Outfit from above project

[devex90]

Hello everyone,

i am writing on this forum because i am a beginner with regards to everything related to photography, especially product photography.

right now i would like to start a little project that consist in creating still life menswear outfits and shoot them from above; my point of reference and inspiration is @thepacman82, an instagram influencer that i consider the very best in this field; feel free to have a look at his feed in order to better understand what i am talking about
Phil Cohen (@thepacman82) • Instagram photos and videos
(i have no intention to become an influencer or one of his competitor; i own a very small fashion brand in italy and i just want to create outfits using my collections)

getting to the point; what kind of equipment should i buy if i want to create these kind of pictures (basically in my house).
- lights?
- softboxes?
- reflectors?
- light stands?
- camera tripod? which height?
- photography floors?
- which camera is the best considering that i am on a strict budget? i currently own a Nikon coolpix L340

thanks very much in advance
any advice is really appreciated

 

[photo1x1.com]

Hi,
are you trying to create these shots for your website, I'd try to do all the shots with the same background (and same lighting).
What you need in regard to lights depends if you want to go budget, or work with a professional budget.

The budget route would be:
1 external flash and a white wall plus ceiling. Bounce the flash onto the wall in the upper third (1,80m) ponting upwards. That would use the wall as a softbox, plus the ceiling as a fill light.
Place the outfits on the floor (start very close to the wall for less shadows and get further away if you want more) and shoot 90° down.

You can handhold the camera, or attach it to something. A regular tripod will be difficult to use because you'd photograph the tripod legs. A "superclamp" with a ballhead will attach to almost anything, icluding a DIY solution that would install a horizontal bar right above your setting to hold the camera.

For a camera get one with an articulating monitor so that you can view the setting from every side. The higher you get up and away with the camera from your setting and zoom in, the more natural and undistorted it will look. If you can trigger the external flash with your camera, you can start experimentig with it. But don't let the internal flash fire straight at the setting. Cover it with something, so that it will only fire back towards the ceiling. That should trigger flashes with light sensitive sensors that would act as slaves.
You'll have to set the camera and the flash manually and experiment with the settings. A good start should be ISO400, f5.6 and 1/100th, external flash at full power. If the image is too bright, reduce first the ISO until you reach 100. If it is still too bright (which I highly doubt), gradually bring up the f-number.

As a background you can use anything from white paper to old wood or parquet floor leftovers from ebay or wherever, brown crinkled packing paper,...

That's the budget route that will bring you 90% of the way. On the other hand you can spend 1.000s of € or £ or $ to get the 100%. Including a heavy studio tripod, and lots of lights and a full frame camera.

Show us your results if you don't mind .

 

[Derrel]

Hello everyone,

still life menswear outfits and shoot them from above;
Phil Cohen (@thepacman82) • Instagram photos and videos

getting to the point; what kind of equipment should i buy if i want to create these kind of pictures (basically in my house).
- lights?
- softboxes?
- reflectors?
- light stands?
- camera tripod? which height?
- photography floors?
- which camera is the best considering that i am on a strict budget? i currently own a Nikon coolpix L340

thanks very much in advance

Studio electronic flash unit, 150 Watt-second, with 100 to 250 Watt modeling bulb for easy focusing.

Largish but not too large umbrella; 48-inch soft white vinyl interior umbrella would be okay. The soft, while, VINYL interior finish is the best for this: low specularity, low reflections off of wooden floor panel sets.

Alternately, a 48 x 60 inch softbox with white interior.

Light stands: heavy duty is best! Since shooting on floor, no need for much height.

Camera: needs to be mounted squared-up properly in relation to shooting area...an "arm" mounted to a very sturdy camera stand would be nice (but very expensive!), but you could also use two ladders side-by-side, and a board, and a ballhead screwed into the board.

4 large 48-inch long FoamCore boards, + tape and clamps, etc.

Shoot on the floor, with camera between the ladders.

"flooring" like this is the new normal.

Camera? Whatever you can afford.

 

[Advanced Photo]

It would be more interesting to do something not already done. Find a new way to express yourself.