Photos of shoes I need as much C&C as I can get Please help !

[blythe]

Hi guys,

I am just a beginner and I would like to know what I am doing wrong. I took a photo of a shoe and I want it to look like the second picture. The second picture is from a sneaker website. To be honest I don't really now how to use the items, I was just playing around with all the configurations.

I am currently using a Nikon D60 and a SB 600 / With a reflector umbrella

I took the shot with a 50mm 1.8
1/200 and F 4 The ISO was 100

the zoom on the sb600 was 24mm

Please let me know if you need any other information. I need as much help as I can get.
The second picture seems to have a lot more depth and looks a lot better.

Thanks!!!

Picture # 2

 

[nickisonfire]

chances are, the lighting in the second image wasn't done with one strobe and an umbrella, multiple lights were probably used. it's very hard to get an all around white with one light..

photoshop helps too:
i just did a quick touch up but you get the idea

 

[blythe]

How many different light sources would I need to get that result? It also seems that the picture looks a lot more crisp and detailed. What setting would I need to get the best focus? Sorry I am totally new at this.....

 

[Dao]

It could be a big softbox position on top of the shoe aiming down. And the light is strong enough to have the background blown out.

 

[adamwilliamking]

Shadows will always tell you where the light source came from. This looks like one light as the shadows are directly under the shoe, if there was another light killing the shadows, they would not be there.

 

[blythe]

So I would have to place my light source under the shoe?

 

[Ecas32]

above the shoe aiming down

 

[blythe]

thank you all for your input, any ideas on how to get the focus correct and replicate the picture? My picture doesn't really look clear, and my meter is always on the right im not exactly sure how to correct the meter so it is centered.

 

[Josh66]

The exif says you shot this at f/1.8. Try f/4 or 5.6 to get more DOF (more in focus).

To get the background white, you just need more light falling on the background than the shoe - if you expose the shoe properly, it will automatically blow out the background.
Once you get it focused where you want it, switch the lens to manual focus so it doesn't change when you take the picture.

To get the meter centered up you have to adjust some settings (aperture or shutter speed). I would set the aperture to f/4 or 5.6, and set the shutter speed to whatever it needs to be to get a good exposure. Manual mode will probably be the easiest for this.

 

[Dao]

thank you all for your input, any ideas on how to get the focus correct and replicate the picture? My picture doesn't really look clear, and my meter is always on the right im not exactly sure how to correct the meter so it is centered.

You may want to shoot it in manual mode and change the aperture to at least f/8. Put the camera on a tripod. Position the light above the shoe and aim down. I think you can try the light closer to the shoe so that the shadow is smaller.

Or, you can use a diffuse panel fitting between the umbrella and the shoe to make the light even softer.

 

[blythe]

Currently I am shooting on manual mode and I also have my camera placed on a tripod. I will try to get a desk light lamp and shine it above the shoe like suggested. What should I do with the SB 600? Should I take it off my camera or still keep it on? or maybe even use it as a secondary flash?
Also Im not exactly sure how to fix my white balance and meter. It seems that every picture I take the meter is always to the right, meaning its over exposed but I have no idea why!

 

[Dao]

Currently I am shooting on manual mode and I also have my camera placed on a tripod. I will try to get a desk light lamp and shine it above the shoe like suggested. What should I do with the SB 600? Should I take it off my camera or still keep it on? or maybe even use it as a secondary flash?
Also Im not exactly sure how to fix my white balance and meter. It seems that every picture I take the meter is always to the right, meaning its over exposed but I have no idea why!

I am sorry, the light I mean your flash on umbrella, not a desk light lamp

 

[Sherman Banks]

Also Im not exactly sure how to fix my white balance and meter. It seems that every picture I take the meter is always to the right, meaning its over exposed but I have no idea why!

Are you using any post processing programs? If you shoot RAW, you can edit white balance temperature in Adobe Camera RAW, so not a big deal to have it off. As for exposure, you might have your camera set to dynamic metering, in which case the light backdrop my be telling it it's overexposed. Set it to spot metering and have it meter just the shoe itself, maybe that will help.

 

[blythe]

thanks for all the help everyone I will take pictures tomorrow morning and try to compare. I hope to get answers from all you guys tomorrow.

THANKS AGAIN !!!!

 

[sburatorul]

here is what i managed to acomplish in five minutes with my limited pp skils

just a quick mask to select the background and set the gray as the white point in levels. and than just a little sharpen. i also preferred to keep the shadows as it gives the image depth. hope it helps.


ps: the gray on the right can be eliminated and the mask could have been a little tighter but i was in a hurry