Product Photography - Mixing continuous lighting AND strobes?

[JusticePhotoDotCom]

So I have about a $1,200 dollar budget to get whatever I need for some serious product photography. I have done it before, but I used a 24x24in light tent with 3 continuous lights.

My ideal set-up would be a strobe on either side of the product, a continuous light boomed over top, and another continuous light from behind through some type of modifier.

I already have a White Lightening x1600 and I'm trying to justify buying another strobe so that I can use two strobes, and two continuous lights.


Assuming that I get color corrected bulbs that are the same as the flash-tubes inside my strobes (5,600 kelvins ?), could I use both types of lighting for product photography?

I will be using some type of white paper for a continuous background, some white reflector sheets, and IDEALY (2) White Lightening strobes with either an attached reflector or a softbox, and (2) continuous lights with some sort of diffuser.


Let me know if this sounds do-able!?

Thanks!

[Curtis N]

Originally Posted by JusticePhotoDotCom

Assuming that I get color corrected bulbs that are the same as the flash-tubes inside my strobes (5,600 kelvins ?)

I have never seen any such bulb. "Daylight balanced" fluorescents don't even come close.

You would need a really slow shutter speed to allow a very powerful continuous light to compete with even a weak flash unit. So, since you'll be using a tripod anyway, you may as well use continuous lighting all around.

[JusticePhotoDotCom]

Originally Posted by Curtis N

I have never seen any such bulb. "Daylight balanced" fluorescents don't even come close.

You would need a really slow shutter speed to allow a very powerful continuous light to compete with even a weak flash unit. So, since you'll be using a tripod anyway, you may as well use continuous lighting all around.

Okay, right on - Thanks man!

Any recommendations on what continuous light to get?

I was looking at this:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc..._Kit_with.html

with some Impact/Paul C Buff stands. Any cheaper options that would be equal to the power from these? (NOT into homemade stuff - The company I'll be working with will be purchasing the equipment and they want good quality.)

[JusticePhotoDotCom]

Or does anyone have any helpful links that show what I can buy to make my life a little easier when it comes to product photography?

Lighting, modifiers, stands, what kind of paper, etc...?

[Curtis N]

Really, three of these will light up your 24" light tent:
http://www.homedepot.com/buy/lightin...ght-52188.html

Use incandescent (tungsten) bulbs. CFLs produce less heat, but their output spectrum sucks.

[JusticePhotoDotCom]

Originally Posted by Curtis N

Really, three of these will light up your 24" light tent:
http://www.homedepot.com/buy/lightin...ght-52188.html

Use incandescent (tungsten) bulbs. CFLs produce less heat, but their output spectrum sucks.

That's the thing, I won't be using a 24x24in tent. Like I said in the post, I will be using a large sheet of white paper to create a seamless background, and just light the product off of that. I get too much reflection and there's always a seem showing when I use the 24x24in tent because the units I am photographing are roughly 18x12x6 (HxWxD).

[Curtis N]

Ok let's back up and switch gears.
Something like this would work.
http://www.cowboystudio.com/product_...esskitcase.htm

[dmward]

Lights and modifiers I choose depend on what I'm shooting.
You are saying product photography but that is a meaningless term.
The smallest product I've photographed was an ear ring. The largest was a farm implement that was 20 feet long and 8 feet wide.

Then there are surface reflectivity considerations.

12x18x6 is a size that can be easily lit with either the lights Curtis suggests. But the modifiers etc. will be the key.

Give us a hint.

[Foodguy]

I do a supermarket project a few times a year, on-location for their on-line business. Lots of items of all different shapes/sizes/reflectivity etc. Compounding the issue for me is the fact that it's in a different state and I need to pack and transport 'the studio'.

I came up with a relatively simple set that works well for the job that consists of a medium Chimera bank light on a boom arm overhead, and 2 24X36 shoot-through panels that I position on the table s necessary. I also shoot on a plexi surface both to avoid the need for constant paper changing (it's food and not always dry) as well as the soft reflection it produces....but seamless would work as well. I made the panel frames and attached Roscolux diffusion material but I'd imagine there are pre-made alternatives.

The thing that i like about this particular set up is it's flexibility. I can easily reposition the panels, and as easily move strobe heads closer or further away as I want or as required. For this particular job, we move quickly and the ability to make fast changes to the light is a big plus. It's not the most sophisticated lighting set up in the world, but it works.

[katodog]

Depending on what type of product you are shooting, and how big or small your work area is, you can use something as simple as one or two flash with diffusers on them. Lighting doesn't have to be expensive, and it doesn't have to be tricky, most of the time the simplest things work the best.


How big are the products you're shooting, and how big is your work area??

[PhotosGuy]

Originally Posted by katodog

Depending on what type of product you are shooting, and how big or small your work area is, you can use something as simple as one or two flash with diffusers on them. Lighting doesn't have to be expensive, and it doesn't have to be tricky, most of the time the simplest things work the best.


How big are the products you're shooting, and how big is your work area??

It would be nice to know the answers? And will you be shooting 1 or two where you can afford to do a complex set-up, or will you have to hammer out 500 similar shots?

Browning .22 - A simple set-up using 1 light.

Browning .22 - 3 light set-up

Knife lighting problem
Guess the lighting & see how close you can come to the set-up used.