Travel still seems like a pretty foreign concept to most of the world these days, yet the daydreams of the post-pandemic plans still live on stronger than ever. The thrill of picking a destination and hitting the road surely joins the long list of experiences that we're all hoping to be reunited with soon.
In the mean time, inter-city travel and small weekend getaways are still accessible options. And if that even sounds a bit too wild, then storytelling is always a powerful vehicle to help the mind escape.
And that's the essence of today's tutorial – or photo challenge, if you will. Whether you're heading to a new country or just a new room, the duffel bag shot lets us all re-live the small joy of packing one's favorite essentials. What would you bring?
Enjoy today's tutorial!
The duffel bag shot
Here’s today’s demo shot: the duffel bag shot! A peak at some of my favorite every day carries through the opening of a duffel bag. Where am I off to? Anywhere.
One small problem though: I don’t actually own a duffel bag. A good looking one, anyway. 😅
Brace yourself for a behind the scenes look...
The best bag I could find at home was a small messenger bag. Didn’t stop me from crafting the narrative I wanted!
Here's what the setup looked like:
Create your own duffel bag shot
Now let’s look at the ingredients of this shot so you can recreate a duffel bag shot of your own!
1. Get a bag
First thing you need is a bag. An actual duffel is ideal, but a purse, messenger, or any decently sized bag with some texture and a good looking zipper will do.
2. Make a stage
You could fill the bag with actual stuff, but you can also create a little “stage” by putting a box in the bag. My bag was pretty small so I just used a thick book and covered the spine with a black cloth so it’d blend in.
3. Gather your carries
Next, gather your watch and your favorite accompanying carries to help set the scene. Choose items with interesting textures and colors that will stand out from the inside of the bag.
4. Bring it all together
Place the carries on the “stage” inside the bag. Tweak the position of everything a hundred times. Don’t forget the flecto.
5. Frame the contents
Frame the shot tightly on the contents of the bag. Use the zipper opening to frame them. Try to get some interesting shapes and curves if you can.
6. Create depth
The key is to create a bit of separation between the zipper and the watch and items. This will give the shot some depth and make it feel like the viewer is peering into the bag.
The finished shot
And voila! Here's the final shot again.
Your turn!
Let’s see your take on the duffel bag shot! What are you taking on the road with you? Be sure to tag #watchstudies with your results!