Product Photography - C & C *needed*

[Lazy Photographer]

I'm trying my hand at more product photography with my home made light box. A friend asked me to shoot some products for his packaging label company. I'm charging a minimal rate, considering I don't really have the proper gear.

Frankly, with the gear I've got it's more trouble than it's worth. What I need is some proper lighting and a table and backdrop. I am just not sure of what equipment makes the most sense, both financially and for getting the job done. I'm sure this has been talked about plenty, but if anyone has any thoughts on it, that would be great.

My thinking is to buy a stand for a roll of backdrop paper and then draw the paper down and across a table. I would then use a couple of soft boxes to light the product. Does that make sense? I've watched a couple of youtube video tutorials and that's what others are doing.

Anyway, any thoughts or advice would be greatly appreciated. Here's my first shot. Feel free to take a big steaming "you know what" on it, but if you do then please offer some advice along with it.

 

[ChristinaW]

I think it looks fine to me... You can purchase product backdrops on ebay for under 150 I believe... if that helps you out?.. .

 

[LokiZ]

I am interested in this also.

Have you tried moving the product further away from the vertical background to ensure that the only shadows you have to contend with are those on the horizontal plane?

Also have you tried multiple light sources and reflectors to counter those shadows you can't avoid?

I think you are off to a good start with the gear you have so far. :thumbup:

 

[Lazy Photographer]

Thanks Christina and LokiZ. I'm shooting inside of a cardboard box that's been lined with white paper, so I have almost no flexibility around moving the products or lighting. I built my light box based on something I got off the internet when I should have used the time to research the proper way to do this.

My problem with this shot is the background simply isn't white and with how I'm doing it, it never will be. I guess I've got to splurge on the proper gear if I ever hope to get better at this.