who can help a newbie figure out what to buy to take good basic product pics?

[newandclueless]

I'm sooo confused. I'm not a professional photographer... I just want to be able to take decent pics of product inside... easily.

I need to take pics of cushions 36" x 54" and I need the colors to be true. What I'm doing right now with my smaller items, is dragging everything outside and using my white vinyl fence as a background (as I said not a professional). I'd like to be able to take pics inside. What lighting do I need to buy? and do I want to get a backdrop or is a light tent a better idea? is a couple of 45W bulbs good? with White Reflector Umbrellas? or do I need a (or two) softbox(es)? and is it dif lighting for the tent or the backdrop? I really don't want to spend a lot of money (I guess no one does) but I'd like to make this as easy as I can and I just can't make heads nor tails out of it and I REALLY appreciate everyones advice and direction. THanks.

and then I guess there's the settings on my camera... right now I just always have it set on auto... do I need to change that? and to what? THANKS!!

 

[KmH]

Since your product doesn't move constant lights will work just fine, because you can use longer exposure times (1 second or more).
You will need a good tripod though to use longer exposure times.

If the 45W lights you are referring to are CFL light (Compact Fluorescent) the main concern would be the color temperature of the lights, because that will affect the color of the cushions in the photos.

You will want so me pretty good size light modifiers toe make the light soft and the shadow edges diffuse.
Since your cushions are 54" you want light modifiers that are somewhat bigger than that, say 60" umbrellas.
Softboxes that big (60") will eat a lot of light and be pretty expensive.
In between umbrellas and softboxes are brollys, which is an umbrella thats front is covered by a diffusion panel.

Photoflex 60" Convertible Umbrella
Photek Softliter 60 Inch Diffused Umbrella[url]

Product photographers use lights, light modifiers, and reflectors.They use both white and black reflectors. White reflectors add light, black reflectors subtract light.
lighting is the key to good product photos.

I highly recommend the first 2/3 of this book to aspiring product photographers, because it explains product lighting fundamentals: [URL="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0240812255/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0240812255&linkCode=as2&tag=hdiumds-20"]Light Science and Magic: An Introduction to Photographic Lighting]Amazon.com: Photek Softliter 60 Inch Diffused Umbrella: Camera & Photo

As far as camera settings, it depends a lot on how much light you have to work with, but you will want to control the depth-of-field, the exposure, and the white balance:
(The white balance setting relative to your light source color temperature are how you ensure the cushion colors stay true in the photo.)
How Your Camera Works

• Understanding Digital Camera Sensors
• Understanding Camera Exposure: Aperture, ISO & Shutter Speed
• Understanding Camera Metering
• Understanding Depth of Field
• Understanding Camera Lenses: Focal Length & Aperture
• Understanding White Balance
• Understanding Camera Autofocus