Here I will cover how to improve your product photography for less than $25
So lets start. First thing is first, a great camera does NOT make a great photographer, but if you know how to use a great camera, it does help. In my opinion it is not the megapixels that matter but the quality and size of the sensor as well as the quality of the lens.
Whether or not you are getting a new camera you should look at
http://www.dpreview.com/ and find the camera that you have or want.
I understand the information may be overwhelming, but if you examine the sample shots and the sensor size you will have a better understanding of your camera.
for example here is the comparison of my old camera and my new camera
http://www.dpreview.com/products/compare/side-by-side?products=canon_eos550d&products=panasonic_dmcf...The two have almost the same amount of mega pixels but you will see that there is a big difference in sensor size
My new camera is the canon T2i and the sensor size is
APS-C (22.3 x 14.9 mm)
my old camera is the Panasonic L:umix FH5 and the sensor size is
1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm
the result is much much better and crisper photos
of course sensor size is NOT going to get you better pictures. However, I think that it gives you clearer sharper more detailed photos as well as more flexibility.
If you already have a camera I still recommend you find this information because it will let you know what your limitations and abilities are.
We are still not ready to take our photos. Next you should play with your cameras macro settings. The macro setting looks like a little flower. This is a video on how to find the macro setting on a point and shoot camera
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DrjCTw0cu8It will really help in the long run if you read your manual. But also it is helpful if you PLAY around with your camera. Take lots of play pictures, see what settings you can and cant change in macro mode. If you have manual focus play with that too. This will help you get to know your camera. How does your camera react to background light? do you know how to change white balance setting? can you change other settings if so what impact do they have on the shot. This will all help you to understand your camera.
OK, next up is light. Light is your friend. You want soft white light for your pictures. There are many ways to get this result
outdoor on an overcast day (bright sunlight will create unpleasant and dark shadows. )
Indoor in the morning or afternoon when the sun is out but not so harsh as to create dark shadows.
indoors in a white box using special daylight bulbs.
This is one of my favorite videos because it not only shows how to create this ideal soft white light on the cheap but also WHY and the results
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qk5hHNsAcecIt is 15 minutes long and worth watching more than once.
They cover two kinds of lighting. light box and natural outdoor light in the morning.
ADVANCE TIPS
Background:
one thing you may have noticed is that most of the FP treasuries use a plain white background. take a moment to go to www.target.com and www.brooksbrothers.com
right away you notice that they too use a plain white background. There are reasons for this:
1- it keeps the focus on the product
2- it makes the product pop
however if your product is white, a white background might be a bad idea. it is possible to do high quality product photography on non white back grounds:
choose a simple background, solid colors are best, avoid interesting or fun backgrounds, you are selling your product not a background. while a background might be fun, you do NOT want your customer to be more focused on a background. you want to keep the focus on the product.
one company that uses colorful and active backgrounds is www.yankeecandle.com you will notice though that it looks like they dont at first because the backgrounds all serve to draw the eye to the product. they also use props the same way. so if you decide that you do want use more active backgrounds bookmark them and try to do it as they do, using props to draw the eye towards the product not away from it. and to help create a pleasant ambiance
the way i do it is i purchased the biggest sheets of white slightly glossy poster board i could find.
At first I was using another piece of posterboard for the bottom but i purchased this
http://www.etsy.com/listing/100434157/photography-prop-background-material you can also use a large glossy white, black or other color giant (at least 12"x12") kitchen tile.
putting all this together my setup looks like this
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=414118825285232&set=a.414118608618587.98606.195572683806515&t...less than $10 spent
the bottom and back are white posterboard with the glossy side up.
the side is a silver reflective material i use aluminum foil. reflective fabrics made just for photography are sold but i just didnt feel like buying one.
for lighting i use this:
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=414118798618568&set=a.414118608618587.98606.195572683806515&t...$15 for 2 daylight CFL bulbs
it is a five bulb lamp with flexible arms. the two white bulbs are full spectrum bulbs. I have but in 4 now and when the last one is out i will replace it with a full spectrum daylight compact florescent light bulb
i am now taking my pictures at night because
1- i am a night owl
2- it keeps sunlight from messing with my white balance
the results:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/100464992/knit-tie-for-men-skinny-knit-tie-woolyes i did take this at night NO i did not do anything with it on the computer other than cropping afterward.
another result
lastly:
if a day gives me perfect light than i will take pictures during the day. this is done during the day with only one of the 4 daylight lamps on facing the reflector to get the reflections the left side of the yarn.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/97595739/hand-dyed-yarn-pure-fine-merino-35oznow to be sure my pictures are not all perfect but they are good enough. and thats the goal to get nice usable pictures with a solid background that draws the eyes in and keeps them there.
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i hope that you find this helpful and that the tips help you to improve your product shots and choose a better camera if you are in the market for one.
