Help needed on what lighting for furniture photography.

I will be takeing photo's of single chairs, stools, tables, sofa's,

etc.. Its just a tryout for a catalog for work.. they wanna take a

short cut in price terms.. I just want to know about how many lights

i need to hire and what kind... or if i need extra flashes.. I will

be useing a D70.. I thankyou for all your help.. BTW i havent done

any of this type of photography before..I'm very much an amature,

maybe i should just tell the bosses to go to some professionals.. I

know to shoot in either tiff or raw, and have it at max res, and a

few other major points..

You will need at least two lights- one for fill and one to put highlights on the items.

 

I have heard of pro's who use as many as 5 lights for an office chair.

 

If you have more than one flash, and at least one slave, do some test shots and see if they are good enough.

It sounds like you are in over your head.I would suggest reading up on basic lighting of objects.The simple goal is to create depth via shadows & highlights,and to make the item appear real on film.A 3-4 light set up with 1 large soft box(approx 3x4'),1-2 smaller soft boxes,and a large umbrella for fill,and perhaps a few reflectors is all you need.Figuring out how to place these,etc is another story.

If you want to use flash: Start with about 4 2400 wattsecond packs, about eight heads, a

couple of large (at least 54" x 72") soft boxes, a couple of focusing fresnel type optical

spot lights, a couple of sets of grid spots, a good camera stand, several large white

reflective flats, two-three assistants - one digital to help you manage the files, two more

to help wrangle & prep the product, some trainign in how to make and keep colors as

accurate as possible, and a project manager to keep track of everything.

 

If you wantto use "hot lights: all of the above except substitute a few 1k and 2K HMI lights

and electricians and grips to handle them.

 

...or you can hire a professional studio, where they will already have all of the above plus

the years of expertise in knowing how to make goods look appealing.

 

 

Some times going cheap is more expensive

Mike, honestly, I think you should tell them you don't shoot these types of pictures. There is a plethora of things you need to learn in order to do this effectively. Lighting ratios, shadow densities, color balance, etc. Not to mention the amount of range you use in lighting and how it will apply to the press that will stamp out the catalogs or whatever they will be using.

 

But if you feel confident enough with your abilities, buy a book on simple lighting. You'll need at least two high powered lights, three being preferable. And shoot away. Its fun. :D

Here in western NC, most furniture shots are done using hot lights whether the photos are single-piece high key shots or room scenes. Those two basic types of shots require different amounts of light depending on the actual sets that are used. Hot lights are much closer to WYSIWYG than are flash.

 

A simple single-piece shot might require as few as three seperate light sources while a complex room scene might require ten or twelve or more. A sofa-loveseat-chair-ottoman group shot on a high-key set is totally different from lighting a marble-topped table with accessories in a room scene. There are just too many different lighting techniques and approaches involved in photographing furniture to cover them all here. The best way to learn how would be to work several years in an established studio, not asking for pointers here.

 

On top of that, if you think knowing to shoot in tiff or raw at max rez is something major, then you are about to get in real trouble. Those issues are very elementary and make up only a miniscule part of being successful here.

Where will the pictures be used?

 

If this is for a full-color ad or any other large-size catalog use, your boss should pay for someone who does this regularly.

 

If this is for a small picture used on the web, I think going whole-hog is a waste.

 

You should give it a try but warn your boss before hand.

<i>If this is for a small picture used on the web, I think going whole-hog is a waste</i><br>Steve has a view that many people share, but personally I disagree.<br>Certainly there will be no need for a hi-res digital back for web use, but all other factors are equally important regardless of image size. After all, the purpose of the shots is to sell the products, and if the pictures are less than outstanding then they will compare very badly with the professional shots produced for competitors and this will reflect in the sales figures.

Perhaps I should specify "good enough for the intended purpose."

 

I think this can mean something different for a small picture on the web than it would for a large picture on glossy paper.

 

If you look at the Ikea site you see small pictures, and it looks like 2-3 lights and relatively simple technique could do most of them.

I will be useing a soft white paper back drop. After the photo's have been taken they will be cut out useing PS7. We intend to have them printed fairly small on the catolog, so roughly 18 more or less pieces per face of A4, not to sure on size yet..Previously my boss has just used his 4mp camera and 1 or 2 desk lamps with i think yellow bulbs fited and a backdrop, Then cut out on ps7.. He mainly just used those pics for emailing and printouts. I am thinking of just hireing 2 lights rather then going with mr Ellis Vener way..

I will be surely doing my homework on lighting.. Thankyou for all your quick reply's.

With two lights, you can put one near the camera for fill light.

 

The 2nd light can be placed behind the chair but not in the picture. If you bounce it off an umbrella or ceiling it should add some highlights to the chair back, seat, and arms.

 

Here's an interior with one bounced light:

This is what I would do if I was you.<br>

First I would shoot some sample shots with my existing equipment and show to my boss<br>

And I would tell my boss that he/she needs to rent me a studio setup (3-5 lights) just to find out if I can handle the real job<br>

I will make sure to tell her/him that it is a difficult job, that the result may not be satisfactory<br>

Depends on the situation, you can force your boss to buy you the equipents instead of renting them. I don't know<br>

Maybe, at that point, your boss will decide not to use you<br>

After the test shoot, I will say to my boss "This is what you are going to get. If you still want me to do it, I will do my best, sir"<br>

<br>

You are a furniture guy, not a photographer<br>

So, I would focus on work place politics before photography<br>

For that reason alone, I would give my best to save my boss some money.<br>

Even if your boss decide not to use you, your boss will appreciate your effort<br>

Basically, take this opportunity to let your boss like you more<br>

<br>

After that we'll think about photography<br>

This is a perfect opportunity for you to practice your studio lighting skill.<br>

Maybe your boss will love your job, maybe you are fantastic<br>

You may build your portfolio<br>

<br>

I see absolutely no reason why you have to turn it down before you even try.<br>

Some poeple dream about having situations like yours.