Close up results, from afar???

[Wild Iron]

Hello All,


I have been wrestling with getting some good images of a product I sell. (See equipment list below)

I don’t know if the issue is me, the lens, body, lighting, all of the above etc.


When I shoot things up close I am able to acceptable results. (Please see attached. None of these images have been shopped.) But, as I get future away, as in a few feet, it seems like the “life” or “feel” of the image just dies. I hate the images.


I need to get images of my product in which the entire product is in frame, but I am having very little luck. I suspect I need a much better lens and longer something around 100 and maybe macro. I like the texture and feel of my close up images. I am hopeful that a higher end lens (around $1K) with longer focal length will get me that texture and feel back into the image.


Basically, my question is how do I get the same feel as my close up images, while taking an image that requires me to be further from the subject?? Lens??


I know some of the images are washout and overlite but since the texture sucked and didn’t even try to refine the lighting.


All the attached images were taken by me, with the same exact equipment.


Thanks in advance,

Robert


Equipment list:

Canon EOS Rebel T3i

Stock 18-55 3.5 – 5.6

Cowboy Studios 4 light strobes.

Cheap Tripod

I am shooting in a controlled environment

 

[The_Traveler]

these are not sharpened and need local area adjustment (a specialized kind of sharpening)
#6 has motion blur, bad background, lighting bad so that there are colors reflected in lower metal circles.

 

[Wild Iron]

Lew,
Thanks for the feedback. I am not sure I understand or that we are on the same page.

Picture 3, I am basically happy with, at least as a starting point. and image 6, I know its a mess. If you want picture 6 to look like picture 3, what is the major fundamental issue?

Does it need to be shot with a 400mm zoom, or a much larger sensor than my t3i, etc, etc I just cant get good texture, range of colors, and that shallow depth of field feel when I get away from the subject. Why?

Thanks for taking the time to give me some input.
Robert

 

[KmH]

You should visit TPF's Commercial/Product Photography Forum.

 

[The_Traveler]

Look at the difference between $3 & 'still sucks'

#3 line leading to sharp sparking center of interest. Background OOF and irrelevant and certainly not distracting.
Colors vibrant and interesting and there is no mistaking where the eye should go.

'still sucks' - none of that, flat lighting, no where for the eye to light, obtrusive background, totally flat blah lighting.

I would - put a pile of these things in the background, then set this single specimen in the foreground. Then light more dramatically so there are some shadows cast that echo the shapes. This is basically a hoop; make it sexy and interesting.

There is no lens that will make this shot wonderful, it's your brain that will do it.

 

[Garasaki]

To paraphrase Lew, your staging of the product and the way you compose the shot has A LOT to do with the quality of the shot.

I see you are using th 18-55 kit lense. You are going to need a lense with more focal length to get the effect you want (as I perceive it) while positioning your body further away from the product.

Assuming this is the only function you want to use your equipment for, you may have really good luck on a older manual focus lens, since I assume lack of autofocus would not be a deal breaker for this environment.