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#1
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Product photography
Please advise on product photography. I list electronic test equipment
on my website. I have a 7 mega pixel camera. I just tried using a white-white background for my pictures but after much effort I finally realized that a very-white background is not the best solution. I wish to use Photoshop to eliminate the background behind the equipment so each item appears to float. Exactly like is done in many product catalogs. I know this is very common but there must be a trick or technique I'm not aware of. Of course I'd like the best quality, professional pictures possible but I do understand that people spend many years to become proficient in photography. So, I am realistic in my expectations. But, I know I can get getter pictures than I have currently. First, is there and good online info on using a digital camera for product photograph (product advertising)? Second, what background would be best. Do I need a green-screen? Obviously, a white-white background is not the answer. Plus the white-ness seems to compete with the darker colors, especially black, and the camera doesn't seem to process the scene correctly. |
#2
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White should work fine...and especially so if you are putting the items on a
white page as the masking will be easier. I have a green screen...but it often leaves a green cast on the edges of the items. This may change as I am getting a third strobe. The best move I have made is to get a shooting tent. It softens the light and eliminates reflections...though I still have to take the camera off silver items. My shooting tent...a cloth box really...came with a black sweep and a white sweep. One or the other has served well so far. The only reason I might want to change is if I will have to put the items on a colored page and masking might be difficult. If metering is a problem you might want to get a Kodak Grey Card. These are the 18% grey that your camera's meter is looking for. By metering off it you are measuring the light...not the scene. Set your camera in Manual mode for repeatable exposures. Shoot RAW for more control. I use strobes for consistent light. But if you don't I would set a white balance. Even when shooting RAW its better to get it right. Don't even think about using the on-camera flash...but an added flash might be interesting if you bounce it. wrote in message m... Please advise on product photography. I list electronic test equipment on my website. I have a 7 mega pixel camera. I just tried using a white-white background for my pictures but after much effort I finally realized that a very-white background is not the best solution. I wish to use Photoshop to eliminate the background behind the equipment so each item appears to float. Exactly like is done in many product catalogs. I know this is very common but there must be a trick or technique I'm not aware of. Of course I'd like the best quality, professional pictures possible but I do understand that people spend many years to become proficient in photography. So, I am realistic in my expectations. But, I know I can get getter pictures than I have currently. First, is there and good online info on using a digital camera for product photograph (product advertising)? Second, what background would be best. Do I need a green-screen? Obviously, a white-white background is not the answer. Plus the white-ness seems to compete with the darker colors, especially black, and the camera doesn't seem to process the scene correctly. |
#3
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White should work fine...and especially so if you are putting the items on a
white page as the masking will be easier. I have a green screen...but it often leaves a green cast on the edges of the items. This may change as I am getting a third strobe. The best move I have made is to get a shooting tent. It softens the light and eliminates reflections...though I still have to take the camera off silver items. My shooting tent...a cloth box really...came with a black sweep and a white sweep. One or the other has served well so far. The only reason I might want to change is if I will have to put the items on a colored page and masking might be difficult. If metering is a problem you might want to get a Kodak Grey Card. These are the 18% grey that your camera's meter is looking for. By metering off it you are measuring the light...not the scene. Set your camera in Manual mode for repeatable exposures. Shoot RAW for more control. I use strobes for consistent light. But if you don't I would set a white balance. Even when shooting RAW its better to get it right. Don't even think about using the on-camera flash...but an added flash might be interesting if you bounce it. wrote in message m... Please advise on product photography. I list electronic test equipment on my website. I have a 7 mega pixel camera. I just tried using a white-white background for my pictures but after much effort I finally realized that a very-white background is not the best solution. I wish to use Photoshop to eliminate the background behind the equipment so each item appears to float. Exactly like is done in many product catalogs. I know this is very common but there must be a trick or technique I'm not aware of. Of course I'd like the best quality, professional pictures possible but I do understand that people spend many years to become proficient in photography. So, I am realistic in my expectations. But, I know I can get getter pictures than I have currently. First, is there and good online info on using a digital camera for product photograph (product advertising)? Second, what background would be best. Do I need a green-screen? Obviously, a white-white background is not the answer. Plus the white-ness seems to compete with the darker colors, especially black, and the camera doesn't seem to process the scene correctly. |
#4
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Please advise on product photography. I list electronic test equipment on my website. I have a 7 mega pixel camera. I just tried using a white-white background for my pictures but after much effort I finally realized that a very-white background is not the best solution. I wish to use Photoshop to eliminate the background behind the equipment so each item appears to float. Exactly like is done in many product catalogs. I know this is very common but there must be a trick or technique I'm not aware of. Of course I'd like the best quality, professional pictures possible but I do understand that people spend many years to become proficient in photography. So, I am realistic in my expectations. But, I know I can get getter pictures than I have currently. First, is there and good online info on using a digital camera for product photograph (product advertising)? Second, what background would be best. Do I need a green-screen? Obviously, a white-white background is not the answer. Plus the white-ness seems to compete with the darker colors, especially black, and the camera doesn't seem to process the scene correctly. the old fashioned way to do this was to use a 'product' table which was a frame that held two sheets of plexi that curved up at the back end, way up, and curved down in the front. you could raise the top layer from an inch to six or so, and put a sheet of paper under and literally float your item and even get a real drop shadow or no shadow at all. some of the issues you maybe having is that you are using some AUTO functions, a camera sensor will assume a medium gray, the ultimate 'all things equal' and so when the sensor sees a view of white it will give you an exposure that will render a medium gray. A dark or black object surrounded by white, as well as a bright object surrounded by black just confuse the hell out off sensors. you might want to try to use manual exposure, just do a test where you shoot each f/stop or even 1/2 stop, once you get your expo selected you can shoot at that from then on. search ebay for EZcube and buy one, they are cheap for what you get. that will smooth out the lighting and if you put the light source at the same place you should get reasonably close exposure each time. put your item on a small box and see if that helps, even if it shows you can erase it in photoshop. |
#5
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Please advise on product photography. I list electronic test equipment
on my website. I have a 7 mega pixel camera. I just tried using a white-white background for my pictures but after much effort I finally realized that a very-white background is not the best solution. To add to what has already been posted -- To drop out the background, Google sez: http://www.owens-originals.com/Resou...cromatips.html Search for 'blue screen' 'blue mask' 'green screen' ... the info is out there, problem is finding the right search words: sometimes you can only find the answer if you know the answer. You can build a product lighting tent/box with some cheap fabric and a couple lengths of 1x2". Cardboard and a can of white spray paint will make all the light reflectors you will need. I prefer using hot lights over flash. You don't need much light so 100W/60W household bulbs work great. And you can see what you are doing when positioning the lights. Use a telephoto lens and shoot from far away, this will give you better background coverage (er, you need less background, it can be farther away from the product ...). If you are not using a blue/green mask because you can't keep it far enough away then use a neutral darkish grey background -- no color cast and it won't mess up with the camera's meter. -- Nicholas O. Lindan, Cleveland, Ohio Consulting Engineer: Electronics; Informatics; Photonics. Remove spaces etc. to reply: n o lindan at net com dot com |
#6
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#7
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#8
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There are several tutorials "on the web" that might help you.
Go to the "Web Photo School" and look through their offerings http://www.webphotoschool.com/Lesson_Library/index.html The free lessons ... several of which are based on product photography scenarios ... are at http://www.webphotoschool.com/Lesson...ons/index.html For small object photography .... items such as Jewelry ... see Ganoskin's site at http://www.ganoksin.com/borisat/dire...rary/subject/9 O'Reilly has an interesting site on 'Professional Product Shots Made Easy' at http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/orei...01/product_sho ts.html Adorama has a site that describes the use of Tent Lighting (something every product photographer really should know) at http://www.adorama.com/catalog.tpl?op=article_080403 This is just a small sampling of the sites that are available. You can find many more using your 'Friendly Local Search Engine.' You also asked: "... Second, what background would be best. ...." A properly lit white "sweep" usually works quite well. However, I often use something like a graduated paper Superior Specialties http://www.superspec.com/ Graduated Seamless paper backgrounds are at http://www.superspec.com/cat2001/pages/gradindex.html Or Savage Paper, who is one of the largest suppliers and is stocked by many of the on-line photography sites (such as B&H, Adorama, Calumet, etcetera), or http://www.savagepaper.com/widetone.htm wrote in message m... Please advise on product photography. I list electronic test equipment on my website. I have a 7 mega pixel camera. I just tried using a white-white background for my pictures but after much effort I finally realized that a very-white background is not the best solution. I wish to use Photoshop to eliminate the background behind the equipment so each item appears to float. Exactly like is done in many product catalogs. I know this is very common but there must be a trick or technique I'm not aware of. Of course I'd like the best quality, professional pictures possible but I do understand that people spend many years to become proficient in photography. So, I am realistic in my expectations. But, I know I can get getter pictures than I have currently. First, is there and good online info on using a digital camera for product photograph (product advertising)? Second, what background would be best. Do I need a green-screen? Obviously, a white-white background is not the answer. Plus the white-ness seems to compete with the darker colors, especially black, and the camera doesn't seem to process the scene correctly. |
#9
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There are several tutorials "on the web" that might help you.
Go to the "Web Photo School" and look through their offerings http://www.webphotoschool.com/Lesson_Library/index.html The free lessons ... several of which are based on product photography scenarios ... are at http://www.webphotoschool.com/Lesson...ons/index.html For small object photography .... items such as Jewelry ... see Ganoskin's site at http://www.ganoksin.com/borisat/dire...rary/subject/9 O'Reilly has an interesting site on 'Professional Product Shots Made Easy' at http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/orei...01/product_sho ts.html Adorama has a site that describes the use of Tent Lighting (something every product photographer really should know) at http://www.adorama.com/catalog.tpl?op=article_080403 This is just a small sampling of the sites that are available. You can find many more using your 'Friendly Local Search Engine.' You also asked: "... Second, what background would be best. ...." A properly lit white "sweep" usually works quite well. However, I often use something like a graduated paper Superior Specialties http://www.superspec.com/ Graduated Seamless paper backgrounds are at http://www.superspec.com/cat2001/pages/gradindex.html Or Savage Paper, who is one of the largest suppliers and is stocked by many of the on-line photography sites (such as B&H, Adorama, Calumet, etcetera), or http://www.savagepaper.com/widetone.htm wrote in message m... Please advise on product photography. I list electronic test equipment on my website. I have a 7 mega pixel camera. I just tried using a white-white background for my pictures but after much effort I finally realized that a very-white background is not the best solution. I wish to use Photoshop to eliminate the background behind the equipment so each item appears to float. Exactly like is done in many product catalogs. I know this is very common but there must be a trick or technique I'm not aware of. Of course I'd like the best quality, professional pictures possible but I do understand that people spend many years to become proficient in photography. So, I am realistic in my expectations. But, I know I can get getter pictures than I have currently. First, is there and good online info on using a digital camera for product photograph (product advertising)? Second, what background would be best. Do I need a green-screen? Obviously, a white-white background is not the answer. Plus the white-ness seems to compete with the darker colors, especially black, and the camera doesn't seem to process the scene correctly. |
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