Need Help Taking Proper Photos

[DivineLightingMfg]

We are a manufacture of lighting fixtures. I am trying to take photos of our product for both web and print. We do not have a good place to take pictures. At the moment, we are just setting the product down on the carpet in the office. But I am running into several issues.

1) I know absolutly nothing about taking good pictures. I can never get the picture to look like what I see with my eyes. Pictures turn out looking like a totally different color. I need the colors of the product in the pictures to be as close to the color of the product when you pull it out of the box and look at it. I can't have a picture of a bronze light fixture looking one way on the web or in the catalog, but looking like a different color when they receive it.

2) Shadows and reflections. Many times I can't eliminate shadows or reflections. A large number of our items we sell have white or clear acrylic lenses, and the light from the ceiling in the room reflect off the product. This also happens on other items that are made of a reflective metal or something.

We use a Canon EOS Rebel XSI. I know almost nothing about the setting even after trying to read the manual. I have no desire to be a photographer, but I do need to know how to take proper pictures for our marketing media.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[yogestee]

Lighting fixtures are extremely difficult to photograph..

I'd say hire a pro who specialises in product photography..

[gjl711]

I do product photography though not lights. A couple things would help. Post a sample picture so we have something to work from but a couple of tips off the top of my head:
Lighting is important so you might want to use some external light source.
Put in a small wattage bulb so it doesn't overpower the rest of the object.
Set the white balance using a gray or white card or shoot raw and adjust in post.

[DivineLightingMfg]

Lighting fixtures are extremely difficult to photograph..

I'd say hire a pro who specialises in product photography..

This was discussed. But in out current finantial situation, this is not an option. We also do not have a sample of the whole product line. So, coordination with a pro would be very difficult.

[egordon99]

You need to invest in some proper lighting gear. You could probably get a pair of manual flashes/lightstands/triggering system/umbrellas for around $500. Do you have the budget for this?

Check out http://www.strobist.com for some information. http://www.mpex.com is a good source to buy "cheap" lighting gear.

[egordon99]

The Xsi (along with the 18-55mm kit lens which you probably own) is more than sufficient for this task. It's the lighting that you are going to have to nail down (and spend money and lots of time figuring out)

It may very well be more affordable to hire a pro.

[stsva]

The other question you had was how to get accurate color in your shots of the sample fixtures. Here's some info. that may be helpful for that piece (and luckily this should cost very little to implement):
http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/white-balance.htm
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=599057
http://edufire.com/videos/2086-magic-canon-eos-450d-rebel-xsi-setting-a-custom-white-balance

[DivineLightingMfg]

You need to invest in some proper lighting gear. You could probably get a pair of manual flashes/lightstands/triggering system/umbrellas for around $500. Do you have the budget for this?

Check out http://www.strobist.com for some information. http://www.mpex.com is a good source to buy "cheap" lighting gear.

I followed the link for the gear, but all that lighting is completely foreign to me. Why type of lighting setup should I look for? I am going to review the first link now.

[spkerer]

I followed the link for the gear, but all that lighting is completely foreign to me. Why type of lighting setup should I look for? I am going to review the first link now.

That's why the suggestion was made to consider hiring a pro. You're hiring more than a camera and lights - you're hiring someone who is intimately familiar with them and knows how to use them, how they interact, how to manage light in product photography, etc.

If you insist on doing this yourself and want pro results, expect to spend some money on gear and lots of time learning and experimenting.

And no, I am by no means a pro and am not suggesting I'm up to this task.

[egordon99]

And don't forget, "time is money..."

Think of what you could do with all the time you saved by hiring a pro ;)

[mike_d]

This doesn't sound like it would be very expensive for a pro to do either. You find someone who does product photography all the time so he's already set up for it. You drop the products off at his studio, he takes some picture, and you select the ones you like.

[Tixeon]

Absolutely hire a pro that's experienced with product photography. The savings in headaches & frustration alone will be worth more than the expense of a pro. You'll thank us all for this suggestion later.

Remember, An excellent photo can sell your product, but a poor photo can help sell your competitor's product........tw

[whuband]

Find a pro to barter with. I trade my time in shooting products for the actual products. It just happens to be something I use.

[yogestee]

The whole point of the exercise is that if you are relying on photographs to sell your products you have to get it right..

If your product shots look amateurish it could be a seen your products are amateurish..

[mike_d]

The whole point of the exercise is that if you are relying on photographs to sell your products you have to get it right..

If your product shots look amateurish it could be a seen your products are amateurish..

This reminds me of a line on the show Pitchmen where they were filming a commercial and Anthony said something to the effect that "We have to nail this shot because it's the difference between selling a million units and selling 50k." Not exactly an occasion to try to fake your way through it yourself.

[Frugal]

I'm sorry but what you are asking for is something for nothing. You want decent product photographs but:
You don't have the money to hire a pro
You don't have the time or inclination to learn how to use lighting equipment, camera settings, backgrounds.
You certainly don't have the money to buy the equipment you'd need

Have you even asked a pro how much they'd charge?

[gjl711]

...
You don't have the time or inclination to learn how to use lighting equipment, camera settings, backgrounds.
You certainly don't have the money to buy the equipment you'd need
There is not a huge investment needed. One can do quite well with nothing more complex than a few clip on lamps that you can pick up at the Depot for $5 a light and some creativity in location or backdrop. However, some investment in lighting techniques, color balancing, and photo techniques are a must.

[yogestee]

I have seen this scenario so many times..Businesses wanting to promote their products/services and skimping on advertising.. Advertising is one of the most essential parts of promoting a business,,you could manufacture the best products on this planet but if no-one knows about it you may as well close up shop.. Photography is an essential part of advertising..

Product photography is a very specialised field and not for the inexperienced.. Shooting anything which includes glass is even more difficult.. You need specialised lighting and a very good grasp of photographic techniques..

There is this silly misconception that if you have a wizz bang DSLR you can get the shots without any training or skills.. It's the guy behind the camera,, not the camera..

[Frugal]

Shooting anything which includes glass is even more difficult.. You need specialised lighting and a very good grasp of photographic techniques..
Agreed - Glass plus multi-faceted shiny metal. Getting the diffusion and reflections just right can be very trying - something you don't learn from a book. You could do it guerrilla style but you'd really have to know what you were doing.

A knowledge of PP is also a must.

[DivineLightingMfg]

I appreciate all the comments. It is just that our small little company does not have the money to make all of our product without purchase orders. We do not have the space either to house the product after the shooting. Keep in mind, we actually manufacture these light fixtures. we have litterally hundreds upon hundreds of light fixtures AND variants of them. Take one of our wall sconces for instance. It is available 14 different patterns, limitless colors, and others things. http://www.divinelighting.net/UI/-Exterior-Wall.aspx?ptype=3&pid=369 . You can see that the picture I took is of the product just sitting on the floor. Now I do try to take the picture at an angle that will make it appear to be installed. Ceiling fixtures on the ceiling, wall fixtures on the wall. There are also many variants of this fixture I still need to take pictures of once we get an order for them. This is just one item. We have many many more.

Our Current Proccess.... (keep in mind we sell to distributors who buy 100s at a time for new apartment buildings)

We receive a purchase order. Most times these are "hold for release". Meaning we do not manufacture them until the customer actually needs them. Other times the product is needed to be shipped asap. In either case, the product is palletized and shipped whithin a day after being made or thrown on UPS at the end of the same day.

So, because of this, if a product being made is on the list for photos to be taken, one of the first ones completed is brought in to me to take a picture of. We do not have the luxury to wait for a pro to take a picture and get the product back to us so we can ship it. If only we were lucky enough to right next door to this pro.

Feel free to take a look at our website. You can see the horrible shape our pictures are in. Most of which are really tiny, or missing all together. http://www.divinelighting.net. I just wish I had the means to take better quality photos. I will research for local pros and see what happens.

Yes I have photoshop... It is CS3 ... But I am not very good at it. I try to remove backgrounds and the edges of the product end up choppy.

[msteaffens]

If you can't afford a pro, then either you or someone else need to find the desire to learn it, other wise all your money is going to waste. You can buy the greatest equipment in the world and if you have the same desire to learn it as you do right now, then these pictures are still going to look the same. Especially for product photography, there is no simple, here's how to get a great shot tutorial, and its even more difficult to show someone who's not eager to learn.

Here's an idea, contact a pro, see if you can do a consultation with them, pay them to properly set up a "studio". As in put the camera on a tripod, dial in the settings, get the lighting set up and then all you have to do is turn everything on, and hit the shutter. It'll be a more perminant set up that you can't ever touch or move, but it may be the best and easiest option for you. This way you can snap the shot and your done. I don't know if any pro's would be willing to do this, but in my honest opinion, it's your best option.

If you want professional results, then find a professional. Thats the best advise i can give you.

Good Luck.