Mason Garments x Coca Cola

GoalS

The images, shot by Ruud Baan, were commissioned in 2018 to promote the limited release of the "Better Together" collection created in collaboration with Coca-Cola. The shots required basic clean-ups, tonal work, color corrections, and final grading. Guiding the eyes towards the shoes and the models was extremely important, so there was the need to attenuate overpowering elements like reflections and bright clothing. It was also important to color shift the red gels used during the shoot so that the traditional Coca-Cola brand color was achieved.

The ProcesS

During the RAW conversion, details were recovered in both shadow and highlight areas. The color balance has been adjusted to maintain a neutral look, so that the already warm red gels were not too overpowering. The images also required a basic clean-up. In the image to the right, a light stand responsible for the rim light was grabbing too much attention and needed to be removed.

1. Raw conversion and clean-up

2. Tones

Due to the relatively small size of the venue, the use of off-camera flashes allowed dynamic and interesting light schemes; however, they also introduced significant bounce light. A couple of simple curves were used to rebalance the tonal map and solve light falloff issues on the subjects. It was important to balance the luminosity values of the shoes as well since studio flashes tend to overexpose white-hued materials.

3. Colors

After the usual color matching was implemented on the models’ skin to avoid color inconsistencies, some images required special attention in terms of saturation. The red gels influenced the environment too heavily in some areas, so to avoid distractions, the saturation values had to be lowered.

4. Color Grading

The red provided by the gels in the original shots came off a little too cold and distant from the traditional Coca-Cola color. To fix this, the red was adjusted to better match the brand’s iconic hue. Fortunately, the images presented a large number of light surfaces, like tables and walls, which were perfect canvases for adding green tones to counterbalance the red present in the shots.