Nike Black Ice
I try to make each shoot I do at Soleheaven different but sometimes it's worth going the extra mile to create something that is extra special. Last year for Black Friday, the featured product was the Nike Air Presto Utility, with rubberised toe and rugged sole for the winter season. The content team wanted to run a multi-media campaign that showed the weatherproofing being put to the test.
By freezing the sneakers and documenting the thaw, it put the products through the extreme conditions that they are capable of withstanding.
The process of setting the sneakers in ice required us to overcome some challenges including getting the buoyant sole units to sit under the water and preventing the water pressure from deforming the flexible uppers. We managed to tackle both these issues by packing bin liners with sand and filling the cavity of the sneakers with them. I sourced distilled, deionised water because I wanted to get clear ice that was free of clouds and bubbles. In reality, it didn't really work out that way but the way in which the bubbles formed within the ice looked pretty awesome and made for some interesting photos. A happy accident.
It just so happened that on the day of the shoot, the weather was particularly cold which obstructed our chances of recording a rapid defrost but on the flip side, it gave me more time to work with the ice before it melted.
Reviewing the images and video now, a few months after the shoot, I'm really still happy with the results. I loved overcoming all the problems that we came across and how we worked around them or harnessed them and used them to our advantage. Looking forward to the next time when I can spend time on another big shoot.
Ant Tran is product and lifestyle photographer. Currently working at END.