This macro examination of a Lige chronograph watch represents a sophisticated merger of technical methodology and aesthetic consideration within Chapter 5’s still life continuum. The photograph transcends conventional product documentation, employing focus stacking techniques to achieve a level of dimensional clarity impossible through single-exposure photography. In doing so, the work engages directly with experimental tabletop practices while maintaining dialogue with classical still life traditions of celebrating craftsmanship and material culture.
The composition presents the watch face at a dramatic angle, filling the frame with horological detail. Rose gold casing catches and redirects light across curved surfaces, creating warm highlights that contrast elegantly against the deep navy dial. The textured carbon fiber pattern at the dial’s center adds tactile interest, while the subdials—marking seconds, minutes, and 24-hour time—create geometric counterpoints within the circular form. Every element, from the applied hour markers to the knurled chronograph pushers, exists in sharp focus through the photographer’s meticulous focus stacking process.
The technical approach merits careful consideration. Shot with a Meike 85mm macro lens on the Sony A7II, the photographer captured multiple exposures at varying focal planes, later combining them in Affinity Photo to create a composite image with extended depth of field. This method addresses the fundamental challenge of macro photography: at high magnification, depth of field collapses to millimeters. By stacking focused slices, he constructs an image where mechanical complexity remains readable across the watch’s curved topography—a technical solution serving aesthetic purpose.
Lighting design reveals sophisticated restraint. The Godox SL60W continuous LED, diffused through a panel, provides even illumination that honors the watch’s metallurgy without creating harsh specular highlights. Set against black acrylic with a black backdrop, the watch floats in negative space, the glossy surface beneath creating a subtle reflection that grounds the object while maintaining the composition’s minimalist severity. This approach recalls commercial photography’s controlled environments while pushing toward fine art’s conceptual concerns.
Post-processing extends beyond technical correction into creative territory. Following the initial focus stack assembly, the photographer employed spot removal for sensor dust and surface imperfections, then adjusted contrast and levels in Adobe Photoshop Elements. Final refinements in Skylum Luminar 4 suggest attention to tonal relationships and color fidelity—ensuring the rose gold reads authentically while the navy dial maintains its saturated depth against the void.
Within Chapter 5’s exploration of still life evolution, this work demonstrates how contemporary digital techniques enable new forms of observation. The focus stacking methodology itself represents an experimental departure from traditional single-capture photography, yet the subject matter and presentation remain rooted in still life’s historical mission: to examine objects with sustained attention, revealing qualities invisible to casual observation.
The photograph also participates in broader conversations about value and craftsmanship. By applying fine art techniques to an accessible timepiece, the photographer democratizes the visual language typically reserved for luxury watch advertising, suggesting that beauty and mechanical interest exist across market segments. The image becomes simultaneously catalog and contemplation, utility and art—a productive tension that characterizes much of his tabletop work.
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Greg Urbano 