Product Photography Sunglasses

[mike_s15]

<p>I am looking to purchase a canon t2i for shooting photos of sunglasses. I am a novice and what like to know which lens would best suit my needs. I was looking at a combo package which includes the 18-55mm along with the 55-250mm. Any help would be greatly appreciated.</p>

<p> </p>

[joe_c5]

<p> Disclaimer: I am not a professional photographer.</p>

<p>Consider a macro lens for typically lower distortion and the option for closer focusing if necessary, but you may not need either of those things.</p>

<p>For many purposes, one of those two lenses you mentioned should take acceptable photos of sunglasses. Background, lighting and color correction are likely to be more important than camera and lenses in determining the quality of the photographs.</p>

 

[leicaglow]

<p>Mike, If you want the highest quality, I would use a lens in the 55-120mm range with macro/micro capability. Normally I recommend sticking with the manufacturer's lenses, but I know there are a lot of very good third party lenses for macro work. Not that you need a macro, but the lenses tend to be better corrected for shooting a couple feet away from a subject.</p>

 

[Matt Laur]

<p>First, it will help to know how the images will be actually used. Glossy, quality print material? Low-res web images?<br /><br />Regardless, the <em>most</em> important thing is lights, modifiers for those lights, and knowing how to use them. I highly recommend you pick up a copy of <strong><a href="http://www.laurphoto.com/prdr/light_science_magic">Light, Science and Magic</a></strong>, and read it. It will help you understand how to deal with photographing reflective and translucent objects like that, and what you'll need to know about getting the light on them to look right. If your photography is in support of a commercial venture, it's worth your time to learn the theory and the tools, if you're not going to have a pro do this. That book is the bible for this sort of thing, and worth reading. Twice! Before you spend a lot of money on gear.<br /><br />Personally, I'd probably use a 60mm macro lens for this sort of thing, but the lower-to-mid range of that 55-200 would probably do. Some of this will depend on the <em>look</em> you're after. Are you looking for edgy, perspective-exaggerated angles? Shots with multiple pairs of sunglasses in the frame? How much room do you have to work? You need to sort through all of that before you can pick a lens. The book mentioned above will help you to understand how focal length, working distance, and the rest all come together to make one focal length better than another for certain tasks.</p>

[mariosforsos]

<p>Matt is ABSOLUTELY right! Once you light your subject CORRECTLY, you can take a good image with a plastic lens! Mike, if you want the best possible outcome, you should invest in a light-tent (google it, there are dozens of them and varying prices) and at least one light (probably to be used from the top). Then you can take amazing images literally with ANY lens, even the cheap, bundled 18-55....</p>

[Matt Laur]

<p>Before you go the light tent route, first establish the look you're after. Light tents are safe, and can evenly light an object (if you're using your lights correctly!), but it's almost impossible to use them to produce a dramatic image. Sunglasses are a fashion item, and selling them requires a certain amount of <em>style</em> in the images that show them. Than can involve light-to-dark sweeps behind them, or some dramatic side-lighting. It can help if you surf around and look for images that look like what you have in mind - so that you can start mentally deconstructing the lighting that was used to produce that look.</p>

[mark_sirota1]

<p>And sunglasses are commonly used (and therefore seen) in harsh light, less so in flat light. I don't think a light tent is the answer if you want to produce an image that flatters the subject.</p>

[mike_s15]

<p>Here's an example of what we took with our normal point and shoot.<br>

<img src="http://www.solarfashionsnyc.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/5e06319eda06f020e43594a9c230972d/8/6/8648-c.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" /></p>

[mike_s15]

<p>We also take some shots like these...<img src="http://www.solarfashionsnyc.com/book1.jpg" alt="" /></p>

[phule]

<p>The next question would be: what do you want the T2i to do that the point and shoot doesn't do?</p>

 

[mike_s15]

<p>Well...The point and shoot is broken and we figured that we might as well upgrade to something that will be able to grow with our business..In the future we plan on doing product shots for print and also to shoot models wearing our product.. It just seemed like a logical next step to take. I could be wrong though...</p>