Anyone Wana start a thread on product photography?

[hptay]

Harlowz,

Been day dreaming about product photography for the past few weeks... and just had this crazy idea a moment ago.

Was wondering if anyone out there would like to attempt "product" phootgraphy on a common household item and then post them in this thread. After which we can all trade ideas and pointers on lighting, angle, backdrop..etc etc.

It might be good if we can all agree on a common topic, and then have a change every forthnite?

My suggestion for the first topic.. perhaps a can of coke?

Anyone keen on this idea? :think:

 

[Larry]

hmmm that's an interesting idea... :think:

i'll kick things off. i don't have a Coke can handy, but i was playing around with the Pro Light Tent that was MO-ed some time back and was testing with a coke bottle that i had. comments/pointers welcome!!!

 

[SniperD]

not bad but looks a tad under to me...

 

[leonzhu]

hmmm that's an interesting idea... :think:

i'll kick things off. i don't have a Coke can handy, but i was playing around with the Pro Light Tent that was MO-ed some time back and was testing with a coke bottle that i had. comments/pointers welcome!!!

interesting, but no 'punch'. try water droplets, condensation... colored lights....

 

[hptay]

Hi Larry
Thanks for the support.
Saw the MO light tents a moment ago... missed out on that MO

Just wondering, for pic 1, why are there some white splashes around the coke bottle? .. they look like PS eraser marks

 

[rncw]

how about these...some test shots i've done using a proline tent, 2 ikea clamp lights with cool white 18W energy saving bulb(equivalent to 100W each). taken with flash (SB-80DX) with softbox II, 105mm micro lens.

have much to learn about arrangement of subjects for better output...


these are the lights i'm using...

 

[hptay]

Just took some quick pics.
Using 300D + tamron 70-200 XR lens ... (not really suitable for such shots i think...) + cheapo white cloth and 1 lamp with 18w warm light.

Cloth is drapped over my camera tripod and the light is from below a glass table.

commemts are deeply appreciated

 

[hptay]

I noticed that my own pictures are rather soft compared to Larry's and rncw's. Is it due to the lens or can this softness be reduced using tripod?

 

[leonzhu]

Just took some quick pics.
Using 300D + tamron 70-200 XR lens ... (not really suitable for such shots i think...) + cheapo white cloth and 1 lamp with 18w warm light.

Cloth is drapped over my camera tripod and the light is from below a glass table.


commemts are deeply appreciated

for such shots, with the condensation, cooler light works better than warm light. check your WB. the lighting from below is interesting, but then there's the light falloff, which you must deal with.

Check your camera sharpening settings, your focus, and depth of field.use DOF preview, esp for tubular subjects. and use some light unsharp masking!

just my 2cents.

see my webpage for some food shots i did.

 

[Larry]

interesting, but no 'punch'. try water droplets, condensation... colored lights....

oh hehheh well like i said i was playing around with the Pro-line tent, so wasn't really fooling around with the bottle but more of trying to get even lighting, esp on the reflective glass surface.

 

[Larry]

not bad but looks a tad under to me...

really??? that's strange, it looks ok to me. dun tell me it's my monitor...

 

[Cheesecake]

hi mr.tay!

and everyone else...

i've got this old shot on one of my fave alcoholic beverages of all time!
it was taken with my clamp energy saving lightbulbs and shot with film.
the pic is in super low resolution, to save space and loading time...
apologise for the poor quality!

no flash and no expensive set ups. affordable clamp light-holders and energy saving lightbulbs.

 

[Larry]

Just wondering, for pic 1, why are there some white splashes around the coke bottle? .. they look like PS eraser marks

ooppsss.. you caught me there. didn't notice it but yes i was trying to erase some dust specks on my lens filter...

 

[jbma]

I agree with Sniperd...looks a tad under. Did you use a white reflective board in front to bounce back the light on the subject? This would give it more essence. Just a suggention.

 

[hptay]

ooppsss.. you caught me there. didn't notice it but yes i was trying to erase some dust specks on my lens filter...

^_^~ hee hee
can try the stamp too next time. works wonders.
prefer that to the eraser tool to "erase" stuff

 

[hptay]

how about these...some test shots i've done using a proline tent, 2 ikea clamp lights with cool white 18W energy saving bulb(equivalent to 100W each). taken with flash (SB-80DX) with softbox II, 105mm micro lens.

have much to learn about arrangement of subjects for better output...


these are the lights i'm using...

Your shots are very well lit
Those ikea lamps are a budget consious photographer's best companions

 

[Cheesecake]

for such shots, with the condensation, cooler light works better than warm light. check your WB. the lighting from below is interesting, but then there's the light falloff, which you must deal with.

Check your camera sharpening settings, your focus, and depth of field.use DOF preview, esp for tubular subjects. and use some light unsharp masking!

just my 2cents.

see my webpage for some food shots i did.

i've seen ur food gallery.
some good compositions and everything seems good and delicious... haha

but all in all, i find it all too dark.

maybe u should use stronger lightings. and ur flash-light created hotspots in some of the photos.

if u were to have stronger and brighter lighting, i believe it would have been much better.

 

[hptay]

hi mr.tay!

and everyone else...

i've got this old shot on one of my fave alcoholic beverages of all time!
it was taken with my clamp energy saving lightbulbs and shot with film.
the pic is in super low resolution, to save space and loading time...
apologise for the poor quality!

no flash and no expensive set ups. affordable clamp light-holders and energy saving lightbulbs.

Hi Cheesecake,

your photo looks very unique.
its colors are very brilliant.. screaming out for me to go get a tiger.. hahah
perhaps I will try to mimic your photo if you don mind Though ur setup sounds simple, I doubt I will even come close to reproducing such effects ...

so much to learn...

 

[sehsuan]

Please do not take offence at what I mentioned, because I speak too freely despite not being able to do the effects I mention. Here goes!

Larry:
1st Shot - what are the 3 white mottles in the picture? i can see that you have apparently fired direct light from the camera to the bottle. the shape is refined, but the edges are a little lost. i'm pretty sure about the light source - it was only from camera-mounted flash, because the 4 highlights correspond to the curved edges of the bottle's contours.

2nd shot - can do, but the "lobang" of the light-tent can be seen clearly in the left side reflection. a little underexposed though. will be hard to edge out as i learnt from a friend of mine.

rncw:
1 shot - looks underexposed to me. 1/2 or 1 stop more should be ok. the word "rosso" look like the squares are greyish.

2nd shot - overall, lighting is better than 1st shot. good usage of multiple light sources, as evident as you showed later

hptay:
1st shot - good idea to use under the can lighting. seems to suffer from a little camera shake. the on-camera flash (or mounted flash, for the matter) is way obvious. this is a suggestion, you need not face the words cocacola directly to the lens.

2nd shot - same as previous comment. the bottom seems a little blown though.

3rd shot - the on camera flash is just too obvious. try using a piece of tracing paper to diffuse your flash - should be better.

cheesecake:
1st shot - too much blown highlights. the word "medal" could have been in focus as well. nice bluish highlights near the neck of the bottle.

 

[Cheesecake]

Please do not take offence at what I mentioned, because I speak too freely despite not being able to do the effects I mention. Here goes!

cheesecake:
1st shot - too much blown highlights. the word "medal" could have been in focus as well. nice bluish highlights near the neck of the bottle.

hey sehsuan, i'm cool with it!

this was one of the first shots that i scanned into my computer. straight off frm a photo and jus getting the shots in with the lightings is really fun and exciting. but the 'medal' can be clearly seen in the photo though... :cry:

its alright... and thanks for the constructive feedback! i've got more to learn too!