Patek Philippe 5550P Photography

Gary G · 2013-07-08T15:05:22Z

Explore Gary G's stunning photography of the Patek Philippe 5550P, showcasing its brushed metallic dial and the techniques used to capture its beauty.

Gary G

WPS member · Patek Philippe forum

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Gary G shares a stunning photo essay of the Patek Philippe Ref. 5550P, focusing on the challenge of capturing its unique brushed metallic dial. His post highlights the watch's aesthetic beauty, particularly the dial's shifting appearance under different lighting, and invites fellow enthusiasts to appreciate his photographic efforts.

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Greetings to all! My good fortune continues in terms of watch loans from generous friends, with the opportunity this past week to shoot this lovely watch.

For me the most beautiful bit is not the silicium escapement, but rather the wonderful brushed metallic dial. Not easy to capture that dial in photographs! The appearance to the eye shifts quite a bit depending on the incident angle of light, and setting up a tent shot in which the dial doesn't get blown out is not as simple as I had thought it might be.

With that said, here are a few photos for your consideration:

As always, all comments welcomed. Hope you enjoyed!

Best,

Gary G

This message has been edited by Gary G on 2013-07-08 15:06:49

Key Points from the Discussion

The brushed metallic dial of the Patek Philippe 5550P is particularly challenging to photograph due to its dynamic appearance, which shifts significantly with incident light angles.
Gary G employs a Nikon D800E with an 85mm PC-E tilt-shift lens, a light tent, fluorescent dome lights, and a circular polarizer to achieve his photo-realistic watch photography.
The D800E's high resolving power allows for incredibly sharp images without excessive post-sharpening, crucial for capturing fine details without introducing halos.
Collectors praise the photos for finally doing justice to the 5550P's beauty, with particular appreciation for macro shots that highlight dial details and hand reflections.
Using a circular polarizer helps reduce unwanted reflections from the crystal, though it can sometimes introduce color shifts with certain camera setups.
The goal of photo-realistic watch photography is to convey the watch's true appearance and characteristic features, rather than adding artificial contrast or lighting.

The Discussion

Gary G

Jul 8, 2013

Just barely got to edit the message to add a couple of spaces, and there was your note! Thanks for the kind words -- some day I'll hope to get my wrist shot skills up to some small percentage of yours... Best, Gary

flamenco

Jul 8, 2013

The silver dial certainly does one no favors , but u pulled it off quite superbly ! Love the macro dial shot the best ! With the hands reflecting in just the right amount. Beautiful ! Ps. Not sure if its the uploader, the aspect ratio of the photos appear off. Same goes for the last couple of your posts.

fernando

Jul 8, 2013

Is it the watch or the quality of the photos! Both I suspect. :) Thanks for sharing these incredible shots Gary. cheers fernando

amanico

Jul 8, 2013

The 4th one is SPECTACULAR! Best, Nicolas

tempus

Jul 8, 2013

For the first time I see pics of the gorgeous 5550P matching the outstanding beauty of this watch. Well done! Perhaps now people realize the beauty of this stunning piece. It is getting more and more beautiful and surprises me each day. Thats what I love the most about my 5550P. Thanks, I really enjoy your pics!

tumahuk

Jul 8, 2013

That is really amazing photos for an amazing watch. Thanks for sharing.

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