In need of suggesions for improving product shots

davesnothere11 · Jan 28, 2012

Here is a collage of some product shots I have done for my wife. She makes "suncatchers" and wanted me to do photos for her to post on a website. I am wondering if I could get suggestions to improve my efforts. I used a light box with fleece background with clamp lights and GE Reveal lightbulbs ( budgetwise that is what I have for now so please don't say buy better lights ). I put the shots together so you need only look at one photo but numbered them if that helps also.

One of my goals was to get the photo right "in camera" as much as possible to minimize processing to cropping and curves adjustments since I am working with a lot of pieces. I under exposed the black background ones (about 1.5 stops) and over exposed the white background ones (about 2 stops) to help get the color of the background right "in camera". White balance was done with a grey card.

So thanks for looking and if you can offer a suggestion for improvement, please do.

samples by davesnothere11, on Flickr

EIngerson · Jan 28, 2012

What do you not like about them? From what I see, they are sharp. clear and show the product accurately.

Derrel · Jan 28, 2012

Those look nice. I especially like #4, and #5 a bit less. The salmon design in #4 is just super! Exposures look pretty good, and the -1.5 and +2.0 is about right for metering offset. All I'd say is I'd like to see a bit more of a close-up of the charm at the end...The smaller, seed beads that come down are kind of unimportant, and yet, hey take up almost 1/3 of each photo, so maybe a better way might be to show them laying down, coiled, so that the charm and the more major beadwork is in the foreground, and is shown from "closer-up". I dunno...I've never seen this type of beadwork photographed before, but my brain wants to see MORE of the charm and the major beads, and I don;t care about the seed beads at the top. You could also show the overall view (like you show here), and then individual close-ups of the charms and lower beads...that'd work too.

davesnothere11 · Jan 28, 2012

Thanks for looking.

Derrel said:
Those look nice. I especially like #4, and #5 a bit less. The salmon design in #4 is just super! Exposures look pretty good, and the -1.5 and +2.0 is about right for metering offset. All I'd say is I'd like to see a bit more of a close-up of the charm at the end...The smaller, seed beads that come down are kind of unimportant, and yet, hey take up almost 1/3 of each photo, so maybe a better way might be to show them laying down, coiled, so that the charm and the more major beadwork is in the foreground, and is shown from "closer-up". I dunno...I've never seen this type of beadwork photographed before, but my brain wants to see MORE of the charm and the major beads, and I don;t care about the seed beads at the top. You could also show the overall view (like you show here), and then individual close-ups of the charms and lower beads...that'd work too.

You describe exactly what I wanted to do but was instructed by my wife that she wanted the overall look. Maybe I can change her mind.

sparks017 · Jan 28, 2012

If anything have the overall look like your wife is asking and then take a closer image for more detail. Maybe make the more detailed image a square and combine the two in a collage in photoshop. That way you get the best of both worlds.

davesnothere11 · Jan 28, 2012

sparks017 said:
If anything have the overall look like your wife is asking and then take a closer image for more detail. Maybe make the more detailed image a square and combine the two in a collage in photoshop. That way you get the best of both worlds.

Good suggestion.

Derrel · Jan 28, 2012

davesnothere11 said:
You describe exactly what I wanted to do but was instructed by my wife that she wanted the overall look. Maybe I can change her mind.

You sound like you've been married for 'a while', and yet, not 'for a long time'. I'm pretty sure you know what I mean by that. lol

Yes, an overall look + a close-up would be great.

davesnothere11 · Jan 28, 2012

Derrel said:
You sound like you've been married for 'a while', and yet, not 'for a long time'. I'm pretty sure you know what I mean by that. lol

Yes, an overall look + a close-up would be great.

Oh I know what you mean. "Change her mind" was said with MUCH sarcasm intended.

davesnothere11 · Jan 28, 2012

Here's a sample based on feedback. Better, good, zoom in more?

DSC_0016_with closeup by davesnothere11, on Flickr

sparks017 · Jan 28, 2012

davesnothere11 said:
Here's a sample based on feedback. Better, good, zoom in more?

DSC_0016_with closeup by davesnothere11, on Flickr

I like that maybe make more of a distinction between the two photos, maybe a soft grey line just so it doesn't seem like it was the same photo of a bead charm and a larger bead charm.

sparks017 · Jan 28, 2012

Also if you are going to have the bigger beads, maybe not crop off the top one, if anything zoom out a little more and crop the seed beads instead of the bigger beads which are one of the main details.

printsnpaints · Feb 22, 2012

I think you're getting closer with the updated shot. I think you can have just the close-up shots, especially if you have a few images of the dream catchers set up, like in a window or something, so that people can see how they look in real life.

webrotate360 · Feb 23, 2012

I think the last closeup shot seems a bit too soft closer to the bottom on the cropped image. I would also want to play with LED lights and try to bring more sparkle to the glass stones and highlight more of the shapes on that green large stone in the middle. Jewelry often takes enormous amount of post production. If you are trying to avoid it (e.g keep the black background underexposed to the point where it doesn't need to be retouched, etc) this may be be quite limiting.

davisphotos · Mar 5, 2012

As an overall shot, they are good. I would suggest laying them flat on a surface, and artfully arranging the chain and shooting from a slightly lower angle with a shallower depth of field, with the charm in focus.

davesnothere11 · Mar 5, 2012

Thanks for all the suggestions.

My wife wants the straight on exact representation rather than an art shot. I've taken to doing an overall shot and a close up of the main lower section combined with a neutral border and neutral dividing line.

She's happy, so I'm happy.