Granite slab photography

[emppire1]

Hey everyone

Im currently in the process of launching an online showroom for natural and man made stone slabs. Ive been trying to find a convenient way to photograph the slabs for my inventory. There are over 60 slabs and some of them are very polished and reflect all the light in the warehouse. There are skylights and windows everywhere. Im looking for some advice on how to photograph these slabs without seeing the reflections in the photo. Im kinda new to product photography and any advice would be much appreciated. I am working with a nikon d5300 dslr camera and i have some studio lighting. I have a 120 watt external flash and a 40 watt continuous light. I was thinking to create a black canopy and cover the slabs to block the light but that didn't seem to work.

 

[snowbear]

A polarizing filter (CPL) will reduce reflections on a non-metallic surface.

 

[tirediron]

This could be a challenge. If I were doing this, I would probably plan on doing it at night (when the ambient light is 100% controllable) and to use cross-polarized light. You may need to add a a little to your lighting stable.

 

[jeffW]

It might be easier and cheaper just hiring a professional photographer for your project than buying the lighting equipment and spending hours figuring out how to light your company's inventory. I've done this work before and purchasing a polarizing filter is not going to solve your problems if you don't understand how to light certain material surfaces.

I can work on my car but I'm not going to go out and buy all the equipment just to adjust the timing.

 

[407370]

I would approach it a different way.
There are lots of free stone textures that can be used to create photo realistic renders in many 3D editing packages.

 

[table1349]

If you are showing finished project pieces then a 30-45 degree angle with even lighting from behind. You will get some reflection but you will be showing how the piece will look in a finished state. If its full slabs are you keeping all the slabs indoors? Here the slabs are stored outdoors by type, color etc. so customers can choose their slab/slabs. Then the golden hours are going do do you well.

 

[<error>]

It might be easier and cheaper just hiring a professional photographer...

My layman interpretation of such a statement is that this part of the forum is pointless. A professional photographer won't ask the question, and everybody else should hire a professional. Is it this what you want to say? Because if it's not, then it's your contribution that is pointless : It does not help the OP and it just adds noise. Maybe you have something else to add ?

I am a noob, and I have no clue. So I know from a personal viewpoint how this kind of snobby reply affects me: Not much, but I still dislike kindergarten replies.

 

[tirediron]

It might be easier and cheaper just hiring a professional photographer...

My layman interpretation of such a statement is that this part of the forum is pointless. A professional photographer won't ask the question, and everybody else should hire a professional. Is it this what you want to say? Because if it's not, then it's your contribution that is pointless : It does not help the OP and it just adds noise. Maybe you have something else to add ?

I am a noob, and I have no clue. So I know from a personal viewpoint how this kind of snobby reply affects me: Not much, but I still dislike kindergarten replies.

That's not a snobby reply, that's a very appropriate reply. To do a professional job on a project like this requires considerable skill and specialized equipment. Can the OP learn to do it? Absolutely, if he chooses to invest the time and money. Is it worthwhile for him to do so? Maybe... maybe not; that's something only he can decide, but at the end of the day, it's often more cost-effective for a business to spend a thousand dollars to hire a professional <trade> as opposed to investing considerable time and money in learning how to do an okay job.

 

[<error>]

It might be easier and cheaper just hiring a professional photographer...

My layman interpretation of such a statement is that this part of the forum is pointless. A professional photographer won't ask the question, and everybody else should hire a professional. Is it this what you want to say? Because if it's not, then it's your contribution that is pointless : It does not help the OP and it just adds noise. Maybe you have something else to add ?

I am a noob, and I have no clue. So I know from a personal viewpoint how this kind of snobby reply affects me: Not much, but I still dislike kindergarten replies.

That's not a snobby reply, that's a very appropriate reply.

I beg to differ. The question was NOT: "Should I hire a professional". It was a how-to question. The OP maybe (presumably) is aware of his shortcomings, and he is looking for aid. "Hire a pro" is not an answer, it's an insult : It does not take the question into account at all. It gives a **** about the question, actually. It is only concerned about showing supremacy : "I am a professional. I know how to do it. But I won't answer your question.". And you call that "a very appropriate reply" ?!?

 

[table1349]

It might be easier and cheaper just hiring a professional photographer...

My layman interpretation of such a statement is that this part of the forum is pointless. A professional photographer won't ask the question, and everybody else should hire a professional. Is it this what you want to say? Because if it's not, then it's your contribution that is pointless : It does not help the OP and it just adds noise. Maybe you have something else to add ?

I am a noob, and I have no clue. So I know from a personal viewpoint how this kind of snobby reply affects me: Not much, but I still dislike kindergarten replies.

That's not a snobby reply, that's a very appropriate reply.

I beg to differ. The question was NOT: "Should I hire a professional". It was a how-to question. The OP maybe (presumably) is aware of his shortcomings, and he is looking for aid. "Hire a pro" is not an answer, it's an insult : It does not take the question into account at all. It gives a **** about the question, actually. It is only concerned about showing supremacy : "I am a professional. I know how to do it. But I won't answer your question.". And you call that "a very appropriate reply" ?!?

I completely understand Iron's position. Frankly your tone leads me to believe that you do not have a grasp of photography nor do you have a grasp of the importance of good photography in marketing.

If the OP or any noob wants to know how to get quality shots to promote their business I will explain it for you and them.

1. Learn photography, Aperture, shutter speed & ISO. Not just what they are but how the interact and the Math that goes into using them properly. Become completely proficient in the exposure and the exposure triangle. There are no magic car, granite, people, pet, sports, or fromage setting. The proper setting for every photo is different.

2. Learn about light, the properties of light and the use of man made lighting. Not just for one application but for all applications. No to photographs or setups for that matter are ever the same.

3. Learn your equipment from the camera body to the lenses, to the lighting equipment. Front, back. left, right and sideways. Know every piece of equipments limits, it's good points and it's bad points. With out knowing these you can't get the best photo possible

4 Learn composition. This is a tough one. Some people have a natural eye for composition, some don't. Almost all can learn.

Now that you have at least 2 0r 3 years invested in actually learning and becoming a photographer, you are ready to study your market and produce the kinds of photos necessary for good merchandising promotion.

For the average business person this is not a true option. For those that it is that is great. For those that it is not and want to have a successful business they go with the experts in the field they need.

 

[tirediron]

I beg to differ. The question was NOT: "Should I hire a professional". It was a how-to question. The OP maybe (presumably) is aware of his shortcomings, and he is looking for aid. "Hire a pro" is not an answer, it's an insult : It does not take the question into account at all. It gives a **** about the question, actually. It is only concerned about showing supremacy : "I am a professional. I know how to do it. But I won't answer your question.". And you call that "a very appropriate reply" ?!?

Fair comment. One of things about not being an expert in any field is that you often don't realize how much effort, skill and training it takes to produce that effort. Let's take painting your car as an example. If you're not familiar with auto bodywork, you might think all that the person is doing is driving your car into the spray booth, filling up a gun and shooting a colour coat and charging you $7500. In fact, he's spending hours sanding off old clear & paint, filling dings & divots, repairing rusty areas, ensuring everything is straight.. he's got to remove trim, mask, etc... then there's the skill required to actually mix & lay down paint. Could you do it yourself? Sure you could, but it would take hundreds or thousands of hours of practice and a considerable investment in equipment to do the same job. Alternatively you could watch a few YouTube videos, buy some cheap gear at Sears and do an (at best) okay job.

Photography is no different. There's been lots of advice provided to the OP already, but the simple fact is, to do a professional job on something like this is not as straight-forward as it may seem. Lighting something like marble or granite, particularly when highly polished can be VERY challenging, and will require certain specialized tools to do even a mediocre job.

I appreciate your position, but I respectfully and very strongly disagree with your statement that "It is only concerned about showing supremacy". To explain how do this fully would require many pages of text, diagrams and equipment lists as well as knowing exactly what the conditions are at the location. There's a reason that there are professionals, because not everyone can be an expert in everything. Can the OP teach himself enough to produce a satisfactory result? Absolutely. Is that a viable option, or might it not be cost effective? Only he can decide.

 

[tirediron]

It might be easier and cheaper just hiring a professional photographer...

My layman interpretation of such a statement is that this part of the forum is pointless. A professional photographer won't ask the question, and everybody else should hire a professional. Is it this what you want to say? Because if it's not, then it's your contribution that is pointless : It does not help the OP and it just adds noise. Maybe you have something else to add ?

I am a noob, and I have no clue. So I know from a personal viewpoint how this kind of snobby reply affects me: Not much, but I still dislike kindergarten replies.

That's not a snobby reply, that's a very appropriate reply.

I beg to differ. The question was NOT: "Should I hire a professional". It was a how-to question. The OP maybe (presumably) is aware of his shortcomings, and he is looking for aid. "Hire a pro" is not an answer, it's an insult : It does not take the question into account at all. It gives a **** about the question, actually. It is only concerned about showing supremacy : "I am a professional. I know how to do it. But I won't answer your question.". And you call that "a very appropriate reply" ?!?

I completely understand Iron's position. Frankly your tone leads me to believe that you do not have a grasp of photography nor do you have a grasp of the importance of good photography in marketing.

If the OP or any noob wants to know how to get quality shots to promote their business I will explain it for you and them.

1. Learn photography, Aperture, shutter speed & ISO. Not just what they are but how the interact and the Math that goes into using them properly. Become completely proficient in the exposure and the exposure triangle. There are no magic car, granite, people, pet, sports, or fromage setting. The proper setting for every photo is different.

2. Learn about light, the properties of light and the use of man made lighting. Not just for one application but for all applications. No to photographs or setups for that matter are ever the same.

3. Learn your equipment from the camera body to the lenses, to the lighting equipment. Front, back. left, right and sideways. Know every piece of equipments limits, it's good points and it's bad points. With out knowing these you can't get the best photo possible

4 Learn composition. This is a tough one. Some people have a natural eye for composition, some don't. Almost all can learn.

Now that you have at least 2 0r 3 years invested in actually learning and becoming a photographer, you are ready to study your market and produce the kinds of photos necessary for good merchandising promotion.

For the average business person this is not a true option. For those that it is that is great. For those that it is not and want to have a successful business they go with the experts in the field they need.

Precisely... I am a photographer, but I have need of legal services. Could I teach myself everything I need to know to ensure my contracts, agreements, etc are the best they can be? I could. Is it worthwhile for me? Absolutely not. Spending $500 to have a contract reviewed and amendments suggested is a worthwhile and sensible expense.

 

[<error>]

Edit : Sorry, Iron, the below is a reply to Gryphonslair99. I should have quoted better. Sorry again

///


Oh yeah, another pro.

So what we have up to now, just to summarize:

1/ A forum called 'the photo forum'
2/ A sub-forum called 'product photography'
3/ A lot of very competent photographers
4/ A couple of people with questions
4a/ pro photographers
4b/ learning photographers
4c/ people not belonging to 4a/ and 4b/ with a problem

Over and over, 4c/ gets the reply "hire a 4a/".

Why don't you guys just don't shut this forum down for public usage? Seriously! There was a thread about marble photography where the guy was already a 4a/. He got tips and help and support.

If this is closed-shop forum, make it one. But don't pretend to be one, hoping to convert 4c/ into a client.

'Nuff said.

 

[tirediron]

You might want to review the replies; of the first five replies, four contained information on how to achieve the result the OP asked about.

 

[table1349]

Edit : Sorry, Iron, the below is a reply to Gryphonslair99. I should have quoted better. Sorry again

///


Oh yeah, another pro.

So what we have up to now, just to summarize:

1/ A forum called 'the photo forum'
2/ A sub-forum called 'product photography'
3/ A lot of very competent photographers
4/ A couple of people with questions
4a/ pro photographers
4b/ learning photographers
4c/ people not belonging to 4a/ and 4b/ with a problem

Over and over, 4c/ gets the reply "hire a 4a/".

Why don't you guys just don't shut this forum down for public usage? Seriously! There was a thread about marble photography where the guy was already a 4a/. He got tips and help and support.

If this is closed-shop forum, make it one. But don't pretend to be one, hoping to convert 4c/ into a client.

'Nuff said.

I think you stated it best in your first post. "I am a noob, and I have no clue."