I am new at product shots and I have been working on some test shots for the last few days. I could really use some advice, thoughts and opinions. Product shots could be in my very near future and I want to show a small portfolio to give an example of my work.
I am very new at this and doing the best I can. Any words of wisedom will be extermely helpful.
Someone suggested using a background. I am not sure about using a background. I really want to Showcase the product and not the background, or have the product lost in the background.
The shots I take of actual products will be used in Shows, on a website, as well as portfolio work for the artist.
If I were you, I'd spend some more time looking at jewelry on-line. Go to the larger retailers and see what it is that people are showing.. tiffany's, tag heuer, etc.
The one thing that I notice outright is the lack of specular highlights. The gems need little shiny spots. I find a sparkle in a gem or two to be very enticing. Right now, they all look kindof dull. The other thing, is the angle you are shooting at. All of these look like I am looking down on a table top...not to say that is terrible. I just got bored with the angle after the first two or three images.
Someone else mentioned the looking down aspect as well. I have a small wooden stool that fits into my Light tent perfectly and brings the product up to about waist height. Which seems so far to be a good level.
Specular Highlights, There may not be alot of items in the way of Gems.. (Diamonds, Rubies, Emeralds and so for) I will be working more with natural elements. Turquoise, lapis, stones and sort, will they still need Specular Highlights?
I will take a look around online as you suggested and see what I can see. Thank you so much.
I'm by no means an expert on jewelry shots, but what caught my eye is the depth-of-field, leading to parts of them being out of focus. I would think that to show the details of the jewelry, they should be tack-sharp from front to back - which means increasing the f-stop to gain depth of field (and hope you have enough depth so you don't need a tilt-shift lens).
Yes, I was noticing that, while looking through Tiffany's. I will have to work on the sharp sharp focus by getting in closer without zooming in to 55MM.
I suggest reading "Light -- Science & Magic" it explains in great detail how, and why, to light shiny surfaces. It takes much more than a tent and a couple of lights to get good jewelry pictures.
In your watch picture, the uncontrolled reflections are distracting and wash out the details in the bright spots.
In the 2nd pix, the focus seems to be in the middle of the necklace, neither end is sharp. If you are using incandescent lights, you will have much difficulty achieving the f/11 aperture needed to get the needed depth of field.
You can lessen your depth of field requirement for the long necklaces by arranging them differently or by shooting from a higher angle.
Shiny objects need specular highlights to define their shape and material, but those highlights have to be controlled so they do not dominate or distract.
Close up photography requires substantial depth of field, i.e., small apertures. You can get there with high ISO, long shutter speed, or lots of light.
This carving is polished stone, and still requires specular highlights to show the shape and texture. They aren't just for gems.
http://gallery.photo.net/photo/6908345-lg.jpg
Taken with a Canon 30D and EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro lit w/ 3 strobes and a reflector.
cwebster wrote:
I suggest reading "Light -- Science & Magic" it explains in great detail how, and why, to light shiny surfaces. It takes much more than a tent and a couple of lights to get good jewelry pictures.
In your watch picture, the uncontrolled reflections are distracting and wash out the details in the bright spots.
In the 2nd pix, the focus seems to be in the middle of the necklace, neither end is sharp. If you are using incandescent lights, you will have much difficulty achieving the f/11 aperture needed to get the needed depth of field.
You can lessen your depth of field requirement for the long necklaces by arranging them differently or by shooting from a higher angle.
Shiny objects need specular highlights to define their shape and material, but those highlights have to be controlled so they do not dominate or distract.
Close up photography requires substantial depth of field, i.e., small apertures. You can get there with high ISO, long shutter speed, or lots of light.
This carving is polished stone, and still requires specular highlights to show the shape and texture. They aren't just for gems.
Taken with a Canon 30D and EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro lit w/ 3 strobes and a reflector.
Interesting you mention that book.. It's the Textbook for a class I will be taking at the college. Starting the 26th.
I was trying to keep away from too high of an ISO In case the images would be printed in a large format (20X30) for Shows or exhibits of the artists work. I didn't want the grain in the image. No harm in trying it out though to get the right image.
Thank you for your help and advice. I will sit down with this book and give a going over.
What are you shooting? There's no EXIF and you mention zooming out to 55mm, so I hope you're not using the kit lens. From what I've read, you'll need a good macro lens to get the sharpness needed.
For portraits, too much sharpness is bad (think pores!) but for products, I don't think you can be too sharp.
