Product Photography Lighting

Hi,

I have a monogramming and children's clothing business and am trying to improve the quality of my pictures. I am not a photographer but would like help from one! I have read article after article about taking pictures in natural light or by a window but alot of the time I am not able to take pictures when I can get the best lighting outside or by a window. I am wanting to have some sort of setup where I can take pictures of my items any time of the day! The items do range in size a bit. Sometimes it's a shirt and I want to get an upclose picture of the design that is on the shirt and sometimes it's an outfit. I have a Cannon Rebel Xsi and I do shoot in manual mode. I would greatly appreaciate any help on what kind of setup would work best for this purpose. I am assuming that continuous lights would be best for what I am wanting to do considering that I am not a professional photographer?

Thanks in advance for any help!
Hollie

A simple pair of incandescent or CFL lamps, at 45 degrees above your product (assuming item is laid flat on table top), with one of the lights a bit closer to the product than the other if you want some textural contrast to be in the photo.

Thanks for the help! I will give that a try.

Hollie

Grab of copy of "Light Science and Magic" which is a very handy reference volume on how to light many different things.

FlyingPhotog wrote in post #12117928
Grab of copy of "Light Science and Magic" which is a very handy reference volume on how to light many different things.

+1 To that!

Hollie,
The best way to improve the quality of your photos for selling your products is to hire a professional photographer to take them.

If you want to dilute your business focus by doubling as a photographer as well as business owner, manager etc. Then take some courses on lighting products at a local community college.

Or, if you are really desperate, ask on a forum and get a lot of advise that may or may not work depending on how well you understand what is being said.

Oh, sorry to sound rude, but I don't design clothing, I just take professional pictures of products for people who do.