The Perfect Setting

Dinnerware at Bison. Photo David Plummer

Several years ago we shot some general stock images in the Bison studio. We were busy trying to take photos on a day where the sun would vanish every ten minutes and the light through the skylights would go slightly green...not the best look! Just after we captured this shot I realised with dismay that the latte bowls were slightly out of alignment. This revelation came upon me after I had packed the entire shot away. Nevertheless I still loved this image. The play of reflections on the vessels and the beautiful symmetry between the curves of the plates and the bowls made this a favourite shot at the time. Funny how a few years makes you 'hone your craft' (or become more fixated on perfection) and that things like bowls and cups just off square irritate me. 

What is perhaps more relevant is the effort that goes in to making each of those plates. Every time we make a dinner set for eight we actually glaze twelve to fourteen settings to ensure enough are perfect firsts. When it comes to unique pieces such as Atlantis Bowls people look for individuality in the form. Contrastingly, when we are asked about dinnerware it's essential that they stack well and that the form is non-varying. The premise behind this is that when you look at a stack of bowls or plates in a cupboard your eye is drawn to any irregularity in size of shape when they are stored on top of each other. Much like this earlier photograph...maybe we just need to be less fixated on photoshop-ready settings and just enjoy the simple beauty of a loose composition.