For some photographers, images come in an instantaneous flash. For others, like Seattle-based stock shooter Paul Conrath, the most enduring images come from a process carefully developed over time. "It’s really like a craft," he says. "The best photos are ones that are built."

This space-age timepiece follows Conrath’s metaphor in a very literal sense. Shot for a law firm representing computer chip maker Intel, the photo was the result of a collaboration between Conrath and Intel’s design firm.

"We had about three or four meetings before we even went into the studio," he says...