get in touch via our Contact page, or via our Instagram.

 

You might also be interested in:

• Watch Finishing Techniques
• Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Exhibit at Harrods
• A Visit to the Clockmakers’ Museum, London
• Watch Stationery and Gift Ideas
• Watch Books, Watch Boxes and more at the Watch Affinity Shop on Amazon (commissions earned)

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