Align with photo during photography

[Coffeebot]

I'm taking product photos of some hats which require changing some accessories during the shoot. However, the client wants the hat to be identical in each image. Is there a way to overlay images (kind of ghosting or something) during photography so you can keep them aligned?

CAMERA: Ricoh GXR
PC: Mac
Let me know if there is other info needed.

Thanks.

 

[tirediron]

Do you mean identical position-wise, or the same hat, or ?

 

[Coffeebot]

Hi tirediron.
So I have one hat with several hat bands. I put on a band, take a pic, and then change the band. Each time I change a hat band, I have to reposition the hat, and it's often off from the previous images. Also, we end up getting a different color hat later, and I must reuse the already photographed bands (in Photoshop) on the new hat. A little angle difference makes the bands not line up properly. ( sorry if it's hard to understand. )

 

[tirediron]

Okay, I think I've got it. Yes, you could do this in software by photographing the hat once, and then compositing the band on to it as a separate layer, but I think it would be easier to simply come up with a way to place the hat in the same position each time; maybe use part of a styrofoam wig stand and some registry marks? That would take much less time and everything would look 'correct'.

 

[Light Guru]

Sounds like 3D modeling is a better solution then regular photography.

 

[Coffeebot]

I never thought of making a register. That's a great idea. I'll try that next time.
Thanks tirediron

 

[Coffeebot]

Sounds like 3D modeling is a better solution then regular photography.

When I get home, I'll post a pic of what I'm doing to give an idea.

 

[CygnusStudios]

Okay, I think I've got it. Yes, you could do this in software by photographing the hat once, and then compositing the band on to it as a separate layer, but I think it would be easier to simply come up with a way to place the hat in the same position each time; maybe use part of a styrofoam wig stand and some registry marks? That would take much less time and everything would look 'correct'.

We did a product shoot of hats years ago and this is exactly what we did. Cut the styrofoam head at the point where it doesn't show, lock the "head" in place, and then use stick pins or hot glue to keep the hat in place and replace the bands between shots. Very quick, very simple and the hat never moves.

 

[Didereaux]

Presuming you are shooting on a plain background back and bottom. Put light pencil marks at 3 or 4 points around the hat. When you replace the hat each time simply match its placement to those lines. In post you clone out those tiny marks.

 

[407370]

Sounds like 3D modeling is a better solution then regular photography.

Did someone say 3D hat model.....

Actually the glue sounds like a better idea.

 

[Coffeebot]

Wow, thanks everyone who's been replying.
At the moment, using registration marks might be the easiest way for me. What I was really hoping was if there was a way to do something like a Live Overlay with a tethered camera during the shoot, to reposition what the viewfinder sees, on top of a previously taken photo.

Anywhere, here are some of what I've shot in the past for them. Notice that they're pretty close, but not exactly lined up.

 

[dennybeall]

Easiest would be to lock the hat down in one position. Most fun would be too take one hat picture and multiple hat band pictures on a blank hat form. Then put them together in the pc using Photoshop.

 

[Coffeebot]

Hey dennybeall, yeah, I think what I'm going to do is just end up making some kind of armature to position points that I can line up with.

As for the second option, I do that quite a lot, but just a slight difference in angle makes the time spent in Photoshop fiddling with the image such a waste compared to just changing the pieces on the day of the shoot.

407370-
Cool 3D hat. I love 3D. I'm a Lightwave guy since 1998.

 

[drveede76]

If you have a Canon camera, magic lantern has a ghost image feature.