# Coffee Bag Photography



## adjacobson95 (Oct 18, 2021)

Need some help with product photography! I got a gig shooting coffee beans and coffee bags, expecting them to be filled bags one would buy in the store. Instead, I received flat, unfilled bags with the coffee beans in separate ziplock bags. Is this normal? Did someone on their team make a mistake and send the wrong thing, or is this a normal practice for photographing coffee beans and packaging?


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## Jeff15 (Oct 19, 2021)

Hello and welcome, why not just phone the customer.....


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## Space Face (Oct 19, 2021)

Yo!

I'm not qualified in product photography but I'm sure someone will come along and keep you right.


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## compur (Oct 19, 2021)

adjacobson95 said:


> I received flat, unfilled bags with the coffee beans in separate ziplock bags. Is this normal?


Yes. Clients usually supply unused, unsealed packaging along with separate product samples. This is so that you can photograph opened packages without ugly rips or damage from opening.


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## webestang64 (Oct 20, 2021)

A tip, if you do not have enough beans to fill the bag use packing peanuts or some other filler like wadded up paper towels to make the bag look full.
A friend had to use packing peanuts for a kitty litter bag shoot.


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## NS: Nikon Shooter (Oct 20, 2021)

webestang64 said:


> A tip, if you do not have enough beans to fill the bag use packing peanuts or some other filler like wadded up paper towels to make the bag look full.
> A friend had to use packing peanuts for a kitty litter bag shoot.


 

A product photographer has the opportunity to show creative
approaches, solutions more than in any other type of shooting.


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## compur (Oct 20, 2021)

Another tip:
Don't call the client and ask why they sent what they sent.


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## Cincinnati (Dec 14, 2021)

Jeff15 said:


> Hello and welcome, why not just phone the customer....


Be very careful here. You don’t want to convey surprise over what they sent.

Bags filled with beans get a “crumpled look” from the beans pressing against the bag. A newly filled bag looks crisp. It hasn’t been folded and sealed. And it would need to be cut or torn open. Sounds like they have more experience at photographing bags of beans than you. This is not necessarily a problem. But there is some reason they have not stayed with whomever they used the last time. I’d tactfully find out why and make sure I filled every need they have.


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