The Process of Creating Woven Real Photos for COLORIA MCM Products

Long before a single light is set up or a product is placed on a backdrop, the process starts with a conversation. Picture a small conference room at COLORIA's headquarters, where the marketing team, product designers, and the photography crew huddle around a table covered in samples. There's a stack of weaving swatches—weaving (khaki), weaving (beige), weaving (grey)—each with a tiny tag noting its origin and intended use. Next to them sits a slab of MCM flexible stone, its surface smooth yet surprisingly pliable, and a piece of travertine (starry blue), which shimmers faintly under the overhead lights, like someone sprinkled stardust into its pores.

"The goal isn't just to take a photo," says Maria, the lead product designer, as she runs a finger over the edge of the weaving (khaki) sample. "It's to capture why someone would choose this over any other material. Is it the warmth of the khaki weave? The way the threads catch the light? Or maybe the durability that makes it perfect for a high-traffic lobby? We need the photo to answer those questions without saying a word."

This meeting is all about aligning on the "story" of each product. For weaving (beige), the team decides, the story is "timeless comfort"—think a cozy café wall or a boutique hotel lobby where guests want to linger. For MCM flexible stone, it's "versatility redefined"—showcasing how it can bend around curves without cracking, a feature that architects rave about. And for travertine (starry blue)? "That one's easy," jokes Raj, the photographer. "It's 'bring the night sky indoors.'"

From there, the team creates a mood board: torn pages from design magazines, photos of spaces where similar materials have been used, even paint swatches to match the desired color palette. For the weaving series, they pin up images of sunlit porches with woven furniture, earthy-toned living rooms, and close-ups of handwoven textiles to reference texture. For MCM flexible stone, it's snapshots of modern buildings with curved facades, proving that flexibility doesn't mean sacrificing style.

The final step in pre-production? A detailed shot list. "We don't leave anything to chance," explains Lina, the studio manager. "For each product, we list the angles—close-up for texture, 45-degree for depth, wide shot for context—the lighting setup, and even the props. For example, with fair-faced concrete, we knew we wanted to pair it with a potted olive tree to highlight its raw, organic side. It's those little details that make the photo feel lived-in, not just staged."

A week later, the studio is buzzing with activity. Boxes of products line the walls, each labeled with care. The first order of business? Prepping the materials—and this isn't just about wiping off dust. It's about making sure each product looks its best, while still feeling authentic.

Take the weaving samples, for instance. "Weaving (khaki) is tricky because the threads can get flattened during shipping," says Ana, the studio stylist, as she gently teases a bent thread back into place with a pair of tweezers. "You want it to look like it's just been taken off the loom, not like it's been sitting in a box for a month. But you also don't want to overdo it—no one's weave is perfect, and that imperfection is part of its charm." She holds up the weaving (beige) sample next to the khaki one, comparing the two. "See how the beige has slightly thicker threads? That's intentional. It's meant to feel more rustic, so we'll leave a few threads slightly askew to highlight that."

Then there's the MCM flexible stone. Unlike rigid materials like marble or granite, this stuff moves. "We had a mishap last year where we tried to prop it up against a backdrop, and it just flopped over," laughs Raj. "Now we use these custom-made foam blocks with slots cut into them. They're hidden in the photos, but they let the stone curve naturally, like it would on a real building facade." He demonstrates, bending a 2x4-foot slab into a gentle arch. The stone complies easily, no cracks, no stress marks—a feature that will be front and center in the photos.

The travertine (starry blue) requires a different kind of prep. "These stones are porous, so any fingerprint or smudge shows up like a neon sign in photos," Ana explains, wiping the surface with a microfiber cloth dampened with distilled water. "We also have to be careful with lighting later—too much direct light, and the starry flecks look washed out; too little, and they disappear entirely. It's a balance." She sets the stone aside, and for a moment, the light from the window catches it just right, turning the blue base into a canvas of tiny, twinkling spots. "See that? That's the money shot. We just need to replicate that in the studio."

Even the fair-faced concrete gets special treatment. "People think concrete is 'just concrete,' but fair-faced concrete has this raw, honest quality," Maria says, running her palm over its surface. "It's not polished to a shine; it shows the marks of the formwork, the tiny air bubbles. We don't want to hide those—we want to celebrate them. So we'll brush off the dust, but we won't fill in the bubbles. That's what makes it unique."

Shooting day arrives, and the studio transforms into a mini theater. There are three main setups: one for the weaving series, one for MCM flexible stone and travertine (starry blue), and a third for the fair-faced concrete. Each has its own lighting rig, backdrop, and props, all arranged to tell the product's story.

Let's start with the weaving station. The backdrop is a soft, off-white linen sheet, chosen to complement both weaving (khaki) and weaving (beige) without overpowering them. "We tested gray, but it made the khaki look muddy," Lina says. "White was too stark. This linen has a subtle texture, almost like a cloud, which lets the weave be the star." In front of the backdrop, there's a wooden table draped with a thin layer of burlap—another texture to add depth without distraction.

The lighting here is warm and diffused. Raj has set up two softboxes on either side of the table, angled at 45 degrees, and a small fill light above to reduce shadows. "Weaving is all about texture," he explains, adjusting the height of one softbox. "If the light is too harsh, you get deep shadows that hide the pattern. Too flat, and it looks like a flat piece of fabric, not something you'd want to run your hand over." He picks up the weaving (khaki) sample and places it on the burlap, stepping back to squint at it through the camera lens. "See how the threads cast tiny shadows? That's what we want. It makes you want to touch it to see if it's as soft as it looks."

A few feet away, the MCM flexible stone setup is more modern. The backdrop is a sleek, matte black panel, which makes the stone's neutral tone pop. There's no table here—instead, the stone is mounted on a curved armature, mimicking a building's facade. "We want to show scale and application," Raj says. "A lot of clients can't visualize how flexible stone works in real life, so seeing it curved like this helps. It's not just a slab; it's a solution." The lighting here is cooler, with a single spotlight focused on the curve of the stone, highlighting its flexibility, and a rim light behind to separate it from the black backdrop.

The travertine (starry blue) gets its own mini-drama. The backdrop is a deep, navy-blue velvet curtain, which makes the stone's blue base look richer and makes the starry flecks stand out. "It's like putting a diamond on a black velvet tray," Ana jokes. The lighting is a mix of direct and indirect: a small spotlight with a honeycomb grid to create a narrow beam of light that hits the stone at an angle, and a large umbrella light to fill in the rest. "The grid focuses the light on the starry flecks, making them sparkle," Raj explains. "Without it, they just look like specs of dirt. With it? Magic."

And the fair-faced concrete? It's set up near a large window, where natural light floods in. "Concrete loves natural light," Maria says. "It brings out the variations in color—the slight pinks and grays that get lost under artificial light. We're pairing it with a few potted succulents and a terracotta vase, like it's part of a minimalist patio. It's not just a building material; it's a design element."

By 9 a.m., the studio is humming. Raj is behind the camera, Ana is adjusting props, Lina is taking test shots with her phone to send to the marketing team for feedback, and Maria is pacing, sipping coffee, and occasionally stopping to say, "Wait, can we move the weaving (beige) half an inch to the left? It's competing with the succulent."

The weaving series takes the first few hours. Ana lays out the weaving (khaki) sample flat on the burlap, then adds a small ceramic mug and a sprig of dried lavender next to it. "Props should enhance, not distract," she says. "The mug suggests 'everyday use'—this isn't just for show. The lavender adds a pop of color without clashing with the khaki." Raj takes a series of shots: close-ups of the weave pattern, medium shots including the props, and wide shots showing the entire setup. He checks each image on the camera's screen, zooming in to make sure no threads are out of place. "Got it," he says finally, showing the screen to Ana. "That one makes me want to curl up with a book and a cup of tea."

The weaving (beige) sample is next, and it's a different beast. "Beige can look washed out if the lighting is off," Ana notes, swapping the lavender for a small bunch of wheat stems, which are a similar tone but add height. "We need to give it some contrast. The wheat has a golden hue that plays nice with the beige threads." Raj adjusts the fill light slightly, making it a touch brighter. "Perfect," he says, snapping a test shot. "Now the weave has definition, but it still feels soft."

Then comes the MCM flexible stone, which decides to be difficult. "Remember how I said it's flexible?" Raj groans, as the stone slips out of its foam block mount for the third time. "Turns out, it's too flexible today. Maybe the studio's too warm?" Ana grabs a can of compressed air and gives the foam blocks a quick blast. "Sometimes the humidity makes the stone expand a little," she explains. "This should help it grip better." They try again, and this time, the stone stays put. "Thank goodness," Raj says, relieved. "Now, let's get that curve just right. We want it to look effortless, like it's bending because it wants to, not because we're forcing it."

The travertine (starry blue) shoot is the most anticipated of the day. Raj spends 20 minutes adjusting the spotlight, moving it a fraction of an inch at a time, until the starry flecks are twinkling like they did in the pre-production meeting. "There we go," he says, taking a shot. The team gathers around the screen, and for a second, no one speaks. The stone looks like a slice of the night sky, the blue base deep and moody, the flecks bright and lively. "That's it," Maria says softly. "That's the one that'll make architects call us begging for samples."

Even the fair-faced concrete has its moment. "At first, it looked flat—like a gray board," Raj admits. "We tried moving it closer to the window, but the light was too harsh. Then Ana had the idea to spray it with a tiny bit of water. Just enough to make the surface glisten slightly, but not enough to look wet." The result? The concrete's natural variations—pale gray swirls, tiny air bubbles, faint tool marks—suddenly pop. "It looks alive," Lina says. "Like it has a history."

To help clients choose between weaving (khaki) and weaving (beige), the team often creates side-by-side comparisons. Below is a breakdown of how each color translates in photos, and what spaces they best complement:

After a long day of shooting, the team heads to the editing room, where Raj loads the day's photos onto a large monitor. "Editing is where we make sure the photos look like the real thing," he says, pulling up a shot of the weaving (khaki) sample. "No filters, no heavy saturation—just tweaks to make sure the color matches the actual product, and the texture is clear."

He starts with the weaving (khaki) image, adjusting the white balance slightly to warm it up. "The studio lights can sometimes add a cool tint," he explains. "This brings it back to that 'autumn grass' tone we wanted." Next, he sharpens the image just a touch, focusing on the threads. "We don't want it to look like a painting, but we do want the viewer to see every twist of the weave." He zoom in to 100%—a test all the photos must pass. "If the texture is blurry here, it'll look blurry on a website or a catalog page."

The MCM flexible stone photo needs minimal editing. "We just cropped it to focus more on the curve," Raj says. "The color was spot-on, and the lighting already brought out the stone's flexibility. Sometimes, the best edit is no edit."

The travertine (starry blue) requires the most care. "We have to make sure the starry flecks don't look over-processed," Raj notes, adjusting the clarity slider gently. "If we crank it up, they look like glitter glued on, not natural mineral deposits. We want people to think, 'Wow, that stone is actually like that,' not 'Wow, that photo is fake.'" He also checks the blue base against a physical sample, holding it up to the monitor. "Color accuracy is key. If a client orders travertine (starry blue) and it arrives looking more teal, they'll be disappointed. We use a color calibration tool to match the photo to the real stone exactly."

Even the fair-faced concrete gets a once-over. "We softened the shadows a tiny bit," Raj says, "but we left the air bubbles and tool marks intact. That's the character of the material. Edit that out, and you're not selling fair-faced concrete anymore—you're selling something generic."

The edited photos are sent to Maria and the marketing team for review, but the process isn't done yet. There's a final quality control check, where the team gathers around a large printout of each image—because screens can lie. "A photo might look great on a monitor, but when you print it, the colors can shift," Maria explains, holding up a print of the weaving (beige) sample. "See how the beige looks a little yellow here? That's because my monitor was calibrated wrong. We'll adjust the edit and reprint."

They also test the photos in different contexts: how do they look on a smartphone screen? On a website banner? In a printed catalog? "Most of our clients view our products on their phones first," Lina notes. "So we shrink the photos to mobile size and check if the texture still comes through. If the weaving (khaki) looks like a blurry mess on a 6-inch screen, we need to go back to the drawing board."

Finally, there's the "gut check." "Does this photo make you want to reach out and touch the product?" Maria asks the team, pointing to the travertine (starry blue) print. The room nods. "Good. That's the test. If we can make someone feel that urge, we've done our job."

A week later, the final photos are uploaded to COLORIA's website and printed in their latest catalog. There's the weaving (khaki) sample, looking warm and inviting, next to a caption that reads, "Woven for life's everyday moments." The MCM flexible stone is showcased in a curved wall mockup, with the tagline, "Bend the rules, not the stone." And the travertine (starry blue)? It's featured on the cover, with a simple headline: "Bring the night in."

For the team, seeing the photos in the wild is the best part. "Last month, a designer emailed us to say she chose the weaving (beige) for a hotel project because the photo made her feel like the lobby would be 'a place guests would never want to leave,'" Maria says, smiling. "That's the power of a good woven real photo. It doesn't just show a product—it makes a promise. And at COLORIA, we take that promise seriously."

So the next time you scroll through a catalog or a website and pause at a photo of a woven texture, a flexible stone, or a starry travertine, remember: behind that image is a team of people who cared enough to get it right. Who tweezed threads, adjusted lights, and debated the perfect prop. Who believed that a photograph isn't just a picture—it's a handshake. And in that handshake, there's a story waiting to be told.