So, you’re chasing that “Chanel pic” vibe, are you? Seems like everyone is these days. That super crisp, black and white, so-called effortless chic. Looks easy, doesn’t it? Just a nice camera or phone, a clean background, maybe something pearl-like. Done.
Well, I dived into that world myself not too long ago. Figured I’d crack it in an afternoon, tops. Started by clearing a space. Got some boards, painted one pure white, another deep black. Rounded up my most “minimalist” looking bits and bobs. Seemed straightforward.
Then came the lighting. Oh, the lighting. My usually reliable sunny window? Cast shadows like you wouldn’t believe. My desk lamp? Everything turned a sickly yellow. I was messing around with bits of baking paper trying to soften the light, shifting things by tiny amounts for what felt like forever. It was a real pain.
- The shadows just wouldn’t fall right.
- Weird reflections kept showing up on shiny surfaces.
- That whole “effortless” thing? It took a whole lot of effort, let me tell you.
Turns out, that “simple” aesthetic you see? It’s often cooked up in proper studios. With massive, expensive lights, and folks whose only job is to make things look like they just happened to be perfect. It’s not just about owning a fancy bag; it’s about the whole damn show they put on, that feeling they create. That’s the real trick.
My Own Little Adventure with “Looking Expensive”
It actually brings back memories of a job I had, quite a while back. I was with this little startup. Full of big dreams, you know the type. They were about to launch some new product, and the boss man, he was absolutely set on it looking “high-end,” just like those big fashion labels. He kept going on about needing that “Chanel feel.” Our budget, though, was more like… well, it definitely wasn’t Chanel.
We wasted so much time trying to fake it. It was a total mess, honestly. We used cheap stuff for the product photos, trying to make it look luxurious. Sat through endless meetings about “minimalist” packaging that just ended up looking plain cheap and empty. The photographer they hired, a young chap trying to get his foot in the door, practically had a meltdown trying to get the lighting decent in our cramped office, which we were pretending was a “photo studio.”
When we got the pictures back, they just looked… wrong. Like a kid playing dress-up with fancy clothes that don’t fit. The “vibe” was completely off. We were just copying what we saw on the surface, without getting any of the real substance behind it. A lot of talk, no real understanding.
That whole episode taught me a thing or two about trying to be something you’re not. And it really showed me how much actual work, and serious cash, goes into making those “Chanel pics” look so breezy and perfect. It’s not just a quick snap. It’s a full-blown production, most of the time.
So yeah, I did eventually get some passable photos for my own little thing. But they weren’t “Chanel.” They were just… me, giving it a go. And I figured out that sometimes, “me, giving it a go” is a lot more genuine than “me, trying to badly fake Chanel.” It’s definitely less of a headache, that’s for sure. Now I just stick to what feels right for me, even if it’s not all black, white, and ready for a magazine cover.
