Kai Stiepel Photography

Still Life

Kai, why are you enthusiastic about still life photography?
I love solving the puzzles that come with each project. Sometimes physical problems seem like obstacles to a great idea. I can get really creative to solve the problem and create a custom, finely-tuned photograph that is the exact product that I intended. As early as photography school I needed to tinker with a complicated chrome-plated espresso machine to get the presentation photo I wanted.
What makes the difference in the outcome of the finished photograph?
The time I devote to each project is definitely important. Patience and perseverance are other keys. Of course, a lot also depends on the equipment in product photography, especially the lighting. If everything is right, the object appears as if it has a life of its own. That is the goal.
Which experience do you particularly like to remember?
I once did a jewelry shoot and the client assigned a guard! It became clear that there was some very expensive jewley in the studio that day. Another shoot was with a model that was bodypainted – but that was not my job (laughs). Then there was the campaign for the ISPO which dealt with innovation and technology. I had the idea to work with X-ray images, which represent exactly those concepts.