Preparing For The Perfect Shot
How to create effective digital images of your products! (part 2 of 4)
Courtesy of BidBoosters.com For indoor photos, you'll save time and find it more efficient if you can dedicate a space in your home or office just for photo taking. Your 'studio' doesn't have to be large. In fact, for most articles a corner or nook with a table set up against a wall is sufficient.
A table that is 24 inches by 48 inches and 36 inches is adequate. If you are photographing a small object, you will probably want to raise the height of the object, and this is easily done by placing a box on top of the table.
Choose Your Background Wisely!
Walls: It's best if the surrounding walls in the studio area are painted white or cream. Walls that are brightly colored can cause the reflected light to take on the tint of the wall, and this will affect the photo, probably not in a flattering manner.
Backdrops: There's nothing more unprofessional looking than a picture of a product set in amongst clutter, or against a patterned background. You want your product to stand out and be easily observed.
Use a solid colored backdrop to highlight your object. If the object is light in color, use a dark backdrop (navy blue or black). For dark colored objects use a white or light colored backdrop. You can create effective backdrops with painted plywood, colored paper or fabric.
A simple way of achieving a professional look is to stand a piece of plywood on a table and lean it against the wall. Drape the fabric over the plywood, then over the box (if you're using one), and finally over the table letting it hang down the front of the table. You can also pin fabric onto the wall behind the product to achieve a pleasing effect.
The Key to Quality Lighting
Poor lighting is one of the most common mistakes in digital photography. But how do you figure out how much light you need? The easiest way to figure out if you need more light is to aim your digital camera at the object. If the camera's light meter indicates that a flash is required (see your camera's manual), then you need to add more lighting. It can be either artificial or natural light.
Here are some hints for different kinds of lighting...
Indoor Lighting - Direct
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Light your item from two or more different directions.
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Clip-on lamps with 100 watt halogen lights work very well.
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Position the lights above and beside the item and just slightly in front of it so that the light sources cross one another from opposite directions.
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Avoid lighting your object from behind.
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Experiment by moving the lights around to see where shadows fall. Shadows can be attractive. Here, you'll need to use your good judgment.
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If you are photographing textured surfaces like a wood carving, an obvious shadow coming from one direction can be desirable because it will emphasize the texture of the piece.
Indoor Lighting - Diffused
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Shiny items like glazed pottery or jewelry are usually better photographed with indirect or diffused light.
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An easy and inexpensive way to create diffused light is to point the light source away from the object and onto white or metallic sheets or even a white ceiling. The light 'bounces' off the white surface and reflects diffused light back onto the item being photographed. The object is then illuminated without any glare.
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Professional photographers use light boxes or reflective screens. You might want to visit your local camera shop for advice on purchasing these.
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For indirect lighting, you'll need to double or triple the number of lamps used to get the same level of illumination as direct lighting
About Halogen Lamps
The light from halogen lamps tend to be more hot (yellow or red) than cool (blue) and this may distort the color of your object. Many digital cameras have a 'white balance feature'. Check your owner's manual to use this feature.
Some photographers like to use natural spectrum lights (such as Verilux) because they produce a very natural light similar to sunlight. Visit your local camera shop for a selection of these.
What About Outdoor Lighting?
Depending on what you are selling, you may have to take photos outside. Here are some picture-taking guidelines:
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Avoid placing your object in bright direct sunlight. The results are usually less than satisfactory and you'll get 'washed out' colors as well as unwanted shadows.
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Try to position your item in a northern exposure where the light tends to be less harsh.
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Overcast days provide the best lighting conditions for outdoor photography.
Now, let's get to the picture taking... (proceed to part 3 of 4)
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A picture is worth a thousand words. A cliché, it's true, but when it comes to selling online it's a reality. Your picture can mean the difference between getting the sale or not. [read article]
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