My commercial pictures.. lighting or photoshop?

[jessinwa]

I have been doing product photography for a short while. With lack of good lighting or a studio I've had to do TONS in photoshop I recently picked up the MyStudio (bad idea?) to at least have a good surface to shoot, but I still think the lighting is not coming out bright enough. Most photos need an infinity white background for catalogs etc.

Below is one of my examples. I tried doing some basic photoshop stuff but too much and the colors on the jars and in the jars wash out. Any suggestions would be GREATLY suggested. Should I use just a ton more lighting, a brighter flash or is there an easier way to get rid of the gray background (yes I set white balance but this is still what I got). Is there something inexpensive I can buy to help with my little studio's lighting? I take pictures of these jars a LOT. lol

 

[Jaszek]

actually you should use less lighting/decrease exposure time for them not to be washed out. If you shoot in RAW it might be possible to fix in PP

 

[KmH]

You don't need more light, you need bigger light. The larger your light source the softer the shadows will be.

IMO your jars should be sitting on a light table.

Your client will love you if you make certain the labels in the front row are square to the viewer and not pointed off to one side or the other, like they are in this image.

 

[jessinwa]

Thanks for the advice.

KmH this was a quick shot that I didn't plan for them to use so I wasn't super careful about label placement but they loved it and ended up using it anyway. How much are light tables? Is there an inexpensive way of getting or making one?

Jaszek - I'll definitely try shorting exposure time and not using the flash and see how it turns out.

 

[dakkon76]

For a shot like this, since it's more to focus on a product rather than be an artistic shot... maybe try some focus stacking so that the entire product is in focus?

 

[Jeffro]

maybe it is my eye but it looks like everything is slowly sliding to the right?

 

[musicaleCA]

Nope, it's not just you. The front row indeed looks a little slanted.

One could also potentially add a reflector for some fill from directly overhead. And if not that, then a few sheets of paper will do the trick in a pinch. That may help soften those shadows even more.

As for cheap, white stuff to shoot against, tracing paper works pretty well.

You may also want to consider making your own variation of this $10 DIY Macro Studio on Strobist. I have yet to try it myself, but one can't argue with the results. (You can get more reflectance out of the top and side opposite the flash by adding more paper.)

 

[KmH]

.... How much are light tables? Is there an inexpensive way of getting or making one?....

They are easy to make and there are many tutorials online.

 

[smadab]

You should check out Light: Science and Magic. It discusses lighting with respect to reflection, surface type, backgrounds etc... An excellent source for the information you're seeking.