We all read reviews of the most diverse 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 illustrations become one of the main problems when writing a review. In computer magazines, there is a photographer on staff with special lighting and photographic equipment for this purpose. I will add: as well as with their secrets, allowing you to put the shooting of objects on stream and have a predictable and high-quality result at the output.
If the author makes illustrations for own article on their 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, he is unaware of some of the nuances and techniques that can greatly simplify the process and improve quality. The result of unsuccessful photo shoots is a mass of good, in fact, reviews (usually online), ruined by frankly unsuccessful illustrations. Below we will consider the methodology and techniques of work that allow you to do subject shooting at home almost professional quality. If you already have a DTF and a tripod, then the budget for finalizing the mini-studio will be about $ 30.
Initial data
Here are 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 a reflective coating (40 rubles / piece)
- seven sheets of drawing paper A1 (8 rubles / piece)
As you can see, the last three points, of which the lighting part itself consists, cost less than 1000 rubles in total. In addition to the above tools and accessories important part of our complex is a computer table, which acts as a kind of frame. Here's what it looks like before starting work:
We put the light
After you have cleared the table of a pile of undoubtedly necessary junk, filling up the corner of the room, the most important thing begins. The whole idea in this case is to get uniform shadowless lighting. Four sheets of whatman paper will help us with this, which we will put as follows:
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By the way, the attentive reader must have noticed that at first it was about seven sheets of drawing paper, while so far we have used only four. Everything is very simple: we put two more sheets under the lamps themselves and one under the central curved sheet in order to eliminate the reflections and translucence of the yellow surface of the countertop.
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Now you can set up your tripod and start shooting:
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We are 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 + usability)/price
for these purposes are non-mirror digital cameras(the 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
- the ability to sight in the process of shooting on the LCD screen
Canon's PowerShot G3/G5/G6/Pro1 series (cameras listed in ascending order of price and quality) looks like a very good choice for the specific tasks of subject photography. Here is a list of their advantages over most competitors:
- 2-axis rotatable display, which is convenient to shoot from any position, for example, vertically oriented shots
- orientation sensor that allows you to automatically flip vertical frames when jumping through the standard software ZoomBrowser EX
- remote control included, replacing the cable release
- focus bracketing, which allows you to expand the depth of field by gluing several frames
- 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 SLR technology can challenge some of the arguments, saying, for example, that a similar depth of field on SLRs can be achieved by clamping the aperture to values of the order of f32, while f8 is the limit for most digital compacts. This attack can be countered by the fact that with similar apertures and frankly low lighting used by us (300 W), shutter speeds can reach ten seconds. Accordingly, you can shoot only completely stationary 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 at the time of shooting on a rotary screen (an assistant is required). In addition, a digital SLR with optics of the appropriate class (sharpness, range of focal lengths) costs much more than a compact. Of course, potentially the mirror technique makes it possible to achieve more High Quality images, but in this case, the well-known saying "from a cannon to sparrows" comes to mind: for online publications and not very large illustrations in magazines, the quality of a good "digital soapbox" is more than enough.
So, let's try, as an example, to take a high-quality picture of a cell phone that is at hand. On the Canon camera The PowerShot G5 has the following settings:
- aperture priority mode Av
- f8 aperture for maximum depth of field
- focal length 140mm (maximum zoom) for reduced perspective distortion
- RAW file format
- paper white balance
- center-weighted metering
- positive exposure compensation +1EV
- descent from the remote control
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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, by the white point. By saving the files as 48-bit TIFF, you can tinker with the 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 completely unreadable. Let's try to rectify the situation, because we have at our disposal the "magic" RAW format.
Let's take picture 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 it is not a shame to put such an illustration on public display. However, a picky critic will notice that the front panel is not well lit, and the glossy oval call/end buttons and joystick pommel 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: transform the screen rectangle in place with the Skew command and overlay one layer on another using the Overlay method to leave the glare of the protective glass, which increases the reliability:
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 filming. Another hour - image processing on the computer. As it seems to the author, the game is quite worth the candle, 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 tips described in their articles are not theoretical conjectures, but proven in practice, "working" techniques. Those tricks that really help in the work. And it is in practical use that the main value of these materials is.
Recently, on one of the photo forums, we came across an excellent article by Dmitry Novak about photographing objects - "FAQ on shooting a small object". And with the permission of the author, we publish this article on our website.
Small Object Shooting FAQ
We accept orders for work
1. Arriving at the customer's store, look at how the products are displayed in the windows - and do not hesitate to ask the customer to supply you with branded display or exhibition stands, lodgements for products. The original packaging may also contain all kinds of holders that can be used when shooting.
2. Always ask the customer for pre-production preparation. If it is jewelry, it must be absolutely clean. Jewelers have their own cleaning and polishing products and their own craftsmen who can remove small scratches and defects from jewelry, and you do not have to mess with Photoshop later. Ask to pack products in individual bags.
3. When taking 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 them to instruct you on how to set the time on each specific watch model. On "fancy" chronometers, this process can be very non-trivial.
4. Always ask the customer for examples that you should be guided by when shooting. They can be found in magazines and online catalogs.
5. A prerequisite for accepting products for shooting is a receipt and an invoice. Check the list of products and what you were actually given to work - they can substitute!
6. When discussing the timing of the order, increase the estimated lead time by 1-2 days. Anything can happen in life, and it is always better to please the customer with the delivery of work before the agreed deadline than to delay the order.
7. It is better to go to the customer together with a reliable person, presenting him as an assistant. It will also be insurance against crime on the way home.
8. Don't dump. Serious dumping always turns against you and your colleagues sooner or later. Even if your qualifications are not high, you can always outsource the task to a more experienced photographer, taking the difference in price. But if you sell too cheap, 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 in the end as an agent. If you are forced to lower the price, advertise it as a discount or " special conditions". This will not allow the customer to "sit on your neck."
We organize a workplace
1. It is a common misconception that the light cube is very convenient for shooting a large number of subjects. 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 frame that lowers the bar for shooting quality. Lightcube is a cheap solution for one day, and if you develop as a professional, you will very quickly realize that it's time to organize a more complete workplace for high-quality, creative shooting.
2. Industrial-made object tables are also often not the best solution. Most serious subject photographers use their own experience in arranging the workplace, based on the specifics of products and equipment.
3. Starting to deal with the subject, purchase sheets of plexiglass (acrylic) or polystyrene of different colors and textures. Mandatory in the set should be milky white glossy and mirror black plastic. Buy a few sheets, it will not be superfluous - they are scratched!
Plastic and plexiglass can be purchased at wholesale warehouses of organizations selling industrial products and building materials.
Go to the site www.orgsteklo.ru, where you can find a phone number, contact the workshop, where you will be cut the right amount. Be prepared for the fact that you will only be sold a whole sheet (2x3 meters for example). Take fellow photographers with you and share the purchase with them.
Do not buy thick plastic - it's overweight and of no practical use. The optimal thickness is 3mm (the so-called "three-ruble note"). Do not forget to dig into the scraps - among them you can find a lot of future reflective nameplates or material for coasters, etc.
4. Many photographers shoot products on ordinary glass, placing colored paper under it. But the reflections of the products will look terrible - do not forget that the glass reflects both the outer and inner surfaces, and the picture will clearly double.
Therefore, use glass only when you want to "hang" the product in the "air" at some distance above the background.
5. Glass mirrors are of little use for shooting products with a clear reflection - they, like any glass, give double reflections. In this case, it is good to use polished metal. For these purposes, steel plates from the glosser are excellent.
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 is even more convenient when the tabletop is swivel.
Calculate the optimal height of the table 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 level of the tabletop, but at the same time low enough so that you can shoot products from above, “overhanging » camera.
7. There should be room around the shooting area. A “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 the autofocus of the camera.
Tripod, camera and lens
1. Choosing a camera for subject shooting is an ambiguous question. Many people use advanced digital cameras for small objects - because of the possibility of sighting on the screen and a large depth of field (since the matrix is small). But the digital camera also generates such limitations as noise, most often the lack of the ability to shoot in RAW, poor color reproduction and, most importantly, a small dynamic range. As a result - flare on the glare, poor plasticity of the image. The built-in optics of the soap dish is also not of high quality.
Full-frame SLR cameras are also not the best solution. They are expensive, and the depth of field at equal apertures and shooting scales will be less for them than for cropped ones - due to the size of the matrix and the reduction in the image scale relative to the frame size.
Therefore, the best solution is likely to be the use of cropped reflex 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 focus, 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 diaphragm, 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 in order to achieve large-scale shooting, 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, they will not work in the optimal mode. However, in my case canon lens 90 TS-E with kenko extension ring set is the most common solution for small items.
Choose the light
For the subject, two main types of lighting are used - constant and pulsed.
constant light inexpensive, you can use improvised means in the form of table halogen or energy-saving lamps. It is loved by beginners because it allows you to visually build a light scheme. But they also impose a number of significant limitations. Firstly, this is the need for long exposures, which slow down the shooting process. At apertures f16-22 and especially when using polarizing filter shutter speeds can be 15-20 seconds. In addition, slow shutter speeds significantly increase the amount of noise recorded by the matrix. Secondly, halogen lamps heat up, it will be hot for both you and the products. And energy-saving lamps do not always have a continuous spectrum, which can adversely affect color reproduction. Thirdly, shooting with constant light involves the complete darkening of the entire filming room, which is not always convenient and efficient. Fourthly, when the power is adjusted, the spectral composition of the light changes (for example, incandescent lamps “turn yellow”).
pulsed light free from these shortcomings, allows you to abandon 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 constant pilot light) and in the form of stand-alone on-camera flashes. The latter option is inexpensive, but the power of the flashes 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 for scattering light and for fixing 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” rod, which allows you to place a monoblock directly above the product, while a conventional vertical stand does not allow this.
When shooting subject matter, light-scattering attachments are usually used - softboxes, which allow you to get a large area light source 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 well suited 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 also used, creating hard, contrasting lighting with pronounced point highlights and clear shadows. They well emphasize the invoice of products. 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 cloth and translucent vinyl and polyethylene, from which stationery folders are made, are well suited for this.
To reduce the cost of the process, many try to use umbrellas in the light or reflection. I think umbrellas are only suitable for portrait photography, and are unsuitable for the object, since the reflexes they create are very specific form. In some cases, umbrellas can be used for fill light, but almost never for key light.
Background selection
As a rule, the customer himself determines on what background to shoot the product. However, you must inform him that an object shot on a white background after clipping will be very difficult to mount on a dark background and vice versa.
If you need to get a gradient background or light spot, you can use two methods:
First- this is background illumination by a directional source with a tube (or lens attachment).
Second- print a "light spot" on a sheet of paper and use this sheet as a background.
To get a uniformly lit white backdrop, you can illuminate it both from the front side and from the back side, through the light. 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 back to the product with black nameplates.
We work with the product
When handling the item, wear lint-free gloves to avoid leaving marks.
How to fix the product?
If the customer provided branded stands or holders, use them. Use available items as coasters.
Jewelry can be attached to the surface with a hot glue gun. This device costs 150-200 rubles, it can be found in any hardware or hardware store. Buy the smallest one.
The order of work is as follows: prepare a clean product and a background for it, plug the gun into the network, filling it with a glue stick. When the gun warms up, take the product 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 background, and immediately place it on the background and blow on the connection. A thin thread of melted glue can be easily cut off with scissors. A little practice and everything will work out.
Do not drip glue onto the background itself - the drop will instantly cool down, since the area of contact with the surface is large.
You need to remove the product with one neat, but sharp movement - then the glue will move away without leaving marks on the background, and it will not be difficult to separate it from the product.
After mounting the product on the background, blow it with a pear to get rid of the accumulated dust. In general, try to blow off the dust before each frame.
With the product in front of the background, set up a tripod and camera, frame as needed and focus. Focus on the main semantic detail of the product (for example, in a watch it is a dial). If you use a tilt-shift lens, tilt the plane of focus according to the plane of the product and the shooting angle, and only 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 form of glare, polished metal - the transfer of texture. The dial also requires textured lighting, and the hands on it need 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 came across both the desire to show the iridescent play of light, and the requirement to make diamonds colorless, but very contrasting.
When planning to shoot such objects, especially with the current development of post-processing, you should not necessarily try to illuminate all the heterogeneous elements of the product in one single frame. Of course, the criterion of skill is the ability to remove the product in one frame, but this is not always possible. So, when removing the watch, it is easier to set the light separately on the case and separately on the dial or precious stones. Merging these two frames in Photoshop using masks will be easier than setting the "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 reflexes on the surface of the product.
Once the main highlight is in place, place reflectors and/or other lights to form the rest of the 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 give a drop in brightness from the middle to the edges of the rectangle.
Second option– use metallized silver paper. Being curved even at a small 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 bought at stationery store. The multi-colored paper included in the set will also come in handy.
Form reflections on the product by placing reflectors around it in different places and at different angles, making test shots along the way.
The use of 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 the histogram. Avoid highlights even in glare - then they will be difficult to remove. If you're having trouble, do exposure bracketing.
It is convenient to connect the camera to a computer and evaluate the results of test shots 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 made for them.
The main task when shooting stones, as a rule, is to convey the "play of light". The difficulty lies in the fact that we see this shine "alive" due to binocular vision and small movements of the eyes and head relative to the product. To convey this effect in a static frame is much more difficult.
- When working with constant light, two LED flashlights are often used, placing them on the sides of the camera and shining on the product. The more LEDs in the flashlight, the more individual "sparkles" will be in the stone.
- In pulsed lighting, a small on-camera flash (or two) is used, placing it on the sides of the camera or above the product. In some cases, you can try using the built-in flash.
"Plays 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 to saturation, or, on the contrary, discolored. Unsharp mask works well with a large radius, applied selectively on the mask only on stones.
When shooting with multiple light sources, be especially careful - avoid double shadows and keep an eye on the brightness ratio so as not to kill the volume of the product.
Let's talk separately about the IPIG
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 IPIG, and the customer must be informed about this. Sometimes it is more reasonable to emphasize only one part of the product with sharpness, rather than clamping the aperture to the maximum value and, as a result, losing quality due to diffraction, which reduces the overall sharpness and contrast of the image with tightly clamped apertures. As a rule, this phenomenon begins at aperture values of f16 and more (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 subjects were the perfect subject. However, with the development of technology, the attractiveness 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 as magazines, catalogs and websites are in need of product shots. There are many benefits to still life photography that are often underestimated, so I hope you can see the scope for creativity in this and start taking 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 space at home, such as a table by the window, complete with a simple backdrop and a couple of light bulbs.
This direction 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 there in front of you.
In the case of product photography, there are far fewer variables and you as a photographer are in complete control of the situation, including the subject, but you need to think extremely creatively in order to capture it in an interesting and attractive way.
2. Selecting an object
The choice of subject for shooting is entirely up to you. Look around the house, maybe you can find something simple but interesting to start with. Please don't feel like you have to shoot fruits or flowers just because everyone else does, think outside the box without being overly ambitious.
If something catches your eye while you're walking around, take it home (don't steal!), or just make a note to yourself to try and photograph it in a still life context. Try to avoid reflective surfaces like glass or metal at first, as they are extremely difficult to work with in terms of lighting. Once you've mastered single-subject shots, try blending it with something, 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 within my budget studio light doesn't fit in, so I need to use everything I can get my hands on for product shots. Remember that you are in complete control of the shoot, so if you want, find a room where you can block out all the natural light with curtains and blinds so you have full control over the subject's lighting.
Using standard lamps can serve you good service if done effectively. Be sure to try to position them in different ways, not all the light should fall on the front of the subject, side and back lighting will add interest, shadows and depth to the picture. Or you can choose a room that is well lit by windows and benefit from it. natural light on the one hand will fully 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 a narrow aperture - this way your image will be in focus from foreground to background if you want it.
Don't let a static camera stifle your creativity though, having your camera in the same position for the entire shoot is quickly forgotten. Change the angles and height from which you shoot. Otherwise, before you know it, you will have a whole collection of shots taken from the same point with slight variations. Try shooting from the level of the subject or "bird's eye view" looking down at the subject, but if you're moving around, be careful not to let your shadow 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 shots. It's best to keep it nice and simple so it doesn't get in the way. A uniformly painted wall or a large piece of white or solid paper is ideal.
Think about how your chosen background contrasts with your subject, whether you want to use a neutral background, or whether you want to use shades that complement your subject's colors. For smaller objects, you may not need a background per se, but instead a surface to place them on, something like black velvet is great for that, as it absorbs light and looks like a solid black surface.
6. Composition of the shot
Composition in your still life is really key to making the work attractive and unique. Consider the rule of thirds as it can be applied to your shoot to create a strong composition. Make sure there are no distractions in the frame, just the subject and the background.
Recompose the scene as you shoot and think outside the box. How does the eye move across the image? Are you using negative space or should you try to fill 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 work as a standalone object?
7. Spend all day on it
I often notice that my frame of mind during a shoot depends on the purpose 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 every aspect of the shoot is taken into account 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 something wrong. You have all the time you need to get the job done right!
Unlike landscape photography, the light doesn't change quickly, and unlike portrait photography, your subject doesn't get bored by staying still for long periods of time. Take advantage of this, set up your subject, lighting, background, and camera, take a few test shots, move your subjects around a bit, and make your next pass.
If you get to the point where you feel like things aren't going quite right, you can just leave things as they are, make yourself a cup of tea, and come back to shooting later, refreshed.
Another advantage is that everything is at your fingertips for clear and sharp shots. So aside from making excuses for bad shots, it's better to take the time to set up the right lighting.
You'll be lucky to get a macro lens, perfect for this kind of work. If you don't have one, try using your camera's macro mode so you have a better chance of capturing close-up details of your object.
8. Inspired by the masters
Stuck with the lighting, composition, or structuring of your shots? Then you need inspiration. What could be better than the true masterpieces of yesteryear. Search the internet for Renaissance still life artists and look at the elements of their creations.
Studying these paintings will help you think about form, hue, and color combinations, and hopefully give you some ideas on how you can style your photographic work to create strong and compelling images.
9. Now it's your turn!
Now it's your time to take a step. Find a free day in your schedule and leave time for practice. Try setting the camera and background to a suitable light source near a window and click!
Once you've mastered the basics, get creative, experiment with angles, lighting directions, and alternative light sources like candles and lamps. You can even get creative with your aperture and use the f/1.8 "fix" to achieve artistic shallow depth of field.
Another important tip: you don't have to use fruits and flowers to shoot still life! So find an interesting and inspiring story that you love and start filming!
10. Earn a living?
Product photography is in high demand, especially now that it is so easy to submit images to photobank libraries that are accessed by magazines, business publications and those who are looking for pictures to form online content.
Once you get your shots, don't be afraid to post them online, you can even try PhotoDune Envato stock. So every time you set up a shoot, work like you're on a mission, because you never know if your still life might fetch you a couple of bucks in passing!
Although these tips are written primarily for product photography, you can use them for some 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 gathered over the years.
Training
I start almost every shoot by turning on the lights. These include a light behind and below my stage so that the surface is illuminated (see photo above).
I have one of my Spiderlite TD6 flashes placed over a table and pointing straight down. This helps lighten the top of the product and remove shadows caused by the backlit table. My second TD6 light is the one that travels around my work surface. This is my main light as it is set up 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 top TD6 flash is set to 30% power. The two Flashpoints under the table are set to 50% power. I have two small fluorescent softboxes at my desk at full blast. My main TD6 usually has 66% power (two switches on).
This setting is usually suitable for all my clients who need photos taken for their Amazon, Ebay, Etsy stores or online business directories. You need to understand that lamps are not the same, and if you mix different daylight fluorescents, the colors can be distorted in your shots.
Setting the White Balance
To prevent this problem, buy an Xrite palette. Create a custom profile for your camera using your lights to ensure color accuracy.
Exposure setting
As for my camera, I have one of my custom settings pre-programmed and ready to go, so I just switch to C2 and I'm ready to shoot in a second. My C2 settings are fixed to manual mode at f/16 and 1/6th second, overexposure indicator and square cropping on. If I need a little more overexposure on a white table, I increase the shutter speed, or if any overexposed areas appear on the product itself, I can make the exposure faster.
I also find that manual focus is much faster in this situation. It takes time to find the focus point, especially when you shoot 20+ products with 4+ angles. With a quick flick of the button on the back of the camera, I can enter live mode View, zoom in and get the exact focus I would like. I shoot with an overexposure indicator so that when the image appears on the screen, anything overexposed will appear black.
This way I can determine if I got the proper exposure. The histogram doesn't help much here as it will always be grouped to the right because I'm intentionally overexposing the background. I also set up a square cropping camera as this is usually the only format my clients want for this style of photography.
Making a platform
If you leave them unfolded, you will end up with black bars reflecting on your product. The next thing I did was buy a sheet of clear acrylic from Lowes, a quarter-inch thick, 18×24". It cost me about $20. I place this acrylic on top of the packaged boxes, which raise the shooting surface seven inches.
This allows the table to be overexposed, but due to the falling light, prevents the product from being over-illuminated from below. In addition, I wrapped two more small boxes of different sizes in white paper. I use them quite often as reflectors.
You can place an object
Now that we've set up the lights and set up the camera, and talked about overexposure and surface elevation, let's do the actual shooting. We'll make it easy and start with something simple. Let's take a picture of an ordinary mug.
I placed the mug right in the center of the acrylic. The top light is directly above the mug, pointing down. 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 publishing to the web almost directly from the camera. There are a few things you might want to add, such as more white reflections or narrowing the dark gap. But, to be honest, it is ready and the way it is. I said that 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're going to try and do is something that a lot of photographers have to deal with; white object on a white background. Since we have an overexposed surface and we control the amount of light that hits the subject, it's actually not hard to get great results.
Let's start with the same lighting. One source directly above the subject and another light at a 90 degree angle to the right of the camera. Right from the camera, we see that we did a good job.
There is no overexposure on the object, but the background is completely white. However, there is not enough volume. So let's move the right light so that it's 45 degrees instead of 90 degrees. Now the light will hit the front panel of this USB hub. Bingo.
Now we have the main edges emphasized, which helps to give the device shape and volume. 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 shaded side and bounce some of our key light back onto the product.
We now have a light shadow fill and it works well for this product. Yes, we might get obsessed with further details and subtleties, but remember that this is a quick shot. We try to quickly change products.
Shooting reflective surfaces
For our last 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 take a picture of this RCA adapter.
Again, a shot straight from the camera looks pretty good. You can see the red reflecting on the shaded side at the bottom left that comes from the red bag outside of the frame, and there is a really dark band on the left/center side. Let's clean up those two things and try again. I'll remove the red bag and put the smaller white box pretty close to the adapter.
These two changes greatly affected the picture. Let's try to clean it up a little more. The reason for the black line is that it reflects a much darker room behind the camera. Using the angle of incidence, I'll use my big white box just below my lens and bring the light back onto the subject.
Here it is! Perfectly acceptable photo for an online catalog. The RCA adapter is fully lit, no harsh black lines, fully White background, and it's already squared due to camera settings. This image is ready to go.
Outcome
The reason I built this system is speed. If you are 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 with your favorite software.
I use Lightroom and this is really good for subject photography. You need to catalog all your client's images, keep track of part numbers, export them to specifications, and fix shooting errors in a short amount of time.
An online store that would like to stop inviting third-party photographers for catalog subject photography will have to independently master the basics of subject photography for websites.
For them, I have compiled a kind of instruction, with the help of which it will be possible for even a person who is not very knowledgeable in photography to make a catalog subject shooting on the website of an online store.
Have you read? Well then let's go!
Step 1.
Refer to your camera manual for instructions on how to adjust the following settings:
shutter speed
Aperture
Light sensitivity (ISO)
white balance
Focus point selection (if provided by design).
Unfortunately, in this matter, camera manufacturers are simply rare ingenuity, offering original solutions on almost every new camera. I shot with 6 different cameras. And there was not a single case that the control was the same on two machines.
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; therefore, if you do not know how to make these settings, it's okay, especially since they are not critical).
Turn off your camera or lens stabilizer;
Turn on single-frame focus mode;
Make sure the auto focus mode is working;
Turn off the built-in flash;
Turn off dynamic range expansion mode.
Step2.
Set the camera on a tripod.
Step3.
Choose an appropriate lens focal length. It should be in the range of 50-100 mm in 35 mm equivalent. But in principle, it is 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 a great job with this on auto. Therefore, if you do not have serious complaints about the color reproduction of the camera, you can safely not worry about this topic. 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 an elementary movement of the device may lead to the need to re-determine the balance. It is done like this (I describe the principle, but in practice it can be implemented differently on different cameras). Photograph a white background in full frame. And in some way described in the instructions, tell the camera that it is he, this frame, that will be the standard of white.
Step5.
If you are shooting on a stage, ensure that the background is white. General principle was described in the article Catalog shooting for online stores: how to shoot a subject for websites and catalogs. Now let's talk about how to adjust the exposure.
This word is used to denote 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 of these is exposure.
It is not difficult to regulate it, but there is one point that is confusing. Shutter speed is how long the shutter of the camera opens at the moment of shooting. The longer it is open, the more light hits the sensors and, accordingly, the brighter the picture. The confusion lies here. In most cases, shutter opening time (and hence 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, it is customary, when talking about shutter speed, to miss the fact that this 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 both a shutter speed of 1/15 seconds and a shutter speed of 15 seconds. In colloquial speech, there will be no problems - you can always explain in words. But what if 15 is indicated in the camera settings?
In order not to get confused, it is important to know which shutter speed notation system is used on your camera. There may be only two. You can find out which one is used by you by looking at the instructions.
1 option
Shutter speeds shorter than one second are indicated by simple numbers - 30, 60, 125. In order not to confuse them with shutter speeds longer than one second, some kind of conventional sign is placed next to the latter - an asterisk, one or two apostrophes, etc. What exactly - again, you need to look according to instructions.
If you have just such a designation, then when adjusting the exposure, you should be guided by the following rule: to make the photo lighter, you need to increase the numbers with an apostrophe or an asterisk, and vice versa, decrease the numbers without asterisks. Moreover, any exposure with an asterisk is always “lighter” than any exposure without an asterisk.
Option 2
Exposure shorter than one second is indicated by fractions - 1/30, 1/60, 1/125. And the shutter speed is longer than a second - by whole numbers. In this case, in order to make the photo brighter, 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 brighter frame will be obtained at a shutter speed indicated by a large number. A "no shot" exposure is always "lighter" than any shot exposure.
Attention!
In this case, you need to know a couple of nuances.
If you are shooting with flash
If you're shooting with a flash, you can't set the shutter speed faster ("darker") than a certain level. This level is indicated for each camera. It's called "Synchronization Speed". It is very easy to see that you have climbed beyond the threshold - when shooting with flash, you will get a half-black frame. If this happens, do not throw away the camera - everything is in order with it. Just turn the shutter speed towards lightening. Usually the threshold values are 160 (i.e. 1/160) or 200 (1/200). As already mentioned, this value depends on the camera and is set by its manufacturer.
When shooting handheld
Second. I'm assuming you'll be shooting from a tripod. If, nevertheless, not - remember, you can not 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 frames. On many compact cameras crossing this threshold leads to the appearance of a warning signal on the screen (which one - again, you need to look in the instructions: it will be called "Warning about blurred frame" 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 direction of "darkening" 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.
Exposure limits
In any case, I would not recommend climbing beyond the zone where excerpts with asterisks or integers instead of fractions begin. If you get to this level and the frame is still dark, try changing the other two settings that control the light.
Diaphragm
With a diaphragm, 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 that you always keep it in the range from 4 to 11.
ISO
ISO is ISO sensitivity. It is measured in multiples of 10, from 100 (on some cameras from 50 or from 200) and sometimes up to almost limitless values. The logic is also simple - the higher the ISO, the brighter the frame. But even here it was not without a catch. With an increase in ISO, noise quickly begins to grow - something like strong graininess, which at extreme values \u200b\u200bcan practically spoil the photo. Moreover, the high level of noise is one of the main disadvantages of inexpensive cameras. But that shouldn't scare you too much. Photos for the website of the online store 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. Noises are guaranteed. If you want to avoid them, I would not recommend raising ISO above 6400.
How to set up the camera
Now - how to understand in which case what installation to do. Recommendations are:
Step 1
Finally put your 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 “bright” side. Moreover, if you also shoot with constant light, then there will be no restrictions on the other, “dark” side. Thus, shutter speed becomes one of the most "free" parameters, which you can adjust to suit any of your needs. What can not be said about the diaphragm. It is desirable to keep it in the range that was indicated above (4-11), and the higher the value it receives within this range, the better. ISO is a different story. On the one hand, the smaller it is, the less noise, but at the same time, it is not so critical to increase it during catalog shooting for an online store. Therefore, if necessary, ISO can be shifted up (until visible noise (graininess) appears on the reduced photo, or a pronounced deterioration in the quality of the photo appears (it becomes not sharp and “loose” - the result of the built-in noise reduction of the camera).
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 unhurried way to set up the camera by trial and error. Start by setting your camera screen to maximum brightness. In addition, on most cameras you can turn on the photo display mode with highlighting overexposed and underexposed areas - in this mode, if the photo has too bright or too dark areas, they will flash in black or some other color. Then set the aperture value to 8. Then set the shutter speed to 20 (1/20). ISO - let it be 100. Look at the screen (if you do not use a flash) or take a picture and then look at the screen anyway (this is if you do use it). Dark? Light?
But the histogram is not a simple enough tool. Therefore, for those who do not get comfortable with it, I would still suggest learning how to determine the brightness on the screen of your camera. To do this, you need to set its glow to maximum power, take a few pictures that seem bright enough to you, and then display them on the computer screen. If the photos on the computer look as bright as on the camera screen, the screen can be trusted. 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 how such a photograph looks on the camera screen. And later, when setting the exposure, achieve the same effect ....
…So, look at the screen. Let's say that with such an exposure, the photo turned out to be very dark. Change the shutter speed towards the light. Up to 4 (1/4). 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 black light when the overexposed areas detection mode is on). As soon as they appear, reduce the brightness with any convenient way by one step - for example, reduce the ISO a little. Lighting up the background, on the contrary, is welcome - for catalog shooting on the website of an online store, a white background is just what you should strive for.
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