Help with shooting product pics on a rebel t2i

[Jay15]

I need to take some pics like the example below. My main concern is capturing the text clearly and having the whole picture stay in focus. Any tips or instructions would be highly appreciate.

 

[nokk]

this isn't entirely in focus, the gray ends furthest away are a little fuzzy. are you planning on shooting the product in a light box? if you don't have one then get one (they're fairly cheap). and a white background too (a cheap roll of white paper works), some of the lightboxes are made with thin material and whatever it's on can bleed through the material. do you have a light source? if you're doing this on the cheap i'd recommend two identical lamps using the same exact bulb, one set on either side outside of the lightbox. this will keep your light and color somewhat even.

what lens are you planning on using? if you're not sure then what lenses do you currently have? you can probably get away without using a tripod, but it'll make things easier if you have a lot of products to shoot.

use aperture priority and set your aperture. i'd start with f/8 and adjust from there. if everything is in focus but you need more light then make the f/# smaller like f/5.6 or f/2.8. if you need more in focus then make the f/# bigger like f/11 or f/16. this will record less light so the camera will likely compensate by leaving the shutter open longer. if you're not using a tripod it make make the whole image blurry due to camera shake.

 

[Space Face]

I wonder if that's actually an example taken by the op or a stock photo he's posted .

 

[nokk]

I wonder if that's actually an example taken by the op or a stock photo he's posted .

i kinda assumed it was a photo he found on the internet. but who knows.

 

[Space Face]

I wonder if that's actually an example taken by the op or a stock photo he's posted .

i kinda assumed it was a photo he found on the internet. but who knows.

Yeah, that's kinda what I thought.

 

[Strodav]

I picked up a collapsible photo box to do product shots: https://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics...9Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU= , which is just quicker than a table top setup.

If a higher f/stop doesn't work to get everything in focus I either prop up the product so all the parts are equidistant from the lens (careful with shadows) or do focus stacking. Good luck.

 

[Jay15]

this isn't entirely in focus, the gray ends furthest away are a little fuzzy. are you planning on shooting the product in a light box? if you don't have one then get one (they're fairly cheap). and a white background too (a cheap roll of white paper works), some of the lightboxes are made with thin material and whatever it's on can bleed through the material. do you have a light source? if you're doing this on the cheap i'd recommend two identical lamps using the same exact bulb, one set on either side outside of the lightbox. this will keep your light and color somewhat even.

what lens are you planning on using? if you're not sure then what lenses do you currently have? you can probably get away without using a tripod, but it'll make things easier if you have a lot of products to shoot.

use aperture priority and set your aperture. i'd start with f/8 and adjust from there. if everything is in focus but you need more light then make the f/# smaller like f/5.6 or f/2.8. if you need more in focus then make the f/# bigger like f/11 or f/16. this will record less light so the camera will likely compensate by leaving the shutter open longer. if you're not using a tripod it make make the whole image blurry due to camera shake.

Thanks nokk, really appreciate the help. I just ordered the light box recommended by Strodav. I will be using the lens shown in the link below and also have a tripod. The pic i included was just an example from the internet i found that shows what type of wire product i need to shoot. Do you recommend anything else to get the whole pic to stay in focus and sharp. Most of the sets are red with black writing on them.

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II Lens

 

[Jay15]

I picked up a collapsible photo box to do product shots: https://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics...9Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU= , which is just quicker than a table top setup.

If a higher f/stop doesn't work to get everything in focus I either prop up the product so all the parts are equidistant from the lens (careful with shadows) or do focus stacking. Good luck.

Thank you for the tip and light box link, just ordered one.

 

[Strodav]

I picked up a collapsible photo box to do product shots: https://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-Portable-Foldable-Photo-Studio/dp/B01GIL6EU4/ref=sr_1_7_sspa?crid=3ED0L7SNKFP89&dchild=1&keywords=collapsible+photo+box&qid=1611095167&sprefix=collapsible+photo,aps,172&sr=8-7-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExNUdONTlQS1FYMEgxJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMjg4MzkyMjY5VUNJNVdZS0I4VCZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwNDQ1MjY3M1A4MENINlNZTzVOTyZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX210ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU= , which is just quicker than a table top setup.

If a higher f/stop doesn't work to get everything in focus I either prop up the product so all the parts are equidistant from the lens (careful with shadows) or do focus stacking. Good luck.

Thank you for the tip and light box link, just ordered one.

You are going to want to buy some stuff to prop up your products when needed. I recommend foam board, which you can get at almost any hobby shop and a set of lego's to build stands. I sometimes use wooden wedges I cut from extra lumber laying around the house. Some products like jewelry look better on blue or black felt, which you can also pick up at hobby shops. Sometimes I'll use a drop or two of something like wood glue or contact adhesive to get the products to stick to my stands. All this extra stuff is pretty inexpensive. The toughest thing is always the lighting, but you'll figure it out. Another tip is to tether your camera if it has that feature. You'll be able to see your shot immediately on a larger screen, which helps with positioning / lighting. I recommend shooting raw and always use your camera's base ISO to get maximum dynamic range and color depth. Again Good luck.

 

[nokk]

Thanks nokk, really appreciate the help. I just ordered the light box recommended by Strodav. I will be using the lens shown in the link below and also have a tripod. The pic i included was just an example from the internet i found that shows what type of wire product i need to shoot. Do you recommend anything else to get the whole pic to stay in focus and sharp. Most of the sets are red with black writing on them.

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II Lens

read up a little on how your camera's autofocus works if you're unsure. things like the half shutter button press to focus, one point af or multipoint af options, back button focusing, etc.. between focusing and your aperture you should be getting sharp photos.

if you're shooting handheld your shutter speed should stay above 1/100s, anything slower than that will likely cause camera shake (it'll be blurry even if it's all in focus). if you find you're having that problem then use a tripod or increase your light.

 

[Original katomi]

Ok not had time to read all the posts
But if you are going to shoot images like the leads then they need to be on the same focal plane
Not a front to back try shooting from overhead