need help with product photography

[dilir]

hi guys
in 3 or 4 weeks time im going to be starting some product photography for a family friend. his company makes and paints small porcelain boxes and ornaments, no bigger than 5 inches tall or wide, and the shots im taking would be for a catalogue or possibly a website. just looking for some advice on lighting set ups to try out and a rough ideas of pricing. his current photographer charges him £2000 for photographing all of the products and getting them printed but im not sure how many copies of the catalogue that covers. i have a canon 40d, 3 interfit studio lights with softboxes, a basic kit lens, a 55-200mm tamron lens and a fixed 50mm macro lens and also a small tabletop product table. any help would be greatly appreciated

 

[davisphotos]

Where to start....small porcelain objects are going to be some of the hardest things to photograph, you will find it is very tricky to light them well and control the lighting enough to show the details of the painting. My best suggestion would be to get the softboxes as close in as possible, and get some small pieces of foamcore to help bounce light in to areas that need it, or block the light from parts of the box that are getting too much light. You will probably want to use the 50mm macro on these items. Good luck!

 

[Big Mike]

Get the book 'Light: Science & Magic'.

 

[Kolander]

This may help: The First Studio LiteIgloo

 

[Christie Photo]

This may help: The First Studio LiteIgloo

Yes... this ^^^^^^^^

and a can of dulling spray.

-Pete

 

[Big Mike]

This may help: The First Studio LiteIgloo

Great link. The product (light tent) can be very useful, but I love all the examples and 'how to' type stuff. Especially the progression from bad lighting to good lighting.

I still recommend the book, as it will teach you the principles involved. So that you know when and why, you might use a product like that.

 

[gsgary]

2 lights with 7" reflectors shot through opal perspex Opal Perspex Acrylic Sheet 3mm - The Perspex Shop

 

[Overread]

This may help: The First Studio LiteIgloo

Those things are lethal to open. Mine at least half explodes out at me when taken from compact storage to fullsize mode

 

[gsgary]

This may help: The First Studio LiteIgloo

Those things are lethal to open. Mine at least half explodes out at me when taken from compact storage to fullsize mode

Those things make it too easy

 

[Overread]

They are rather good though when one hasn't got umbrellas/softboxes and lighting stands and somewhere to put them all


Asides last I saw you had digital medium format! You can't do anything easy once you've subscribed to that level of pro status

 

[gsgary]

They are rather good though when one hasn't got umbrellas/softboxes and lighting stands and somewhere to put them all


Asides last I saw you had digital medium format! You can't do anything easy once you've subscribed to that level of pro status

Not digital, film

 

[Overread]

But I was sure I saw a Kodak digi thing

 

[Kolander]

Those things are lethal to open. Mine at least half explodes out at me when taken from compact storage to fullsize mode

Then you must wear a helmet when opening a 5 feet reflector!

 

[Kolander]

Get the book 'Light: Science & Magic'.

Yes indeed, one of the best books on lighting "Learn about the light and the science, the magic will happen".

 

[gsgary]

But I was sure I saw a Kodak digi thing

Thats my friends i have use of if i want