For the past 6 years I have shot for Cartier during the holiday season at 630 N. Michigan Ave. I wanted to share a few insights into the day of the shoot and the images we capture.

As there is only a limited window of opportunity to shoot where the outside light balances the inside light yet before the sidewalks get too busy with pedestrians and the street too busy with traffic, my team and I arrive at 6:30 in the morning the day before Thanksgiving to start cleaning the sidewalks and exterior glass.

The Regional Visual Merchandising Manager flies in from New York to arrange the windows and work with me on the shoot.  He and a security guard have to be there early to set up because merchandise is removed from the windows every night.

One of the most difficult challenges, besides inclement weather, is to eliminate the reflections in the windows. Many photographers who are new to the process may find themselves struggling to eliminate these reflections, but our team prides ourselves in nailing retail window shots.

The shoot is only half the job.  Post-production includes color correction for variation in color temperatures of multiple light sources, compositing of different images together, and retouching.  Surprisingly to many, post production work takes far longer than the shoot. Take a look at some of my favorites below and don’t hesitate to reach out for any retail or commercial work for your own business.