Maison Royal · Internal Document
Visual Style Guide
The definitive reference for all Maison Royal product photography. Every candle, every collection, every frame — consistent, cinematic, and unmistakably ours.
Reference · Hero Lighting
Reference · Three-Quarter Angle
01 · Illumination
Lighting
Product
Key 45°
Fill −2
Camera
Shadow →
Seamless Black
A single warm key light, positioned camera-left at 45° and diffused through a one-stop panel, defines the Maison Royal look. A white card on camera-right provides a gentle bounce fill, two stops below the key — enough to preserve shadow direction without flattening the vessel.
The background receives no direct light. Flag the key with a gobo to prevent spill, allowing the product to separate naturally from the seamless black.
Key Light
Single source, camera-left at 45°
Softened through a 1-stop diffusion panel. Never direct or harsh.
Fill
Reflected bounce, camera-right
White card or v-flat, 2 stops below key. No artificial fill.
Temperature
3200K – 3500K (warm)
Enhances gold tones in wax and vessel. Never daylight-balanced.
Quality
Soft, diffused, directional
Maintains shadow direction without hard edges.
Flame
Always lit in hero shots
Natural flicker only. Never enhanced or composited glow.
02 · Environment
Background
Midnight Black
#0A0A0A
Porcelain White
#F8F8F6
Royal Gold
#D4AF37
Wax Stone
#E8E2D6
Primary
Midnight Black #0A0A0A
Seamless paper or painted cyc. For hero and collection shots.
Secondary
Porcelain White #F8F8F6
For editorial and lifestyle contexts. Matte, never glossy.
Texture
Honed stone, raw marble, aged brass
Surfaces must be matte. Never reflective or polished.
Props
Minimal — one element maximum
A single dried stem, botanical, or gold vessel. Nothing more.
Negative Space
40% minimum around product
The product breathes. Never crowd the frame.
03 · Perspective
Camera Angles
Hero
0°
Three-Quarter
30°
Detail
90°
Lifestyle
15°↑
Hero
Eye-level, straight-on
Bottle centered, flame visible. The primary e-commerce image.
Three-Quarter
30° rotation from front
Shows vessel depth, label, and lid detail.
Detail
Macro — wax pool, wick, texture
f/2.8 or wider. Focus on craftsmanship, not product.
Lifestyle
15° above eye-level
Product in context with one prop. Environmental but restrained.
04 · Surface
Reflections & Shadows
Surface
Honed stone or matte black acrylic
Never glossy tile, glass, or mirror.
Shadow
Soft, natural fall-off from key light
Falls camera-right at ~15°. Never sharp or artificial.
Reflection
Subtle and controlled
Never mirror-like. A faint ghost image is ideal.
Gobos
Flag the key to control spill
Keep light off the background. Product separates from black.
05 · Post
Color Grading
Shadows · #0A0A0A
Highlights · #D4AF37
Contrast
Deep shadows, gentle highlights
Crush blacks slightly. Never clip highlights in the flame.
Warmth
Slight amber tint (+5 warm tone)
Push the midtones warm. Backgrounds stay cool and desaturated.
Saturation
Reduced globally
Let Royal Gold and the flame carry all color. Backgrounds are monochrome.
Consistency
Same LUT across all product images
One preset. One grade. No per-image variation.
06 · Standards
Consistency Checklist
Single key light at 45° camera-left, diffused
Warm white balance (3200K–3500K)
Midnight Black or Porcelain White seamless background
Matte surface — no glossy reflections
Maximum one prop, 40% negative space
Flame lit naturally in hero shots
Shadow falls camera-right, soft and natural
Desaturated background, warm gold highlights
Same LUT applied to every image
Export at 300 DPI, sRGB color space
