Study Notes

It’s not about the post, it’s about the portfolio

It’s not about the post, it’s about the portfolio

Like it or hate it, the platforms we create on play an unmistakable role in the way we create. This is the modern creator landscape. While the fundamental joy of...
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How to shoot a parrot shot (with a camera or a phone)

How to shoot a parrot shot (with a camera or a phone)

If you’re starting out in watch photography, there’s a really good chance that a wrist shot is among the first shots you’ll attempt. In fact, depending on how far back...
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Behind the photo: Explorer vs Explorer II

Behind the photo: Explorer vs Explorer II

Surely the first of many more to come, this is a quick and dirty breakdown of what goes on behind the scenes in order to create one of my photos....
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How to properly center a watch in your composition

How to properly center a watch in your composition

There are an infinite number of ways to compose a photo. Rule of thirds, looking room, headroom, and white space are all examples of different ideologies that propose “ideal” ways...
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Join my photoshoot with Ianos Watches!

Join my photoshoot with Ianos Watches!

One of my favorite parts about running Watch Studies is working with amazing independent brands. Combine exceptional timepieces with novel design concepts and straight up good humans, and it’s guaranteed...
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Shooting with Ianos, part 2: Staging and shooting

Shooting with Ianos, part 2: Staging and shooting

If a photoshoot were a meal, the shooting process is unsurprisingly the main course. For me, it’s where the most amount of time is typically spent and it’s where the...
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10 most popular watch photography tutorials

10 most popular watch photography tutorials

Just a little over a year ago, I started writing watch photography tutorials through the Watch Studies account. They started as short lessons in Story format on Instagram and, over...
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Shooting with Ianos, part 1: Planning the shoot

Shooting with Ianos, part 1: Planning the shoot

Staring at a blank canvas is often the most intimidating part of the creative process. While the notion of infinite possibilities feels liberating, in practice, the openness can actually be...
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Introducing Reference Guides for the pocket shot, parrot shot, and table wrist shot

Introducing Reference Guides for the pocket shot, parrot shot, and table wrist shot

The all new Parrot Shot Reference Guide The hunt for inspiration is equally exhilarating as it is daunting sometimes. On the one hand, our community is brimming with incredible creators putting...
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3 powerful uses for highlights in watch photography

3 powerful uses for highlights in watch photography

If you’ve seen a few of my editing tutorials, you would know that I typically start my edits by applying one of my presets. While a preset gets me about...
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Why They Work: 3 subtle details you probably didn't notice

Why They Work: 3 subtle details you probably didn't notice

From the first installment of Why They Work. As of the time I’m writing this, there are over 14,800 posts in the #watchstudies community. First of all, hot damn! Second...
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Introducing a new way to grow with Watch Studies

Introducing a new way to grow with Watch Studies

From the very start, Watch Studies has always been about making photography more accessible to everyone. It's been a mission that has fueled 55 Study Club tutorials, 18 gear recommendations,...
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A beginner's guide to making Instagram reels

A beginner's guide to making Instagram reels

The making of a reel using CapCut. Long before last week’s Instagram photo post changes massacre, reels have been a prominent feature that Instagram has been pushing – quietly but...
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How to edit a watch photo in 10 seconds

How to edit a watch photo in 10 seconds

Earlier this week, I posted a 10 second edit challenge that, as the name suggests, pushed me to stressfully edit a photo while a taunting voiceover counted down the precious...
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How to create the table wrist shot

How to create the table wrist shot

One of the styles of shots that has been popping up in my feed more and more lately is one that I call the "table wrist shot". Like a table...
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How to perfectly straighten your watch photos

How to perfectly straighten your watch photos

There’s something undeniably zen about a perfectly straightened photo. Not only does it give the viewer the perspective of looking at the subject head-on, but it also helps the eyes...
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11 household props to style your watch photos with

11 household props to style your watch photos with

Styling a shot is one of my favorite parts of lifestyle product photography. That said, it can be equally intimidating to tackle when you feel like you don’t have the...
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How to shoot low light watch photography

How to shoot low light watch photography

Speaking of things we take for granted: dark and moody shots have really become my go-to aesthetic for Watch Studies. But the truth is, I never used to shoot like...
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