Chinese Antique Ceramics Photography

The client trades in collectible ceramics and asked AIMI Visual Media in Guangzhou, China for the auction-catalog register: no props, no sets, just the object and the light. We shot 6 images in our Guangzhou studio on the gradient sweep: a famille rose bowl with figure medallions, a zisha overhead-handle teapot with incised calligraphy, an ivory bamboo brush pot, two monochrome vases, and a speckled censer on its carved stand, all under a full commercial license.

Photography Challenges

1. Glaze texture is the provenance. Incised zhadao grounds, orange-peel monochrome, speckled Jun-style glazes: collectors authenticate by surface. We rake a single source across each piece so the texture throws micro-shadows: the glaze's fingerprint rendered at full zoom.

2. Black gradients isolate without sterilizing. Pure black kills ceramic warmth; pure white museum-washes it. The charcoal-to-silver sweep keeps the object grounded with a soft pool of light: the gallery pedestal, simulated in one backdrop.

3. Matte zisha and gloss porcelain need different keys. Unglazed clay drinks light; glazed porcelain throws it. We soften and widen the source for the teapot, tighten it for the vases: same set, two light recipes, each material reading true.

4. The stand is part of the lot. The carved wooden stand travels with the censer. We photograph them together, spotlight centered: the complete lot as a buyer would receive it, not the pot alone.

Our Approach

The Medallion Angle

The famille rose bowl at three-quarter so the figure scene faces camera: the painted lady and child in their reserve, the sgraffito red ground raking into shadow. The frame a catalog cover wants.

The Silhouette Frames

Teapot, vases, and brush pot centered with the shadow falling right: profile first, because silhouette is how collectors recognize forms across a room.

The Spotlight Frame

The censer on its stand in a pool of light: the most theatrical register, reserved for the most sculptural lot.

Retouching

All 6 frames keep the ceramic honest: glaze texture untouched, colors calibrated to the object under D50, gradient smooth, and no dust spotting shortcuts. Files went out at 2000x2000px sRGB in JPEG (quality 90) and WebP, ready for online catalogs and auction listings.

"Antique photography is surface archaeology: raked light for the glaze fingerprint, a gradient sweep for the pedestal, and nothing else in frame." — June, Product Photography Team Lead

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a 6-image set like this cost?

This set came to about $210 at $35 per styled image. Plain white-background shots start at $12 each, and 10 or more pieces get 10% off the whole order.

How long does the shoot take?

These 6 images were delivered in 5 business days. Each piece gets its own light tune: matte clay and gloss glaze shoot under different recipes on the same sweep.

Can gradient-black photos go on marketplaces?

In the secondary slots and your own catalog, yes, delivered at 2000x2000px. Marketplaces that require pure-white main images are covered with $12 packshots per piece.

Why rake light across the glaze?

Collectors authenticate by surface. Raked light throws micro-shadows off incised and textured glazes, so the glaze's fingerprint reads at full zoom.

How do you keep colors accurate for catalog use?

We calibrate under D50 lighting and retouch to the object, not to taste: the enamel red you see is the enamel red the buyer receives.

Can you shoot a whole collection?

Yes. The sweep and recipes stay on file, so additional lots match this set exactly, at the standard $12 or $35 per-image rates.

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