I love these exotic racing chronographs! These dials were made by famous dial maker Singer in the 1970s. Here I wanted to create low angle shot with matching red background.
Studio setup
After I had "created" the shot in my mind, I set up my studio setting. What I used - Fujifilm X-H2 camera, Fujifilm 80mm macro lens, Aputure LED 200W light, Godox 65W LED with 10 degree honeycomb grid, Lee white diffusion, white and black foam-cardboard reflectors, Amazon black glossy plastic box, red paper for background, table, tripod, "helping hands" clamps, Sirui C-stand, light stands.
First, I set up my equipment, positioning the camera lower than the subject to shoot upwards. To illuminate the watch and the box, I used an Aputure LED light with Lee diffusion placed on the left side. This setup created a smooth gradient on the black acrylic box. The right side of the scene remained in shadow, with light blocked by black cardboard to control the lighting. For the background, I chose red paper and employed a 10-degree honeycomb grid to create a spot highlight on the surface.
To capture the shot, I took multiple photos: one for the overall scene, another for the watch case, one for the watch dial, and a final one for the background. These images were then combined in Photoshop. Removing the helping hand proved to be challenging, especially with the graduated background and varying light levels.
I shot a vertical photo and also used Photoshop AI to create a 16:9 version by expanding the scene.
And this is how it's done!