Product and Brand Photography
Genuine antiques as the backdrop to your products
About Product and Brand Photography
Product and brand photography is the use of the Manor to photograph apparel, jewellery, watches, leather goods, cosmetics, confectionery and other products against the antique tables and furnishings of our house in Odaiba. With exclusive use for up to six guests, a butler checks the spacing between products and furnishings and arranges props and light. If you wish, a white-gloved hand may enter the frame, adding the gesture of presenting the product.
Wood, leather, glass or silver: a backdrop to suit the texture of your product
A product backdrop is the surface and depth chosen to convey a product's colour, sheen, size and the setting in which it is used. The grain of the yew table, the leather-topped desk, the curved-glass cabinet, a lace runner, the gilt-patterned walls: each is chosen so as not to compete with the outline of the product.
The silver tea service, silver cutlery and gilded porcelain are handled by your butler in white gloves. Before a product touches them, we check for the risk of scratches, marks or toppling, placing cloth or a stand between them where needed. For close-ups, we check reflections in the silver on the camera screen.
The Manor is yours exclusively, and a butler remains in residence throughout. We keep separate places for products not yet photographed, those being photographed and those already done, and count them as we go. The Manor is never let unattended; moving furnishings and restoring them afterwards is your butler's responsibility.
Apparel, jewellery and small goods each call for a different backdrop and support
| Product | Suitable backdrop | Props available | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apparel (worn or laid out) | The wardrobe, the fireplace room, the gallery | Cheval mirror, leather chairs, top hat | Models count towards the maximum of six |
| Jewellery and watches | The leather-topped desk, a lace runner | Pocket watch, loupe, quill, a white-gloved hand | Small items are secured against rolling, and reflections in silver or glass are checked |
| Leather goods and stationery | The study desk, the bookshelves | Typewriter, inkwell, globe | Your butler arranges the placement so that leather and product do not rub against each other |
| Cosmetics and fragrance | The bedroom nightstand, the cabinet | Candlestick, mirror, porcelain | We check angles so that equipment and people do not appear in mirrored surfaces |
| Confectionery and tea (brought in) | The dining table | Silver, porcelain, three-tier stand | You are welcome to bring food and drink. The Manor does not cook or serve meals |
Please seek prior permission to use the Manor's furnishings and interiors in advertising. The same applies to the use of a butler's face.
Placed, worn, presented or displayed: how to show your product
Placed on the table
Still-life photography conveys a product's form, material and use within a single frame. Using the dining table or the study desk, we check the composition head-on, at an angle and from above, in that order.
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Worn
For apparel and jewellery, close-ups of the product alone are combined with full-length shots worn. Dress in the wardrobe, then sit in the fireplace room and walk the gallery.
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Presented
A white-gloved hand in the frame conveys a product handled with care. Opening a box, offering a watch, setting down porcelain: each short movement is captured one pause at a time.
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Against the cabinet
The curved-glass cabinet can enter the frame as a furnishing that surrounds the product.
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Share the number, size, material and intended use of your products, and we can plan the order of the shoot
| Product list | Please tell us the product names, quantities, colour variants and how to tell photographed from unphotographed items. We keep separate places in the Manor and count the items after shooting. |
|---|---|
| Size and weight | For large or heavy products, we ask the dimensions and weight before delivery. Your butler confirms whether they can be placed on the table, desk or shelves and whether the passage can be kept clear. |
| Material and surface | Metal, glass, mirror, leather and fabric each take light differently. Please tell us in advance of any surface that scratches easily, should be kept free of fingerprints or must not be touched even in white gloves. |
| Equipment brought in | Please list cameras, macro lighting, tripods, backdrop paper, chargers, spare batteries and storage media. We also ask when booking how many devices will need power and where they will go. |
| Intended use | Please share where the images will appear — product pages, brochures, social media — and the aspect ratio. Where the Manor's interiors or a butler's face will feature clearly, we confirm the intended use in advance. |
| Food and drink | Confectionery, tea and the like may be brought in. Please decide in advance which silver and porcelain to use and how much to plate, and confirm what is to be taken away afterwards. The Manor does not cook or serve meals. |
What the Manor and your butler provide
- Exclusive use of the Manor's rooms and tables, with separate places for unphotographed, in-progress and finished products
- One butler for the placement of props, the handling of silver and porcelain, a white-gloved hand, tea, and restoring the furnishings
- Continuous lighting, softbox, power and Wi-Fi.
- Changes of scene to suit the product's material: the study, the dining room, the fireplace room, the wardrobe, the cabinet
- Counting products and checking images at each stage, and a final sweep for props, chargers and storage media before you leave
What remains with you
- Please bring your own photographer and whoever will select and edit the images.
- Products, equipment and storage media remain in your care.
- Advertising use in which the Manor's interiors or a butler's face feature clearly is confirmed in advance, including where and how it will be used
- Leaving the Manor in costume requires a butler's accompaniment and prior permission.
- Photography in every room of the Manor (up to 4 guests)
- Lighting equipment, power, Wi-Fi
- One butler in residence to assist with the shoot
- Shooting on your own camera or smartphone
- Extension ¥16,800 per hour
Products are shot not in the order received, but grouped by similar backdrop and light
Check the delivery and count
Your butler meets you at the door and shows you where products, equipment and props will go. The product list is checked against the items themselves.
Decide the order by material
Fabric, leather, metal, glass: products that take similar light are grouped together. A test shot of the principal product comes first.
Build the tabletop
Place the product, then add props, stopping where the subject stays clear. Silver and porcelain are handled by your butler, who checks every point of contact.
Check close-up and wide
In close-up, check surfaces, hallmarks and clasps; in the wide shot, the scale against the backdrop. Reflections and dust are enlarged on the camera screen.
Change the backdrop and count
Before moving from the study to the dining room, finished products are set aside. Your butler prepares the next room while keeping the passage clear.
QMay I photograph the Manor's tableware together with my products?
You may. Silver and porcelain are handled by your butler, who checks the points of contact and the stability of the arrangement before placing them. To avoid scratches and marks, please tell us in advance which pieces you wish to use and what your products are made of.
QMay I use the photographs on an e-commerce site or in advertising?
Please tell us when booking where the product images will be used. For advertising in which the Manor's interiors are the subject, or images in which a butler's face is clearly visible, we confirm the intended use and placement in advance.
QMay I use the Manor for a full day?
For full-day use, please see the Location / Full Day plan. We ask the number of products, the equipment and how many changes of backdrop you need, and confirm the order of the day including delivery and pack-down.
QMay I bring white backdrop paper?
Please consult us about bringing backdrop paper and stands. We ask the width, height, footprint and means of support in advance, and check the distance from the furnishings and the passage. For any method that touches the floor or walls, please send us a photograph.
QCan a butler hold jewellery or a watch in white gloves?
Yes, once we have confirmed the product's material and how it should be handled. Where a surface or clasp must not be touched even in white gloves, you place the item and your butler positions only the hand beside it. For small items, we first try a support that prevents them from falling.
QHow should I tell you how many products I have?
Please send a list of the number of products, their sizes, colour variants, the compositions you need and the backdrops you prefer. On that basis we discuss how much can be photographed within the booked time and the order of checks.
About using The Studio
- The manor is never let unattended. A butler is present for every booking, and keys are not handed over
- You are welcome to bring your own food and drink. We do not provide meals
- Please use the antique furnishings under the butler's guidance. The armour, hall clock, porcelain and silver are handled by the butler
- Please consult us in advance about loud sound or the use of naked flames
- Prices shown include tax
You may also wish to read
Your products, on the tables of the Manor.
Tell us the type and number of products, the number in your party and your preferred dates. Your butler will propose backdrops and props.