Simple Product Photography Question?

Question

Any good tips would be very much appreciated...best tips get's the points. Here's what I need to do:

Take several individual product shots with a digital camera for use on my ecommerce website. (these are all indoor tanning lotion products, so every item is in a bottle and maybe about 8" tall). I'm using a Kodak digital camera 6.3 MP and shooting indoors.

I'd like a white background (or light-colored background...and very easy to find...like a bedsheet or whatever).

Should I try this with the camera flash or just get plenty of light around it? And are then any relatively inexpensive kits you can buy online to help (Something under maybe $300?).

btw, here's a link to an example product shot on the site...
http://www.suntanhut.com/product-Halo-13-5-oz-205.html

Thanks in advance.

First answer from Ringading...hey that's sounds easy. I should've picked up some Corona this afternoon.

Anyway...suggestions from anyone else, including other additional details would be nice. I'm assuming I should use a tripod.

Thanks.

Answer 1

Here's the site I sent you earlier for instructions on how to make a lighting tent:
http://digital-photography-school.com/blog/how-to-make-a-inexpensive-light-tent/

And try this site, if you don't want to make one of those lighting boxes and can afford to buy one commercially made (with lights):
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=11099&A=details&Q=&sku=402604&is=REG&addedTroughType=categoryNavigation

Good luck and best wishes!

Answer 2

I would say a sub $300 lighting set up should do you just fine. I also do website product photography for my company and have been using a product photography software called Shutter Stream by Iconasys that has significantly helped with ease of use and overall efficiencies (initially I had 4500 SKU's to shoot). I've included a link to the Shutter Stream product photography software website.

Answer 3

That's The beauty of having a digital camera, You can take lots of pictures different ways.

First, forget about camera flash only, it will put shadows on your background. If you don't have commercial type camera lights Put lightly shaded lights on either side of your products but out of picture range, Use a tripod, and a fast shutter speed, or put your camera on timer to eliminate fuzzyness, from slower shutter speeds.

Take a picture, and write down what you did, lights how far away, shaded or unshaded, distance from subject, shutter speed, aperature, etc, when you change anything, write it down along with picture number. Check the pictures on the computer to see which looks best. Then take all the pictures you want the same way.

Ps always shoot at highest MP setting, Raw, Hopefully, is you can process it, tiff is next but High, or fine depending on the camera will do if Tiff or Raw are difficult.

Lighting is everything, Lots of light from all angles possible to stop shadows

Answer 4

Try a strobe light and photograph running water or a spinning fan. With the water, you will get the individual drops instead of a stream. With a fan, you will get the motion blur of the blades plus the light will pick out the individual blades if the frequency of the strobe is right. Try regular lights but with colored gels. Get a small flashlight, wait for night time, With the camera mounted on a tripod, lock the shutter open and draw patterns in the air or write stuff. When you develop the film, you will see light trails tracing the light or spelling out the words.

Answer 5

Have you thought about using a service to get you the best results? The one site that I know of is 123productphotos.com

Haven't used it personally, but might be worth checking out

Answer 6

Ok dude, here's how you do it. Cheap and simple.

Clik on the link below. That easy!