Thrown into catalog photography - yikes!

[whymzy]

I'm an artist anyway, dance, music, drawing, painting... so I know a bit about composition. However, I got a promotion at work and with that new job is photography for our "Woodsman Supplies" catalog. I have been taking pictures of screws, chainsaws, pants, chainsaw parts (gag over 200!!) misc. climbing rigging stuff.

My hardest ones to take so far are the pants - any suggestion on lighting? Also taking pictures of bitty screws.... I looked through the forum a bit for anything similar, but didn't find it.

When I got this promo I told em up front I don't have this experience. I do have a white box with a black optional background and 1 2x2 white light, of course a Nikkon 8800 camera. I've read some about it and tried things (macro setting, I can't get a good clear picture with that!) So anyhoo, Any suggestions. When I head back to work, I will put up some things that did turn out well. I'd love to chat with someone who does catalog photography in the range of things I deal with... ie.... small n shiny or clothing. :hail:

Here is something fun I did a couple of years ago.

 

[craig]

I was thrown into catalog photography second year at SVA and stayed in it for 5 years. Mostly Home Fashion and JC Penny catalog. Have to say that it was an incredible learning experience although I did not realize it at the time.

Love & Playa

 

[whymzy]

Some good pics

 

[craig]

Good photos. Have fun with it!!!!!!!!

Love & Bass

 

[whymzy]

Any suggestions about clothing photography. My outside with model shots work out well, but inside sucks. I brought my iron from home and ended up "shining" a pair of pants! Then when I turned it down it didn't give it a crispy neat look.
I also found out that if I'm having a hard time focusing on little items, maybe I need to swap the battery... ?

 

[craig]

I have always liked LL beans kind of worn look. If you can move your focusing spot around. Some times if it is in the middle it will miss the subject. You also may be too close. Try pulling back a little.

Love & Playa

 

[whymzy]

The way they have me taking pictures of pants is to lay them on an off white cardboard on the floor and try to take a high shot that way. The previous photographer was about 6', I'm only 5'. Do sometimes companies hang or clip things to a white wall instead? I'm speaking of pants without the model.

I'll dig out an LL bean catalog and see their results.:thumbup:

 

[craig]

Personally shooting down on the subject is tough. It may be necessary in this case. Hanging pants and keeping them perfectly flat could get tedious. If you really want to get silly figure out a way to raise the merchandise off of the background this will create a nice shadow so it does not look so one dimensional.

Love & Bass

 

[whymzy]

Wow Thanks! You just made me think of something obvious that we have an apparatus that you can lay in and go upside down in. It is to help with back relief, but it has a nice lattice that I can attach white paper and then lay the pants on (perhaps with a couple of hidden tacks in the pockets! It would do it graduated enough not to slide, but hold flat.... hmmmmm. I'll try that on the next big item.
Did socks today, still the same lighting problem. We can photoshop it lighter. I'm glad the graphics guy loves photoshop (addict maybe!)