A few thoughts about latest Fashion Studio by Orbitvu

We got used to the idea that once in a while, Orbitvu surprises us with their machines in general. Years ago, when the first Alphashot 360 was introduced to the world, nobody actually believed that this approach would revolutionise product photography in general. Now, almost ten years later, their approach to product photography changed the potential limits of production studios who can’t go any further without deploying some level of automation to their process.

With the recent widespread pandemic, a majority of the customers were forced to change their purchasing habits and move to the virtual space. This has silently caused a significant boost in demand for top-quality photography and videography. As the working capacities of current studios are limited and establishing such productivity in a traditional studio requires high-value investments. Current photography service providers are desperately trying to cope with that demand.

Without a doubt, post-lockdown online marketing is still rapidly changing. Nevertheless, it is clear now that these changes are increasing the value of the e-commerce market tremendously.

Orbitvu’s response to these changes resulted in the newest automated studio system which was recently presented at Panorama Berlin fair. The months after the event were wisely used by the company in order to perfect the prototype and implement changes in the manufacturing process.

FASHION STUDIO - short introduction video

It was widely noticed in the industry that Orbitvu has made this transition in their approach, which became more human-oriented contrary to past years where the photography process itself was the main topic.

While this new approach is pretty visible in their latest product, these qualities remained unchanged: the machines are built with impeccable quality materials and a high standard of engineering with attention to details.

Engineers at Orbitvu realized that the key to success in automation… surprisingly are humans operating the machine. The more people are comfortable, the faster the overall process is.

This is evident in the newest iteration of the Fashion Studio.

For models:

A display for a model inside the studio to assist in posing
Laser marks marking a central point on the floor
Audio signals indicating the shooting/recording process
Whole construction made with not even a single sharp edge (yes, it is significant during the work when models sometimes are focused on the task to the limit they can accidentally hurt themselves while posing)
Easy access inside the studio for stylist and model
All wires are hidden, which improves overall safety.

For photographers:

Tethering – this speeds up the whole process as it eliminates the need of transferring files
Lights – surgical precision control over 14 (sic!) continuous light sources
250,000 lumens of powerful light, unleashing creative control.
Interchangeable seamless backdrops
Ability to backlight subject, therefore – remove the background if needed when shooting static hard goods.

… and on top of that, a top-notch of engineering – motorised column allowing photographers:

Change the distance to the object (slidable on rails)
Control elevation, tilt and zoom – all controlled automatically by software which ensures the highest quality of the output
All settings are programmable and can be easily recreated including lights, camera positioning
more freedom for videographers, which includes: video recording templates, ability to create your own templates, ability to add dynamics to camera movement, video clip merging.

And last but not least: setup issues.

Anyone who has ever seen the traditional studio knows that it always looks a bit messy. Cables, strobes, tripods, backdrops… this all makes the workplace looking unkempt and disorganized.

The level of order and aesthetics Fashion Studio introduces is unprecedented. It will make a workplace look neat, professional, cat-walk alike, not to mention it will keep both humans and equipment safe.

Orbitvu Fashion Studio has a modular design which implies it can be extended and equipped with additional accessories and if needed – moved to another location. That said, a photography studio may consider starting with some essential elements and extend setup and its functionality over time.

Without a doubt, we’re witnessing a significant change in Orbitvu’s philosophy: it’s more human-oriented where safety, convenience and unmatched creative freedom are the cornerstones of contemporary product photography.

Witold Jermołowicz

More information about Fashion Studio.

Visit our Facebook account to sign up for a live introduction of the Fashion Studio: https://www.facebook.com/events/2886171804943304.