Product Protography with the K20D?

[yvon_bourque1]

<p>Hi Pentaxian friends.<br /><br />I never did product photography before. I don't have my own studio with a professional lighting system, so that makes it pretty difficult. So not to disapoint anyone, I tried to do some for a client using natural lighting. I set my equipment up in one room in the house that has a great bay window. I laid the product flat, (in this case a new guitar model from <a href="http://www.mollenhauerguitars.com/page/page/4989562.htm">Mollenhauer Guitars</a>), and set my tripod up so that I could shoot vertically or alnost vertically. I had the guitar propped up about 15 degrees on one side. I draped a black cloth behind me and the camera so that the reflestion in the guitar shinny surface would not pick up objects in my room. I shot using a remote so I too would not be reflected in the guitar. The camera being black blended with the black surface behind it.<br /><br />I was still not satisfied with the results, so I post-processed the image by cutting the surrounding background area. I made a gradient background using PhotoShop and pasted the guitar in. I added a mirror effect at the bottom to emulate the guitar being suspended in mid-air. Then I pasted sections of the guitar in separate boxes bounded by a thin red line to bring the attention to important details. Of course, on the client's website, the details will be blown full size wwhen clicked on.<br /><br />I would appreciate comments from the photographers that do product photography. I need all the help I can get. I'm not about to spend thousands of dollars just yet. I want to work my way up. I want to start small and add equipment as I go along, to make the work more professional and easier.<br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314572716276278034" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_EO9piAKCkcU/ScEnukahYxI/AAAAAAAAELA/XtSfKAsIYVI/s400/Mollenhauer+on+Black+and+White+complete.jpg" border="0" alt="" /><br />Thank you for reading and thank you in advance for comments and help.<br /><br />Yvon Bourque</p>

[rose_duclos]

<p>Yvon, I think product photography is an art-form - and extremely difficult - I've never attempted it, had read an article on photo.net recently that had something to do with multiple mirrors, lighting, and a toy car. It was fascinating, but made me realize that the amount of work involved in placing the mirrors and changing angles would be an effort of such patience that I wished anyone else attempting it luck. I think I'll stick to flower gardens and natural lighting. :)</p>

<p>As an aside, I think there's a market out there for this skill. A group of friends of mine just recently started a new business, and are in process of putting together a website for it. They called me last weekend describing the scary dilemma of having about a 1000 products that need pictures, and no adequate studio place, lighting, or photographer to take them. I think they were hoping I'd volunteer...</p>

<p>I wished them luck, telling them that it was way too advanced (and outside the realm) of my photo efforts.</p>

<p>I haven't asked them, since, what route they decided on with those photos. I'm afraid they'll ask me to do them, again... </p>

<p> </p>

[shaloot]

<p>Heck, if your client is satisfied with it, then it doesn't matter what you think! if they like it then go with it!<br>

Sorry I can't/won't offer advice since I am nowhere close to that kind of photography... but to me the image looks just fine.</p>

[michael_elenko]

 

<p >Yvon</p>

<p >I use a K20D to provide product shots, usually of more perishable items. Though the image you have posted is too small for me to be definitive, I think you did a fine job. The background gradient is very similar to a template I use. The mirror bottom is a keen touch. The inserts look good and I like their order of placement.</p>

<p > </p>

<p >Your lighting may be a tad washed on the right side, (but it is really hard to tell on the mediocre screen I’m using at the minute). And it is easy to fix with software. </p>

<p > </p>

<p >You needn’t spend thousands of dollars. Small flexible lights, a couple of strobes, a pro tripod for your camera, smaller tripods for your strobes or stands for small lights, and a remote should do it. I do recommend using the best possible lens. I’ve been very pleased with the DA 35mm Limited, the FA 50mm 1.4, and the Voigtlander 125mm.</p>

<p > </p>

<p >Most important is the creativity you bring to the assignment. Some shoots are for function, others are for beauty. A part of me believes that there is a single perfect shot for each product and it is my mission to create it.</p>

<p > </p>

<p >For smaller items a light tent is a must have. At work I use a commercial setup and supplement that with my own strobes and modeling lights. Light tents provide a totally white opaque background that accommodates a three-dimensional presentation of the product. You can then paste in appropriate backgrounds using software.</p>

<p > </p>

<p >You can purchase light tent setups or make one very cheaply yourself. There are a lot of how-to guides out there. Someone gave me a roll-end of Tyvek white housewrap that I keep threatening to build a monster light tent frame with.</p>

<p > </p>

<p >If you like creating little worlds then do get into product photography. It is a lot of fun and can be profitable. I’ve been known to trade product catalog shots for certain shiny objects my loved one seems to be attracted too.</p>

<p>ME</p>

[dan_daniel2]

<p>Small image! One thing I notice is that the coloring in the inserts and the full guitar are different. Easily seen with the wood of the... uh, don't know the word- where the strings end up and the knobs allow for tuning?? - head? And from the small shot, the main body looks a bit redder in the insert and greener in the main shot. I prefer the insert body color.<br>

But these are simple adjustments. The overall shot and layout looks very nice to me. If this is really your first go at it, you've got a real knack for it. This is said as a consumer and magazine reader, not a product photographer, meaning that I'd accept that shot as a real ad in a magazine.</p>

<p> </p>

[rose_duclos]

<p>@ME - shiny objects ??? Oh mY Goodness - I like those! ... Maybe I should attempt this "Product Photography"... </p>

<p>I've checked out some of the light tents on Adorama, thinking about the use of it for Macro work, but hadn't bought one. I guess it's something I should look into again. </p>

<p>shiny objects, huh? :)</p>

[stephen_van_egmond1]

<p>I've done some product photography for the food packaging industry, and have turned down a job shooting light fixtures for a local store. I have absolutely no idea how to do that kind of thing, and at the time was busy enough that I didn't have an inclination to learn. I kind of regret turning it down.</p>

<p>Generally the photographer shoots what the designer needs, the designer either working for the client or being accountable to them. What does your customer want? A picture of a guitar? He's got one. I'd trade the pixels of the mirror image for more pixels of guitar but then, I'm pretty flat-footed as a visual designer.<br>

There is a very good series of articles at http://www.photo.net/learn/photography-business/freelance-photography-advice/ to walk you through the business end. I'm concerned you're doing the creative direction, graphic design and photography.</p>

<p>I'm ignorant of what matters on a guitar, and I would probably just shoot the interesting-looking bits and pieces. I'm sure the client could tell you what a person would actually need to see to make a purchase decision. Although the bottom-perspective shot is interesting, it's not informative.</p>

<p>All that said, you're shooting musical instruments to musical people. If this is being presented on a web site, my personal advice would be to forgo agonizing over product shots and spend somet time recording the instruments and offering sound samples - THIS IS HOW SEXY YOU'RE GOING TO SOUND WHEN YOU PLAY THIS THING. (No Stairway to Heaven allowed.)</p>

<p>$.02.</p>

[stephen_van_egmond1]

<p>I've done some product photography for the food packaging industry, and have turned down a job shooting light fixtures for a local store. I have absolutely no idea how to do that kind of thing, and at the time was busy enough that I didn't have an inclination to learn. I kind of regret turning it down.</p>

<p>Generally the photographer shoots what the designer needs, the designer either working for the client or being accountable to them. What does your customer want? A picture of a guitar? He's got one. I'd trade the pixels of the mirror image for more pixels of guitar but then, I'm pretty flat-footed as a visual designer.<br>

There is a very good series of articles at http://www.photo.net/learn/photography-business/freelance-photography-advice/ to walk you through the business end. I'm concerned you're doing the creative direction, graphic design and photography.</p>

<p>I'm ignorant of what matters on a guitar, and I would probably just shoot the interesting-looking bits and pieces. I'm sure the client could tell you what a person would actually need to see to make a purchase decision. Although the bottom-perspective shot is interesting, it's not informative.</p>

<p>All that said, you're shooting musical instruments to musical people. If this is being presented on a web site, my personal advice would be to forgo agonizing over product shots and spend somet time recording the instruments and offering sound samples - THIS IS HOW SEXY YOU'RE GOING TO SOUND WHEN YOU PLAY THIS THING. (No Stairway to Heaven allowed.)</p>

<p>$.02.</p>