Need advice on taking pictures of kitchens and other cabinetry for my company

[pulser9]

Ok so I have been into photography for a little while and have mainly done outdoor shooting of animals and scenic stuff and sports shooting. Well my father has a custom woodworking shop and I work for him. Well we do things ranging from custom furniture to entertainment centers and whole kitchens. Well we have recently made a website and I have realized that all the pictures aren’t very good and we also only have pictures of about 4 of the 30 kitchens we have done. Also we don’t have pictures of a lot of the really over the top kitchens and pieces that really set us over the competition. So I told me father that we will go and take pictures of a lot of the kitchens and other things we have done, and try and really give the customer the feel of what we do one our website through the pictures.

I have really no experience with indoor shooting and likes like setting up lighting and others stuff like that. The things that i have to my disposal are. Canon rebel xti. 18-55 ef lens, 75-300 ef lens,50mm 1.4 lens, 580 ex II speedlight flash, And one or 2 job site lights that I can use for directional lighting.

Here is our website now. http://tpgcabs.com/ Go to gallery and you can see the work we do and the pictures we have of some of our works now.

Please give me all the advice you can. I don’t want to let my pops down.


Thanks a ton
Kevin

 

[JerryPH]

One word... lighting.

When taking pictures of anything for commercial reasons, if you do not have the article properly lit, it will not be displayed in it's best manner.

Concentrate closely on attaining goals of getting the pic that best displays all the positive attributes of an object from the perspective of commercialism.

If after taking a picture, you can show it to 10 people and ask "would you buy this article based on that picture?" and at leat 7 say yes, you have done a good job. If 5 answer and ask "what is this a picture of?"... you've screwed up... lol.

 

[Alphaem]

Hi Kevin,
I think your photos look great. There is only so much you can do with such a large stationary subject such as a kitchen. I agree with the previous poster, that lighting is your most important consideration. Just try and avoid hot spots on the subjects and show visually in your pictures what you would explain to someone in a one on one sales situation.
Good Luck

 

[JIP]

Well honestly while the images on the site are pefectly acceptable to do anything better you are going to have to buy some better gear or hire pro to do the shooting for you. This book http://www.amazon.com/Interior-Photography-Lighting-Professional-Techniques/dp/0817440240 might help you some it is an excellent book.

 

[RyanLilly]

I think that the photos on your site are good. For doing large areas you will probably need another slave flash, about $100, also you might think about getting some close up shots of you detail work. Like a picture of a cabinet and then a close up of the detail on the corner moldings or router cuts. just to show how personalized you products are unlike mass production factory units.

 

[JIP]

Good but not great I think the book I linked to would help alot.

 

[JerryPH]

...to do anything better you are going to have to buy some better gear or hire pro to do the hooting for you.

I disagree. I don't need a book to know how to hoot. I hoot perfectly well, thank-you very much.

(just kidding around a little!)

 

[Alex_B]

Isn't Hooters one of those big breast bar things? never understood the concept really ...

 

[Iron Flatline]

You don't need a pro.

The job site lights might be a handy tool, but keep an eye on shadows. You're probably going to want to figure out a way to diffuse them.

Most rooms are small, so you're going to want to shoot with a wide-angle lens. The 18-55 will do that well enough.

USE A TRIPOD - why? Because you're going to want to shoot at a small aperture, at least f/8 or even f/11 or f/16. That means it will be a longer exposure, and the only way to avoid camera shake is to have it mounted on a tripod.

 

[Dion2020]

I disagree to you,You must have to communicate with the interior decorator because home interior decoration is focused on finishing, such as wallpaper, window covering, furnishings,paint and many other things. Aluminium pipes have need for every home because with out it flowing of water is not possible such as kitchen/bedroom,Am i right dude????

Plumbing Gold Coast