Speaking of product photography, it is not necessary to present thousands of images of the same type in an online store. This category includes original illustrations for reviews, photographs of hand-made products for sale on Instagram, and beautiful displays for any blogger. The main feature of product photography is simple solutions that allow you to get a good result quickly and with a minimum of additional processing, or even without it at all - recommendation from an expert photographer.
Photobox
A photobox or lightcube is the simplest accessory for product photography. It creates a shadow-free space, does not require special skills or special placement, is not expensive and, in good lighting, allows you to take high-quality photographs even on your phone.
Despite the simplicity and accessibility of a lightbox, a fabric background imposes certain requirements - the fabric must be well smoothed, and it is better to separate the subject from the background so that the texture of the fabric is not noticeable. When choosing a light cube, focus on the size of the objects you are shooting: the photo box should be significantly larger than them.
Read also: Improving photos on a smartphone
There are plastic lightboxes with built-in lighting and object tables. Such devices create a completely white background, illuminating the object from below. This is quite difficult to pull off with a fabric lightbox.
Photo background
Some problems with fabric texture can be eliminated by using plastic as a background. This could be either a special photo backdrop or something suitable, for example, an IKEA table top. White and black plastic backgrounds with a glossy and matte surface are something that is always useful in product photography.
Photo on the left: black glossy plastic, the monitor screen as the background and the only light source. In the other two photos, light from the smartphone screen is added to the light from the monitor; the background is the same plastic and glass from the first photo.
Tripod
In addition to a lightbox or stage, you will need a tripod; it will allow you to maintain the same scale and angle for all frames, and also shoot in not too bright light - in cloudy weather or using inexpensive constant light. When choosing a tripod, focus on the maximum load - the higher it is, the more stable the tripod will be, and the maximum height - you should be comfortable working with it.
Artificial light
Natural lighting is only suitable for product photography if you want to create a special mood or atmosphere for the photo. For example, you photograph a basket full of autumn harvest: apples, watermelons, plums, figs and other delicious things. Soft pre-sunset light will ideally work on the overall perception. But for cases with goods or photo reviews, daylight will not work - you will be a hostage to the time of day, weather, etc.
Artificial light is indispensable for product photography. For shooting in a lightcube with a tripod, a couple of LED lamps will be enough, but studio light will give you more options. Special lighting equipment can be continuous or pulsed.
The main advantage of constant light sources is precise lighting adjustment, because you can evaluate the placement of lighting fixtures without test shots. Pulsed light sources are triggered when the camera clicks, save energy and do not heat up the space. However, even though this light has pilot lamps, you still have to take a couple of test shots to get the perfect settings.
External flashes for cameras are also pulsed light sources. They usually do not have a modeling light, but they are compact, mobile and can be equipped with full stands and diffusers. You can also use flashes to freeze movement, such as splashing water.
What should photographic equipment be like?
Light is the main component of good subject photographs. But there are still recommendations for cameras and lenses. To obtain photographs in large format and with maximum detail, for example, to make money on photo stocks, you will need a good macro lens and a multi-megapixel camera. And an inexpensive camera with a kit lens or even a smartphone can handle shooting for social networks.
A macro lens will allow you to get the most detailed picture in any lighting, including backlighting. Budget options include Samyang lenses. What it lacks in autofocus is more than made up for in price; a 100mm focal length may seem too long for crop sensor cameras, but if you plan to shoot liquids, long focal lengths are the only way to keep your camera out of trouble.
Fresh versions from Tamron and Sigma will cost more, but working autofocus is working autofocus.
If you plan to make money by selling photos, then you can’t do without a camera with a multi-megapixel matrix. And the higher the resolution of the picture, the more expensive it costs. Currently, 30-50 megapixel images look quite ordinary.
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