Basic Lighting Equipment for Small Scale Shoot

[Jihanemo]

Hello, all. I run an ecommerce website for men's and women's sunglasses. I need to start taking pictures of the merchandise using professional lighting equipment. These won't be white stock photos - the sunglasses will be worn by a mannequin. I need lighting equipment but I'm not sure what terminology/items to use and ask for when shopping for this equipment. I imagine that I will probably need a backdrop but it shouldn't be too large. What about small lighting lamps? Umbrellas and such? The photo shoots will be small scale - I'll just be taking pictures of a mannequin wearing sunglasses but I'd like the photos to look professional and well lit.

Can you guys create a basic list of equipment for me?

 

[Andy5D]

much u charge me for a set of ray bans ? lol

 

[tirediron]

The first question is: What's your budget? The next is: how large a space do you have to dedicate to this? Third: Will all the shots be identical, or will you change background/lighting/etc from image to image? Are you using or do you have access to either a DSLR or at leash a high-end point and shoot with a hot-shoe?

Basic equipment list will probably be: Two monolights, two umbrellas, backround stand and background(s), and remote trigger.

Your best bet will be to do some on-line researach to find out what sort of 'look' you want, and then reverse-engineer the lighting with the help of one of a few hundred on-line locations or books from your local library. Once you get the basics sorted out, it won't be difficult.

 

[Patrice]

Since you will be using static mannequins you do not need to use studio flashes. Cheap speedlights with inexpensive umbrellas would be fine along with inexpensive optical triggers or even sync wires. Also quite feasible and inexpensive are either studio hot lights or 250w halogen work lights. Diffusers will be useful if using work lights. Get your white balance worked out and you're good to go. Varied and inexpensive backdrops can be found at discount fabric shops. This works well for head/shoulder framing since you don't need very wide. A simple backdrop hanging rod can be improvised from a shower curtain rod.

 

[Jihanemo]

Thanks for the suggestions guys. Very appreciated.

My budget is $150. I'm an extreme photography novice - DSLR? Digital SLR? The camera is actually another issue as well but I've decided just handle that instore @ B&H photo in NYC. I am definitely getting a new one...

I've tried finding a product photography example of the look I'm creating... can't find one. But the look isn't terribly important. I just want enough lighting and exact color of the product...

I always have problems w/ color - I have an old little digital camera that I've been using for the shots and it just can't get color right. In the future, I don't want to have to adjust the camera settings too much or photoshop the photos. Little tweaks here or there are okay w/ me but I found myself doing a lot of tweaking. When it comes to the color of your shot, is that more an issue of your camera? Or lighting? Or could it be both? I used to use these sort of hot lamps to light the setting - the bulbs gave off a yellowish tint... threw everything off...

 

[kundalini]

My budget is $150.

Did you miss adding a zero on the end?

 

[tirediron]

Thanks for the suggestions guys. Very appreciated.

My budget is $150...

Ummm... you're going to get precisely nowhere with that budget. Your best bet will be to get a couple of halogen floor-lamps with flexible necks, and use some posterboard for reflectors.

 

[bigtwinky]

Thanks for the suggestions guys. Very appreciated.

My budget is $150. I'm an extreme photography novice - DSLR? Digital SLR? The camera is actually another issue as well but I've decided just handle that instore @ B&H photo in NYC. I am definitely getting a new one...

I've tried finding a product photography example of the look I'm creating... can't find one. But the look isn't terribly important. I just want enough lighting and exact color of the product...

I always have problems w/ color - I have an old little digital camera that I've been using for the shots and it just can't get color right. In the future, I don't want to have to adjust the camera settings too much or photoshop the photos. Little tweaks here or there are okay w/ me but I found myself doing a lot of tweaking. When it comes to the color of your shot, is that more an issue of your camera? Or lighting? Or could it be both? I used to use these sort of hot lamps to light the setting - the bulbs gave off a yellowish tint... threw everything off...

and that my friend is why people hire professionals to do professional work
the equipment is a major investment and the knowledge can take years to get.

i know this isnt helpful, but for an entry level body you are talking $700. A decent lens is $700. You can maybe get by with $400.
then the lights, stands, boxes, modifiers, etc are easily another $500

then you have to figure out how to actually use these things. the last thing you want is your product images looking amaturish.

No disrespect to you intended, but its thoughts like you have that are seriously killing the photography industry. Not just products and commercial work, but the $400 wedding shooters as well. I just read from a friend that a guy he knows who shoots shows for a somewhat prominent music magazine is no longer using freelancers and are hiring a few interns to shoot.

 

[Village Idiot]

Since you will be using static mannequins you do not need to use studio flashes. Cheap speedlights with inexpensive umbrellas would be fine along with inexpensive optical triggers or even sync wires. Also quite feasible and inexpensive are either studio hot lights or 250w halogen work lights. Diffusers will be useful if using work lights. Get your white balance worked out and you're good to go. Varied and inexpensive backdrops can be found at discount fabric shops. This works well for head/shoulder framing since you don't need very wide. A simple backdrop hanging rod can be improvised from a shower curtain rod.

The only problem I see with this is that the modeling lamps would be extremely helpful for product photography, especially where you're photographing a highly reflective surface. And you can find cheap studio lights for not much more than speedlights. Yes, they are indeed cheap, but they will do the job.

And in my opinion, the OP needs a budget of at least $500 for this.

Edit: And with the OP being a self professed noob, I doubt he has much, if any experience at all with manual settings and how they correlate to lighting along with how to deal with reflections and polarized light.

 

[Jihanemo]

Thank you, Patricia, for that advice. I think I'll definitely opt for the curtain rod fixture. Yesterday, I went to a fabric shop and actually had them cut up a piece of rug-like material just wide enough to fit inside my softbox. Looks great. Thank you for that!