We all read reviews of a wide variety of computer hardware in numerous online and paper publications, and some of us write these reviews ourselves. A person who is more or less familiar with the specifics of such work knows that one of the main problems when writing a review is illustrations. Computer magazines have a photographer on staff with special lighting and photographic equipment for this purpose. I’ll add: and also with my own secrets that allow you to put shooting objects on stream and have a predictable and high-quality result at the output.
If the author makes illustrations for own article on your own, with the help of a digital camera and improvised means, the result often leaves much to be desired. A person who is well versed in technology may simply not know how to properly set the lighting and background, what parameters to use when shooting, and most importantly, may not be aware of some of the nuances and techniques of work that can greatly simplify the process and improve quality. The result of unsuccessful photo shoots is a mass of essentially good reviews (usually online), ruined by frankly unsuccessful illustrations. Below we will look at the methods and techniques of work that allow you to do object photography at home almost professional quality. If you already have a digital digital camera and a tripod, then the budget for upgrading the mini-studio will be about $30.
Initial data
Here is the equipment and materials used in our particular case:
- digital camera Canon PowerShot G5
- tripod Manfrotto 728B
- three table lamps priced at 270 rubles each
- three 100-watt lamps with reflective coating (40 RUR/piece)
- seven sheets of Whatman paper in A1 format (8 RUR/piece)
As you can see, the last three items, which make up the actual lighting part, cost a total of less than 1000 rubles. In addition to the above tools and accessories important part Our complex consists of a computer desk, which acts as a kind of frame. Here's what it looks like before you start:
Putting on the light
After you have cleared the table of the heap of undoubtedly necessary junk, filling up the corner of the room, the most important thing begins. The whole idea in this case is to obtain uniform, shadow-free lighting. Four sheets of Whatman paper will help us with this, which we will place as follows:
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By the way, the attentive reader probably noticed that at first we were talking about seven sheets of whatman paper, while so far we have used only four. Everything is very simple: we will place two more sheets under the lamps themselves and one under the central curved sheet in order to eliminate reflections and translucency of the yellow surface of the tabletop.
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Now you can set up your tripod and start shooting:
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Filming
Here I would like to make a small digression and touch on the issue of choosing a camera for subject photography. It seems to the author that the optimal ratio (quality + ease of use)/price
for these purposes are non-mirror digital cameras(so-called digital cameras). Their advantages over DSLRs are well known:
- initially large depth of field due to the small physical size of the matrix
- ability to view while shooting on the LCD screen
The PowerShot G3/G5/G6/Pro1 series from Canon looks like a very good choice for specific product photography tasks (the cameras are listed in ascending order of price and quality). Here is a list of their advantages over most competitors:
- two-axis rotatable display, which makes it convenient to shoot from any position, for example, vertically oriented shots
- an orientation sensor that allows you to automatically flip vertical frames when jumping through the standard ZoomBrowser EX software
- remote control included, replacing the cable release
- Focus bracketing, which allows you to expand the depth of field by stitching together several frames
- a well-implemented RAW format that uses lossless compression (takes up less space on the memory card) and allows you to shoot without pauses
Of course, fans of DSLR technology can challenge some arguments, saying, for example, that a similar depth of field on DSLRs can be achieved by clamping the aperture to values on the order of f32, whereas for most digital compacts the limit is f8. This attack can be countered by the fact that with similar aperture values and the frankly weak lighting we used (300 W), shutter speeds can reach tens of seconds. Accordingly, you can only shoot completely motionless objects and it will be almost impossible to capture any object in your hand without blurring. This is further complicated by the impossibility of framing while shooting on the rotating screen (an assistant is required). In addition, a digital SLR with optics of the appropriate class (sharpness, focal length range) costs much more than a compact one. Of course, the mirror technique potentially makes it possible to achieve more High Quality images, but in this case the well-known saying “from a gun to sparrows” comes to mind: for online publications and not very large illustrations for magazines, the quality of a good “digital point-and-shoot camera” is more than enough.
So, as an example, let’s try to take a high-quality photo of a cell phone that is at hand. On Canon camera PowerShot G5 was set to the following settings:
- Av aperture priority mode
- f8 aperture for maximum depth of field
- focal length 140mm (maximum zoom) to reduce perspective distortion
- RAW file format
- white balance on a sheet of paper
- center-weighted metering
- positive exposure compensation +1EV
- remote control release
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It is clear that images cannot be published in this form: this is just “raw material” from which we will make normal illustrations. First of all, let's open the RAW files again in the converter and set the white balance more accurately, based on the white point. By saving the files as 48-bit TIFF, you can tinker with levels in Photoshop and get almost decent quality. One problem: the phone's display contrasts sharply with the rest of the image; it is either overexposed and has an unnatural color temperature, or is completely unreadable. Let's try to correct the situation, because we have the “magic” RAW format at our disposal.
Let's take image number 3 and convert it again, but with different color temperature settings and negative digital exposure compensation. With such tricks, the built-in Adobe Photoshop CS converter is best handled:
We got rid of overexposure, but the color temperature is clearly not the same. Let's try to install it on Daylight (5500 K):
In principle, this is already a normal quality and there is no shame in posting such an illustration for everyone to see. However, a picky critic will notice that the front panel is not lit enough, and the shiny oval call/end call buttons and the joystick button show sloppy reflections of the dark part of the room. Let's try to shoot the phone from a different angle and put our screen on it. This is done very simply: we transform the rectangle of the screen in place using the Skew command and apply one layer to another using the Overlay method to leave reflections of the protective glass, which increase authenticity:
You can see the result of two hours of work in the last two illustrations. Half the time was spent setting up the mini-studio, setting up the lighting and actually filming. Another hour - image processing on the computer. It seems to the author that the game is well worth the trouble, especially considering that it took a little more time to write the text of this article.
The best articles about photography are written by practicing photographers. The advice described in their articles is not theoretical speculation, but proven in practice, “working” techniques. Those techniques that really help in your work. And it is in practical use that the main value of these materials lies.
Recently, on one of the photo forums we came across an excellent article by Dmitry Novak about photographing objects - "FAQ on shooting small objects". And with the permission of the author, we publish this article on our website.
FAQ on shooting small objects
We accept orders for work
1. When you arrive at the customer’s store, look at how the products are displayed in the windows - and do not hesitate to ask the customer to provide you with branded display or exhibition stands or product holders. The original packaging may also contain all kinds of holders that can be used when shooting.
2. Always require the customer to prepare products before filming. If it is jewelry, it must be absolutely clean. Jewelers have their own cleaning and polishing products and their own craftsmen who can remove minor scratches and defects from the jewelry, and you won’t have to mess around in Photoshop later. Ask to pack the products in individual bags.
3. When accepting a watch for shooting, ask the customer to set the hands of all dials and indicators the way they want to see them. Ask for clear instructions on the position of the hands and ask for instructions on how to set the time on each specific watch model. On “sophisticated” chronometers this process can be quite non-trivial.
4. Always ask the customer for examples to guide you when shooting. They can be found in magazines and online catalogues.
5. A mandatory condition for accepting products for shooting is a receipt and invoice. Check the list of products and what you were actually given for work - they could be framed!
6. When discussing order execution times, increase the estimated execution time by 1-2 days. Anything can happen in life, and it is always better to please the customer by delivering the work ahead of schedule than to delay the order.
7. It is better to go to the customer together with a reliable person, presenting him as an assistant. This will also be insurance against crime on the way home.
8. Don't dump. Serious dumping always sooner or later turns against you and your colleagues. Even if your qualifications are low, you can always delegate the task to a more experienced photographer, taking the difference in price. But if you undercut the price, then with subsequent orders it will be very difficult to increase the price. Let the customer bargain with you, and not vice versa. Know your worth – if not as a photographer, then ultimately as an agent. If you are forced to lower your price, advertise it as a discount or " special conditions". This will not allow the customer to “sit on your neck.”
Let's organize a workplace
1. It is a common misconception that a light cube is very convenient for shooting large quantities of objects. Its use often does not speed up the process, but slows it down - especially when changing products or angles. The light cube does not create a working environment, but rather a rigid framework that lowers the standard for shooting quality. Light cube is a cheap solution for one day, and if you develop as a professional, you will very quickly realize that the time has come to organize a more complete workplace for high-quality, creative photography.
2. Industrially manufactured work tables are also often not the best solution. Most serious subject photographers use their own experience when arranging a workplace, based on the specific specifics of products and equipment.
3. Once you start working on objects, purchase sheets of plexiglass (acrylic) or polystyrene of different colors and textures. The set must include milky white glossy and mirror black plastic. Buy several sheets, it won't be a waste - they get scratched!
Plastic and plexiglass can be purchased at wholesale warehouses of organizations selling industrial products and building materials.
Go to the website www.orgsteklo.ru, there you can find a phone number and contact a workshop where they will cut you the required quantity. Be prepared for the fact that they will only sell you a whole sheet (2x3 meters, for example). Bring fellow photographers with you and split the purchase with them.
Don't buy thick plastic - it's extra weight and has no practical benefit. The optimal thickness is 3mm (the so-called “three rubles”). Don’t forget to dig through the scraps - among them you can find a lot of future reflective nameplates or material for stands, etc.
4. Many photographers shoot products on regular glass with colored paper underneath it. But the reflections of the products will look terrible - do not forget that glass reflects on both the outer and inner surfaces, and the picture will clearly appear double.
Therefore, use glass only when you want to “suspend” the product in “air” at some distance above the background.
5. Glass mirrors are of little use for photographing products with a clear reflection - they, like any glass, give double reflections. In this case, it is good to use polished metal. Steel plates from a glosser are excellent for these purposes.
6. For shooting, it is very convenient to use a table on one leg - this design allows you to more freely place equipment and tripods around. It’s even more convenient when the tabletop is rotatable.
Calculate the optimal table height based on your height and the height of the lighting stands; the table should be high enough so that you can freely place the softbox both above and below the table top, but low enough so that you can remove products from above, “overhanging” » camera.
7. There should be plenty of space around the shooting location. The “safe zone” is at least a meter radius.
8. It is useful to place a bright lamp above the object table, the switch of which would always be at hand. A lot of light is needed both for working with the product and for autofocusing the camera.
Tripod, camera and lens
1. Choosing a camera for product photography is a controversial issue. Many people use advanced digital point-and-shoot cameras for small objects because of the ability to view across the screen and the large depth of field (due to the small matrix). But the digital camera also creates limitations such as noise, most often the lack of the ability to shoot in RAW, poor color rendition and, most importantly, low dynamic range. As a result, there are flares in the highlights and poor image plasticity. The built-in optics of the soap dish are also not of high quality.
Full-frame DSLR cameras are also not the best solution. They are expensive, and at equal apertures and shooting scales their depth of field will be less than that of cropped ones - due to the size of the matrix and the reduction in image scale relative to the frame size.
Therefore, the optimal solution is most likely to use cropped SLR camera with a sensor from 10 megapixels.
2. Install a focusing screen with wedges in the camera - when shooting a subject it is convenient to use manual focusing, and such a screen will be very convenient.
Tilt-shift lenses deserve a separate discussion.
They allow you to tilt the sharpness zone parallel to the plane of the object in such a way that, with a relatively slight clamping of the aperture, you can get a sharp plane of the product, for example, a watch dial.
The disadvantage of tilt-shift glasses is that they are not essentially macro lenses, and to achieve large shooting scales you have to use extension rings, which reduces the aperture ratio of the optical system. In addition, tilt-shift optics, as a rule, are not designed for use at short focusing distances and in this case, unlike macro lenses, will not work in optimal mode. However, in my case Canon lens 90 TS-E with a set of extension rings from Kenko is the most common solution for small items.
Choosing light
For objects, two main types of lighting are used - constant and pulsed.
Constant light inexpensive, you can use available means in the form of tabletop halogen or energy-saving lamps. It is loved by beginners because it allows you to visually build a lighting scheme. But they also impose a number of significant restrictions. Firstly, this is the need for long shutter speeds, which slow down the filming process. At f16-22 apertures and especially when using polarizing filter exposures can be 15-20 seconds. In addition, long shutter speeds noticeably increase the amount of noise recorded by the matrix. Secondly, halogen lamps heat up, and both you and the product will be hot. And energy-saving lamps do not always have a continuous spectrum, which can negatively affect color rendering. Thirdly, shooting with constant light requires complete darkness of the entire shooting room, which is not always convenient and efficient. Fourthly, when adjusting the power, the spectral composition of the light changes (for example, incandescent lamps “turn yellow”).
Pulsed light is free from these disadvantages, eliminates the need for long exposures, does not heat the air, and has much more stable spectral characteristics when changing power.
Pulsed light can be used both in the form of monoblocks (studio flashes with a constant pilot light) and in the form of free-standing on-camera flashes. The latter option is inexpensive, but the flash power is usually low, and it is impossible to use studio attachments with them - softboxes, tubes, honeycombs, etc. That is, you will have to design your own devices both to diffuse the light and to secure the flash in the desired position. There are no such problems with monoblock studio flashes; there is a wide range of attachments and stands for them.
For studio flashes, it is rational to use a “crane” boom, which allows you to place a monoblock directly above the product, whereas a conventional vertical stand does not allow this.
When photographing objects, they usually use light-diffusing attachments - softboxes, which make it possible to obtain a light source of a large area and reflected in the surface of the product in the form of an even glare. As practice has shown, the optimal size of a softbox is 60x80 cm; it is equally suitable for any products smaller than 40-50 cm in size. To create more contrasting lighting with pronounced shadows, you can use smaller softboxes or strips (narrow softboxes).
In some cases, flashes without attachments or with tubes are used, creating hard, contrasting lighting with pronounced pinpoint highlights and clear shadows. They highlight the texture of the products well. They are usually used in combination with softboxes, reflectors and fill lights.
Milky white (“opal”) acrylic or other translucent plastic can be used as a diffuser for free-standing on-camera flashes. Thin tissue paper, white fabric and translucent vinyl and polyethylene, from which office folders are made, are good for this.
To reduce the cost of the process, many try to use umbrellas for light or reflection. I believe that umbrellas are only suitable for portrait photography, but are unsuitable for objects, since the reflexes they create have very specific form. In some cases, umbrellas can be used for fill light, but almost never for key, main light.
Selecting a background
As a rule, the customer himself determines what background the product will be photographed against. However, you must inform him that a subject shot on a white background after clipping will be very difficult to edit onto a dark background and vice versa.
If you need to get a gradient backdrop or a spot of light, you can use two methods:
First– this is illumination of the background by a directional source with a tube (or lens attachment).
Second– print the “light spot” on a sheet of paper and use this sheet as a background.
To get an evenly illuminated white backdrop, you can illuminate it both from the front side and from the back, directly. Keep in mind that in both cases the background will act as a separate light source and this will be reflected in the product itself. Therefore, in some cases it makes sense to block the light from the backdrop to the product using black nameplates.
We work with the product
When handling the item, wear lint-free gloves to avoid leaving marks.
How to secure the product?
If the customer provided branded stands or holders, use them. Use handy objects as stands.
Jewelry can be attached to the surface using a hot glue gun. This device costs 150-200 rubles, it can be found in any construction or hardware store. Buy the smallest one.
The operating procedure is as follows: prepare a clean product and a background for it, plug the gun into the mains, filling it with a glue stick. When the gun is hot, take the item in your left hand and the gun in your right. Gently squeeze a very small amount of hot glue onto the piece where it will be attached to the backdrop, and immediately place it on the backdrop and blow onto the joint. A thin thread of melted glue can be easily cut off with scissors. A little practice and everything will work out.
You should not drip glue onto the background itself - the drop will instantly cool down, since the contact area with the surface is large.
You need to remove the product with one careful but sharp movement - then the glue will come off without leaving marks on the background, and it will be easy to separate it from the product.
After installing the product on the background, blow it with a blower to get rid of accumulated dust. In general, try to blow off the dust before each frame.
Having placed the product on the background, set up a tripod and camera, frame it as needed and focus. Focus on the main semantic detail of the product (for example, in a watch it is the dial). If you use a tilt-shift lens, tilt the focusing plane in accordance with the plane of the product and the shooting angle, and then focus (when tilted, the focus point shifts).
Light scheme
Starting shooting, evaluate the product, think about its features, materials. If we take as an example wrist watch, note that they consist of several different materials With different types surfaces, each of which requires a special approach: polished metal requires an ideal glare shape, polished metal requires texture transfer. The dial also requires textured lighting, and the hands on it require uniform reflections. Leather belts also need to be lit correctly. In general, the customer usually makes special demands on precious stones. In my practice, I have encountered both the desire to show the rainbow play of light and the requirement to make diamonds colorless, but very contrasting.
When planning to photograph such objects, especially with the current development of post-processing, you should not try to necessarily cover all the disparate elements of the product in one single frame. Of course, the criterion of skill is the ability to shoot a product in one frame, but this is not always possible. So, when removing a watch, it is easier to separately expose the light to the case and separately to the dial or precious stones. Stitching these two frames together in Photoshop using masks will be easier than setting “universal” light in one frame.
When arranging your light, start with a simple single source layout. Resist the temptation to immediately use complex lighting schemes with multiple sources, add fixtures only when necessary. Place a large softbox, turn on the modeling lamp and observe the location of the reflections on the surface of the product.
Once the main highlight is in place, you need to place reflectors and/or other light sources to form the remaining highlights and fill in the dark areas.
There are two ways to create a beautiful gradient reflex.
First– use a softbox without an internal diffuser, which would cause a drop in brightness from the middle to the edges of the rectangle.
Second option– use metallized silver paper. Being curved even at a slight angle, such a reflector will create an even gradient highlight on the product. Metallized paper is available in sets of colored paper and cardboard, they can be purchased at stationery store. The multi-colored paper included in the set will also come in handy.
Form reflexes on the product by placing reflectors around it in different places and at different angles, taking test shots along the way.
Using a traditional exposure meter when working with a small object is difficult due to the small size of the scene - it is difficult to take into account reflections on mirror surfaces. Therefore, when using digital technologies The easiest way to navigate is with a histogram. Avoid flare, even in highlights - it will be difficult to remove them later. If you have trouble, do exposure bracketing.
It is convenient to connect the camera to a computer and evaluate the results of test frames directly on the monitor.
In some cases, the product can be additionally illuminated with a “naked” flash from the side; it will allow you to work out the texture of metal and precious stones and create contrasting, “live” shadows.
As for precious stones, a separate frame is usually taken for them.
The main task when photographing stones, as a rule, is to convey the “play of light”. The difficulty is that we see this shine “alive” due to binocular vision and small movements of the eyes and head relative to the product. It is much more difficult to convey this effect in a static frame.
- When working with constant light, they often use two LED flashlights, placing them on the sides of the camera and shining on the product. The more LEDs in the flashlight, the more individual “sparkles” there will be in the stone.
- For flash lighting, use a small on-camera flash (or two), placing it on the sides of the camera or above the product. In some cases, you can try using the built-in flash.
The “play of light” can be achieved in another way. When illuminating the product with a softbox, place small sheets of colored paper on the sides - for example, blue and yellow, which will give the effect of “rainbow” refraction.
Subsequently, when processing in Photoshop, the stones can always be contrasted and added saturation, or, on the contrary, discolored. An Unsharp mask with a large radius works well, applied selectively over the mask only on stones.
When shooting with multiple light sources, be especially careful - avoid double shadows and monitor the brightness ratio so as not to kill the volume of the product.
Let's talk separately about depth of field
The limits of sharpness and its priorities must be discussed with the customer. When shooting jewelry It is very difficult to place the entire object in the depth of field, and the customer must be informed about this. Sometimes it makes more sense to emphasize only one part of the product with sharpness, rather than clamping the aperture to the maximum value and ultimately losing quality due to the phenomenon of diffraction, which reduces the overall sharpness and contrast of the image with tightly clamped apertures. Typically, this phenomenon begins at aperture values of f16 and above (although it varies greatly depending on the specific lens and camera).
There are few photographic practices that predate still life photography. When photography was in its infancy, long exposures were a necessity, so static objects were the ideal subject. However, with the development of technology, the appeal of product photography has not faded, and to this day this direction is one of the most viable professions in the field of photography.
First, it is very profitable business, because magazines, catalogs and websites are in need of product shots. There are many benefits to still life photography that are often underappreciated, so I hope you can see the creativity in it and start making these pictures yourself!
1. Where to start
Contrary to popular belief, you don't need a studio or any special place to work with product photography. You can start by using a space in your home, such as a table by the window, along with a simple backdrop and a couple of light bulbs.
This is very different from landscape or portrait photography, where you have a subject like a model or a stunning mountain view, which involves a lot of variables, but the creative content is right in front of you.
With product photography, there are far fewer variables and you as the photographer are in complete control of the situation, including the subject, but you have to think extremely creatively to capture it in an interesting and compelling way.
2. Selecting an object
The choice of subject to photograph is entirely up to you. Look around the house to see if you can find something simple but interesting to start with. Please don't feel like you have to shoot fruit or flowers just because everyone else is doing it, think outside the box without being overly ambitious.
If something catches your eye while you're walking, take it home (don't steal it!), or just make a mental note to try photographing it in the context of a still life. Try to avoid reflective surfaces such as glass or metal at first, as they are extremely difficult to work with in terms of lighting. Once you've mastered shooting with one object, try combining it with something else, combining objects with contrasting shapes, colors, textures, and see what happens.
3. Lighting
Lighting doesn't have to be expensive, at least I know it's in my budget. studio light doesn't fit, so for product photography I need to use whatever I can get my hands on. Remember that you are in complete control of the shoot, so if you want, find a room where you can block out all natural light with curtains and blinds - this way you have complete control over the lighting of your subject.
Using standard lamps may serve you well good service if done effectively. Be sure to try positioning them differently, not all the light should fall on the front of the subject, side and back lighting will add interest, shadows and depth to the photo. Or you can choose a room that has plenty of light from windows and take advantage of it. Natural light on one side will completely illuminate your object, and you can complement it with a lamp or reflector.
4. Tripods and corners
Depending on the lighting conditions, you may or may not need a tripod and cable. I would recommend using them, because... they will allow you to observe and work with the plot. Also thanks to this set you will be able to choose a little more long exposure than usual to set your aperture narrower - this way your image will be in focus from foreground to background if you so choose.
However, don't let a static camera stifle your creativity; keeping your camera in the same position for the entire shoot quickly becomes a thing of the past. Vary the angles and heights from which you shoot. Otherwise, before you know it, you will have a whole collection of frames taken from the same point with slight variations. Try shooting from the subject's level or from a bird's eye view, looking down at the subject, but if you're moving around, make sure your shadow doesn't fall on the subject!
5. Choose the right background
The right background for your subject will play a decisive role in the overall success of your photos. It's best to keep it nice and simple so it doesn't become a nuisance. An evenly colored wall or a large sheet of white or plain paper will work perfectly.
Think about how the background you choose contrasts with the subject, whether you want to use a neutral background or shades that can complement the colors of your subject. For smaller objects, you may not need a background as such, but will instead need a surface to place them on, for which something like black velvet is great as it absorbs light and looks like a solid black surface.
6. Composition of the shot
Composition in your still life is truly key to ensuring your work is attractive and unique. Consider the rule of thirds and how it can be applied to your photography to create a strong composition. Make sure there are no distracting elements in the frame, just the subject and background.
Change your composition as you shoot and think outside the box. How does the eye move across the image? Do you use negative space or maybe you should try filling the frame? Work with the object, what are its defining features? What is it used for? Should you show it in context or does it function as a standalone object?
7. Spend all day on it.
I often find that my mindset during a shoot depends on the goals of the shoot. So, if I'm just taking photos for fun or for myself (as opposed to working for someone else), I'm less strict about making sure that all aspects of the shoot are covered as fully as possible.
This is obviously a bad habit that I try to break, and when it comes to product photography, there is no reason to do anything wrong. You have all the time you need to do the job well!
Unlike landscape photography, the light doesn't change quickly, and unlike portrait photography, your subject won't become bored by remaining still for long periods of time. Take advantage of this, set up your subject, lighting, background and camera, shoot a few test shots, move things around a bit and take your next go.
If you get to the point where you feel like things aren't quite going your way, you can just leave it as is, make yourself a cup of tea and come back to the shoot later, refreshed.
Another advantage is that everything is in your hands to get clear and sharp photos. So aside from making excuses about bad shots, take the time to get the lighting right.
It would be great luck to get a macro lens, it is ideal for this kind of work. If you don't have it, try using the macro mode in your camera, this will give you a better chance of capturing close-up details of your object.
8. Inspired by the Masters
Stuck with lighting, composition or structuring your shots? Then you need inspiration. What could be better than the true masterpieces of yesteryear. Search the Internet for artists who painted still lifes during the Renaissance and examine elements of their creations.
Studying these paintings will help you think about shape, shades, and color combinations, and hopefully give you some ideas about how you can arrange your photographic work to create strong, compelling images.
9. Now it's your turn!
Now is your time to take a step. Find a free day in your schedule and leave time for practice. Try setting up your camera and background near a suitable light source near a window and click away!
Once you've mastered the basics, get creative and experiment with angles, lighting direction, and alternative light sources like candles and lamps. You can even try getting creative with your aperture and using an f/1.8 prime to achieve an artistic shallow depth of field.
Another important tip: you don’t have to use fruits and flowers to shoot still lifes! So find an interesting and inspiring story that resonates with you and start shooting!
10. Earn a living?
Product photography is in great demand, especially now that it is so easy to transfer images to photo library libraries, which are accessed by magazines, business publications and those who are looking for pictures to create online content.
Once you have your photos, don't be afraid to post them online, you can even try using PhotoDune Envato. So every time you set up a shoot, work like you're on a mission, because you never know if your still life might make you a few bucks in passing!
Although these tips are written primarily for product photography, you can use them for several other genres. We'll talk about the actual shooting. I'll show you how to set up your shoot and list some tips I've collected over the years of use.
Preparation
I start almost every shoot by turning on the lights. These include lights behind and below my stage so that the surface is illuminated (see photo above).
I have one of my Spiderlite TD6 flashes placed above the table and pointed straight down. This helps illuminate the top of the product and remove shadows caused by the backlit table. My second TD6 light is the one that moves around my work surface. This is my main light source because it is set brighter than the others and it controls the main direction of the light.
The settings for my lights will be slightly different from what you need, but this is a good starting point. The TD6 flash on top is set to 30% power. Two Flashpoints under the table set at 50% power. I have two small fluorescent softboxes at my desk on full blast. My main TD6 usually has 66% power (two switches on).
This setup usually works for all my clients who need photos taken for their Amazon, Ebay, Etsy stores or online business directories. You need to understand that the lights are not all the same, and if you mix different daylight fluorescent lights, the colors in your photos may be distorted.
Setting White Balance
To prevent this problem, purchase an Xrite palette. Create a custom profile for your camera using your light sources to ensure accurate colors.
Setting the Exposure
For my camera, I have one of my custom settings pre-programmed and ready to go, so I just switch to the C2 and I'm ready to shoot in a second. My C2 settings are fixed for manual mode at f/16 and 1/6th second, highlight indicator and square cropping are on. If I need a little more highlight on a white table, I'll increase the shutter speed, or if any highlights appear on the product itself, I can make the shutter speed faster.
I also find that manual focus is much faster in this situation. Finding the focus point takes time, especially when you're shooting 20+ products from 4+ angles. With a quick click of a button on the back of the camera I can enter Live mode View, zoom in and get the exact focus I'd like. I shoot with a highlight indicator so that when the image appears on the screen, anything that is overexposed will appear black.
This way I can tell if I got the proper exposure. The histogram doesn't help much here since it will always be clustered on the right because I'm intentionally overexposing the background. I also set the camera to crop the image to a square, as this is usually the only format my clients want for this style of photography.
Making a platform
If you leave them unrolled, you will end up with black streaks reflecting on your product. The next thing I did was buy a sheet of clear acrylic from Lowes that was a quarter inch thick and measured 18×24". It cost me about $20. I place this acrylic on top of the packaged boxes, which raise the shooting surface by seven inches.
This allows the table to be overexposed, but due to the fall of the light, it prevents the product from being overly illuminated from below. I also wrapped two other small boxes of different sizes in white paper. I use them quite often as reflectors.
You can place an object
Now that we've got the lights set up and the camera set up and talked about highlights and surface lift, let's do the actual shooting. We'll make it easier and start with something simple. Let's take a photo of an ordinary mug.
I placed the mug right in the center of the acrylic. The overhead light is directly above the mug, pointing downwards. The other TD6 is at a 90-degree angle, illuminating the mug to the right of the camera.
The resulting image will be 95% ready for publication on the web, almost straight from the camera. There are a few things you might want to add, such as more white reflection or narrowing the dark gap. But to be honest, he's ready just the way he is. I said this is not an easy topic, so let's move on to something more complex, shall we?
Let's choose a more complex object
The next thing we'll try to do is something that a lot of photographers struggle with; white object on a white background. Since we have a blown-out surface and we control the amount of light that hits the subject, it's actually not difficult to get great results.
Let's start with the same lighting. One light directly above the subject and another light at a 90 degree angle to the right of the camera. Straight from the camera we can see that we did a good job.
There is no overexposure on the subject, but the background is completely white. However, there is not enough volume. So let's move the right light so that instead of being 90 degrees, it's 45 degrees. Now the light will hit the front panel of this USB hub. Bingo.
Now we have the main edges highlighted, which helps give the device shape and dimension. It's very close, but we can still do a little better. Let's add one of those white wrapped boxes we made earlier to the shadowed side and reflect some of our key light back onto the product.
Now we have a light shadow fill and it works well for this product. Yes, we could get obsessed with further details and subtleties, but remember this is a quick shoot. We try to change products quickly.
Shooting reflective surfaces
For our final demonstration, let's take a reflective surface. Leaving the light exactly the same as for the previous shot (again, because it's speed), I'll remove white box, which acts as a fill and I'll take a photo of this RCA adapter.
Once again the shot straight out of the camera looks pretty good. You can see the red reflected on the shadowed side in the bottom left corner, which is coming from the red bag outside the frame, and there's a really dark streak on the left/center side. Let's clear these two things and try again. I'll remove the red bag and place the smaller white box fairly close to the adapter.
These two changes greatly affected the photo. Let's try to clean it up a little more. The reason for the black line is that it reflects the much darker room behind the camera. Using the angle of incidence, I will use my large white box just below my lens and bounce the light back onto the subject.
Here it is! A perfectly acceptable shot for an online catalogue. The RCA adapter is fully illuminated, no harsh black lines, fully White background, and it is already inscribed in the square due to the camera settings. This image is ready to go.
Bottom line
The reason I built this system is speed. If you're trying to photograph 100 products a day, you can do it with this system. I know because I did it.
Of course, there is a third and final part of the process, and that is editing using your favorite software.
I use Lightroom and this really works for subject photography. You need to catalog all of your client's images, track part numbers, export them to BOMs, and eliminate shooting errors in a short amount of time.
An online store that would like to stop inviting third-party photographers for catalog product photography will have to independently master the basics of product photography for websites.
For them, I have compiled a kind of instruction, with the help of which even a person who is not very knowledgeable in photography will be able to carry out catalog product photography on the website of an online store.
Have you read it? Well, then let's go!
Step 1.
Refer to your camera manual for instructions on how to configure the following settings:
Shutter speed
Aperture
Light sensitivity (ISO)
White balance
Selecting a focus point (if it is designed for design).
Unfortunately, in this matter, camera manufacturers are simply showing rare ingenuity, offering original solutions on almost every new camera. I shot on 6 different cameras. And there was not a single case where the controls on two machines were the same.
In addition, before shooting, you will need to make several desirable settings, which then you can not change (they are not supported by all cameras; so if you do not know how to make these settings, it’s okay, especially since all of them are not critical).
Turn off the camera or lens stabilizer;
Turn on single-frame focusing mode;
Make sure it works auto mode focusing;
Turn off the built-in flash;
Turn off dynamic range mode.
Step2.
Mount the camera on a tripod.
Step3.
Select the appropriate lens focal length. It should be in the range of 50-100 mm in 35 mm equivalent. But in principle, it’s enough just to set the ZOOM somewhere in the middle position.
Step4.
Turn on all the lights and set the correct white balance if necessary. Most photos actually do this pretty well automatically. Therefore, if you do not have serious complaints about the camera’s color reproduction, you can safely not worry about this issue. If you don’t like something, you still have to adjust the balance. In this case, remember that the adjustment will only be valid in the light in which it was made. Even the simplest movement of the device can lead to the need to re-determine the balance. This is done like this (I describe the principle, but in practice it can be done differently on different cameras). Take a picture of a white background in the entire frame. And in some way described in the instructions, you tell the camera that it is this frame that will be the standard for white color.
Step5.
If you are shooting on a stage, make sure the background is white. General principle was described in the article Catalog photography for online stores: how to shoot items for websites and catalogs. Now let's talk about how to adjust exposure.
This word usually denotes a set of settings responsible for the brightness of the image. There are three such settings, and each of them, in addition to brightness, affects some other parameters.
Excerpt
The first one is endurance.
It is not difficult to regulate, but there is one point that causes confusion. Shutter speed is how long the camera shutter opens at the time of shooting. The longer it is open, the more light hits the sensors and, accordingly, the brighter the picture. This is where the confusion lies. In most cases, the shutter opening time (and therefore the shutter speed) is measured in fractions of a second: 1/60, 1/125, etc. This shutter speed is set by photographers in the vast majority of cases. Therefore, not only among photographers in everyday speech, but even among some camera manufacturers, when talking about shutter speed, it is customary to omit the fact that it is a fraction. They name only one denominator: shutter speed 125, shutter speed 60. But the trouble is that sometimes you still have to leave the shutter open for a few seconds. Therefore, the words "shutter speed 15" can mean either a shutter speed of 1/15 second or a shutter speed of 15 seconds. There will be no problems in colloquial speech - you can always explain it in words. But what if the camera settings indicate 15?
To avoid confusion, it is important to know which shutter speed designation system is used on your camera. There may be only two of them. You can find out which one you use by looking at the instructions.
1 option
Shutter speeds shorter than one second are designated by simple numbers - 30, 60, 125. In order not to confuse them with shutter speeds longer than one second, next to the latter they put some kind of conventional sign - an asterisk, one or two apostrophes, etc. What exactly - again you need to look according to the instructions.
If you have this designation, then when adjusting the exposure you should be guided by the following rule: to make a photo lighter, you need to increase the numbers with an apostrophe or asterisk and, conversely, decrease the numbers without asterisks. Moreover, any exposure with an asterisk is always “lighter” than any exposure without an asterisk.
Option 2
Shutter speeds shorter than one second are indicated by fractions - 1/30, 1/60, 1/125. And shutter speeds longer than a second are in whole numbers. In this case, in order to make the photo lighter, you need to set the shutter speed with a lower denominator value (that is, the number that is under the fraction sign or to the right of it); if the shutter speed is indicated by a number, then a lighter frame will be obtained at the shutter speed indicated by a larger number. An exposure “without a shot” is always “lighter” than any exposure with a shot.
Attention!
At the same time, you need to know a couple more nuances.
If you are shooting with flash
If you're shooting with flash, you shouldn't set the shutter speed faster ("darker") than a certain level. This level is specified for each camera. It's called "Sync Speed". It is very easy to see that you have gone beyond the threshold value - when shooting with flash, you will end up with a half-black frame. If this happens, do not throw away the camera - there is nothing wrong with it. Just adjust the shutter speed towards lightening. Typically, the threshold values are 160 (that is, 1/160) or 200 (1/200). As I already said, this value depends on the camera and is set by its manufacturer.
When shooting handheld
Second. I assume that you will be photographing objects from a tripod. If still not, remember, you cannot make the shutter speed longer (that is, change it towards lightening) of a certain level. If you overdo it, you will most likely end up with blurry shots. On many compact cameras crossing this threshold leads to the appearance of a warning signal on the screen (what kind, again, you need to look in the instructions: it will be called “Out-of-sharp frame warning” or something similar. Usually information about this option is contained in the “Exposure” section of the instructions). If it lights up (and usually also blinks) on the screen, change the shutter speed in the “darken” direction until the warning disappears. If there is no such warning, this limit can be calculated. You can read more about how to do this in the article Sharp photography - how to do it.
Shutter Limits
In any case, I would not recommend going beyond the area where excerpts with asterisks or whole numbers instead of fractions begin. If you get to this level and the frame is still dark, try changing the other two settings that control light.
Diaphragm
With aperture everything is much simpler. It is indicated by numbers from 1 to 16, 22, 32, etc. - the extreme value depends on the lens or camera. The higher the aperture, the darker the frame; the lower, the lighter. And everything would be very good if not for one “but” - this parameter is closely related to several other characteristics that determine the quality of the image. Therefore, without going into details, I will simply recommend keeping it in the range from 4 to 11.
ISO
ISO - light sensitivity. It is measured in multiples of 10, from 100 (on some cameras from 50 or 200) and sometimes up to almost unlimited values. The logic is also simple - the higher the ISO, the brighter the frame. But even here there was a catch. As photosensitivity increases, noise quickly begins to increase—something like strong graininess, which, when limit values can practically ruin a photo. Moreover, a high noise level is one of the main disadvantages of inexpensive cameras. But this shouldn’t scare you too much. Photos for an online store website are made very small. And when the image size is reduced, the noise disappears. To make a 450x300 frame noisy, you need to try hard. How? And set ISO 25000. Noise is guaranteed. If you want to avoid them, I would not recommend raising the ISO above 6400.
How to set up a camera
Now - how to understand in which case which installation to make. The recommendations are:
Step 1
Finally, put the camera on a tripod! Put? So that's great. Let's move on.
Step2
If the camera is on a tripod, you can fearlessly shift the shutter speed to the “light” side. Moreover, if you also shoot with constant light, then there will be no restrictions in the other, “dark” direction. Thus, shutter speed becomes one of the most “free” parameters that you can adjust to suit any of your needs. The same cannot be said about the diaphragm. It is advisable to keep it in the range indicated above (4-11), and the higher the value it receives within this range, the better. With ISO it’s a different story. On the one hand, the smaller it is, the less noise, but at the same time, specifically for catalog photography for an online store, its increase is not so critical. Therefore, if necessary, the ISO can be shifted up (until visible noise (grain) appears on the reduced photo, or a pronounced deterioration in the quality of the photo appears (it becomes unsharp and “loose” - the result of the camera’s built-in noise reduction).
Based on all this, I would advise you to start setting up your camera by setting the aperture.
Step3.
Next, I propose a simple and leisurely way to set up a camera using trial and error. Start by setting your camera screen to maximum brightness. In addition, on most cameras you can turn on a mode for displaying photos with highlighting overexposed and underexposed areas - in this mode, if there are too bright or too dark areas in the photo, they will blink in black or some other color. Then set the aperture value to 8. Then set the shutter speed to, well, let it be 20 (1/20). ISO - let it be 100. Look at the screen (if you do not use a flash) or take a photo and then look at the screen anyway (this is if you do use it). Dark? Light?
But a histogram is not a simple tool. Therefore, for those who do not get comfortable with it, I would suggest that they still learn to determine the brightness on the screen of their camera. To do this, you need to set its glow to maximum power, take several pictures that seem bright enough to you, and then display them on the computer screen. If the photos on your computer look as bright as those on the camera screen, you can completely trust the screen. If they turn out to be darker, make the exposure brighter and ensure that the photo turns out normal on the computer. Try to remember what such a photograph looks like on the camera screen. And subsequently, when setting the exposure, achieve the same effect....
...So, look at the screen. Let's say that at this exposure the photo turned out to be very dark. Change the shutter speed towards the light. Up to 4 (1/4). Is it still dark? Increase ISO. Until the photo is bright enough. At the same time, make sure that there are no highlights on the subject itself (so that it does not blink with a black light when the mode for highlighting overexposed areas is turned on). As soon as they appear, reduce the brightness with any in a convenient way one step - for example, reduce the ISO a little. On the contrary, background illumination is welcome - for catalog photography on an online store website, a white background is exactly what you should strive for.
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