Recreating overcast outdoor light indoors

[themamayada]

I work with artisans to take photos of their creations for Etsy, blogs, print, etc. I am more of a marketer who ends up taking photos, as opposed to a real photographer I have a Canon Rebel T2, a decent sized lightbox & a Cowboy Studio 320 W strobe/flash/softbox (two) setup for my use. Plus Photoshop. I have found that taking photos of the creations outside, against a building, creates a photographic "look" that the artisans like and help sells the product. With winter weather approaching, this is no longer feasible. How can I recreate that nice white overcast lighting indoors? I can purchase more equipment besides the strobe flashes that I have, but I have no idea what to purchase. This product photography is all I will ever be doing in the upcoming year or so (no portraits, no artsy stuff). Attached are photos of my outdoor lighting sample and the indoor lighting sample. The indoor one has harsh shadows plus doesn't show off the product as-is. The outdoor photo looks exactly like the product is in real-life. Help? Much appreciated.

 

[cgipson1]

Overcast lighting is just soft lighting! Soft shadows! Easily done with large scrims, softboxes, etc....

if you don't know this... I question that you should be be "working", unless you are doing it for free!

 

[Mully]

One works better ....just open it up some ...not too much

 

[themamayada]

cgipson1:

Working for free? Why, I received 10 million dollars for taking a photo of that $5.99 bent metal tree with glitter and bells on it that I attached to the message. Should I have charged more?

I am looking for help. Not insults. This is a beginners forum, isn't it? I don't need someone so advanced as you are telling me it is so "easily done" and telling me I should be "working for free." Did you even look at the examples I posted?

Specific product recommendations would help instead. e.g. you need to also buy a continuous lighting kit. Or setup guidelines like - if you are placing your tripod 5 feet in front of the object, then I would suggest placing your strobe kit 15 feet away and turn it down to the lowest setting to rid those shadows.

Overcast lighting is just soft lighting! Soft shadows! Easily done with large scrims, softboxes, etc....

if you don't know this... I question that you should be be "working", unless you are doing it for free!

 

[themamayada]

Mully -

Thank you very much. I'll play with just the one. Just got the strobe kit yesterday, so I haven't figured out all it can do. Are there any other guidelines such as placing it x amount of feet away from the object? I also have a series of material at my disposal. Should I diffuse the light perhaps by draping something in front of it?

Thanks again!

 

[cgipson1]

cgipson1:

Working for free? Why, I received 10 million dollars for taking a photo of that $5.99 bent metal tree with glitter and bells on it that I attached to the message. Should I have charged more?

I am looking for help. Not insults. This is a beginners forum, isn't it? I don't need someone so advanced as you are telling me it is so "easily done" and telling me I should be "working for free." Did you even look at the examples I posted?

Specific product recommendations would help instead. e.g. you need to also buy a continuous lighting kit. Or setup guidelines like - if you are placing your tripod 5 feet in front of the object, then I would suggest placing your strobe kit 15 feet away and turn it down to the lowest setting to rid those shadows.

Overcast lighting is just soft lighting! Soft shadows! Easily done with large scrims, softboxes, etc....

if you don't know this... I question that you should be be "working", unless you are doing it for free!

It is basic knowledge that any "pro" would have... I have a problem with amateurs that charge for poor work, and expect us to teach them how to shoot. And if you are getting paid, why are you in the Beginner's forum?

 

[themamayada]

Cgipson1, you are yet again insulting instead of helping. I certainly never asked for you to teach me how to shoot, for you chose to hit reply on your own volition regarding my question about lighting. I never said anything about getting paid, hyperbole aside. You dance around all sorts of non-photography-lighting issues without, still after 2 replies, never actually answering an apparently very basic photography-lighting question in a beginners-photography forum.

cgipson1:

Working for free? Why, I received 10 million dollars for taking a photo of that $5.99 bent metal tree with glitter and bells on it that I attached to the message. Should I have charged more?

I am looking for help. Not insults. This is a beginners forum, isn't it? I don't need someone so advanced as you are telling me it is so "easily done" and telling me I should be "working for free." Did you even look at the examples I posted?

Specific product recommendations would help instead. e.g. you need to also buy a continuous lighting kit. Or setup guidelines like - if you are placing your tripod 5 feet in front of the object, then I would suggest placing your strobe kit 15 feet away and turn it down to the lowest setting to rid those shadows.

Overcast lighting is just soft lighting! Soft shadows! Easily done with large scrims, softboxes, etc....

if you don't know this... I question that you should be be "working", unless you are doing it for free!

It is basic knowledge that any "pro" would have... I have a problem with amateurs that charge for poor work, and expect us to teach them how to shoot. And if you are getting paid, why are you in the Beginner's forum?

 

[Derrel]

Yeah, that's a pretty fair assessment of what he's done...

That's his style...he gets all offended when noobs shoot for money...that's one of his 'things'...

 

[Mully]

Bounce some light off the ceiling keeping it soft. Overcast days produce little shadow so that is the look you want.

 

[cgipson1]

Cgipson1, you are yet again insulting instead of helping. I certainly never asked for you to teach me how to shoot, for you chose to hit reply on your own volition regarding my question about lighting. I never said anything about getting paid, hyperbole aside. You dance around all sorts of non-photography-lighting issues without, still after 2 replies, never actually answering an apparently very basic photography-lighting question in a beginners-photography forum.

cgipson1:

Working for free? Why, I received 10 million dollars for taking a photo of that $5.99 bent metal tree with glitter and bells on it that I attached to the message. Should I have charged more?

I am looking for help. Not insults. This is a beginners forum, isn't it? I don't need someone so advanced as you are telling me it is so "easily done" and telling me I should be "working for free." Did you even look at the examples I posted?

Specific product recommendations would help instead. e.g. you need to also buy a continuous lighting kit. Or setup guidelines like - if you are placing your tripod 5 feet in front of the object, then I would suggest placing your strobe kit 15 feet away and turn it down to the lowest setting to rid those shadows.

It is basic knowledge that any "pro" would have... I have a problem with amateurs that charge for poor work, and expect us to teach them how to shoot. And if you are getting paid, why are you in the Beginner's forum?

I did answer it... Soft Lighting (google it!) ... Scrims (google it!) ... softboxes (google it!) So there! That should be more than enough for anyone with any experience at all to go on....

 

[themamayada]

Thank you for the explanation Derrel. I joined this forum yesterday and made my first post today. Can you imagine my surprise when I saw his response? What a way to welcome a new member to the forum, eh?

Yeah, that's a pretty fair assessment of what he's done...

That's his style...he gets all offended when noobs shoot for money...that's one of his 'things'...

 

[themamayada]

Thank you Mully! Now that makes sense!

Bounce some light off the ceiling keeping it soft. Overcast days produce little shadow so that is the look you want.

 

[cgipson1]

Bounce some light off the ceiling keeping it soft. Overcast days produce little shadow so that is the look you want.

and if the venue has 20 or 30 foot tall ceilings (coliseum or something?) Or a really ugly color green on the ceilings?

 

[themamayada]

Thank you for answering. Since I sew, I made several scrims or diffusers as I call them with drapery rods and various materials. And as mentioned in my original post, I already have two 320W strobe flashes inside soft boxes. I am curious if a continuous lighting source is a better option though instead of the strobes that I have? And if so, is there a particular type or manufacturer I should look at?

I did answer it... Soft Lighting (google it!) ... Scrims (google it!) ... softboxes (google it!) So there! That should be more than enough for anyone with any experience at all to go on....

 

[JAC526]

If you have windows take a bedsheet and put it over the window. If you have direct sunlight coming in the window the bedsheet will soften the hard sunlight and make it behave like an overcast day.

If you don't have direct sunlight coming through the window just put your strobes outside and shoot through the bedsheet for a similar effect.