What kind of setup would you use for this?

I want to take some photos of the different types of print options I have for sale (metal, acrylic, etc). I'd like to show the options using photos similar to this:

https://static.whitewa​ll.com …ra-hd-acryl-raum-ecke.jpg


What kind of setup would be best for that? I'm a landscape shooter and I don't own what I would need for this and would likely rent the equipment. I have a BorrowLenses nearby so I can easily pickup whatever I need.

Any thoughts or ideas would be much appreciated.

With no lighting experience or gear, I would head to the craft store for a roll of white paper, find some cardboard to wrap in white paper as a reflector, lay the paper and print down on a table near a large window, set the camera on a tripod and use a longish exposure to grab the shot with mid range ISO and f/11.

You might need two pieces of cardboard. One above reflecting down on the print and one opposite the window giving a little fill to that side.

Thanks for the info. I was planning on getting a roll of white seamless paper along the lines of this.

Rather than using natural light I'd like to use some form of continuous lighting. In the example I linked I really like the look with the flat lighting/no shadows (except the digital drop shadow) and would like to get that same kind of look. I'm just not sure what kind of lights (LED?), how many and what direction to position them, modifiers, etc. I think that's the main area of direction I need.

I don't want to go off the deep end on this relatively minor project but I also don't mind learning a bit for it as hey, it's photography and that's what I love doing even if product photography isn't my normal gig . I would likely tether my camera and laptop for the shoot. I'd like to keep the rental costs under $200 but I figured that probably wouldn't be an issue for a day or two of rental for a few stands/lights/modifers​.

Uh, natural light is the original continuous.

Jerk comment: you're a freaking landscape photog, lol. I'm pretty sure you know the continuous nature of the sun. You're not going to get anything more from renting LED lights, potentially less. Wrapping cardboard might seem cheap, but results are what matter. The vast majority of the light in that pic is coming from one big ass light source. Good luck putting that together with rented LEDs and softboxes.

Nice guy comment: you have two goals, get a nice pic and learn something. Trust me when I say that you will learn a lot from manipulating light coming from a window. If white paper as a reflector isn't enough, grab some aluminum foil from the kitchen. Once you start waving reflectors around it will start to make sense real quick. It's not rocket science, just a little bit of expirimenting goes a long way.

With a static subject and tripod, window light is all you need for this shot. You got this.

Oh yeah, the pic you linked has a terrible reflection across her chin. No amont of extra LED lighting will get rid of that, it will take flags/reflectors and patience.

I had a teacher in veterinary school, a veterinary doctor who was an expert when it came to cows: that was his specialty and the class he taught was bovine clinic, as a matter of fact. He had a farm: cows of course, but there were other livestock there. Once he was on the phone with his foreman, giving him instructions about the cows; after the cows were dealt with, the foreman said, 'uh, doctor, the horse is ill too, what do I do?' To which the doctor replied, 'why, call in a veterinarian!'

My own jerk comment: hire a product photographer!

Left Handed Brisket wrote in post #18163567

Rather than using natural light I'd like to use some form of continuous lighting.

Uh, natural light is the original continuous.

Jerk comment: you're a freaking landscape photog, lol. I'm pretty sure you know the continuous nature of the sun. You're not going to get anything more from renting LED lights, potentially less. Wrapping cardboard might seem cheap, but results are what matter. The vast majority of the light in that pic is coming from one big ass light source. Good luck putting that together with rented LEDs and softboxes.

Nice guy comment: you have two goals, get a nice pic and learn something. Trust me when I say that you will learn a lot from manipulating light coming from a window. If white paper as a reflector isn't enough, grab some aluminum foil from the kitchen. Once you start waving reflectors around it will start to make sense real quick. It's not rocket science, just a little bit of expirimenting goes a long way.

With a static subject and tripod, window light is all you need for this shot. You got this.

Lol, I'm going to put that on a T-shirt.

Hey, I'm open to whatever will work; some cardboard, paper, some Elmer's glue and a couple of cold beers, whatever works.

The prints that I will be using in the shot are 24" x 36" and I was just thinking of logistics for setting up the seamless and the prints. I really don't have a great spot near a window where I can set all of that up. I *could* drag the dining room table out into the living room near the window but the WAF (Wife Acceptance Factor) is tilting towards the red on that one. I guess in my minds eye I had this idea of me doing all of this my garage (which gets no light) where I have the space and ability to fart around at my leisure...

Alveric wrote in post #18163575
I had a teacher in veterinary school, a veterinary doctor who was an expert when it came to cows: that was his specialty and the class he taught was bovine clinic, as a matter of fact. He had a farm: cows of course, but there were other livestock there. Once he was on the phone with his foreman, giving him instructions about the cows; after the cows were dealt with, the foreman said, 'uh, doctor, the horse is ill too, what do I do?' To which the doctor replied, 'why, call in a veterinarian!'

My own jerk comment: hire a product photographer!

I probably should but that just isn't in my nature. Back when I worked in the real world I hated to delegate and I would do anything I could to avoid it, which usually meant I worked 3x harder than I really needed to. But bad habits are hard impossible to break. I like to tinker, I like to learn, and I have the time. I don't care if I work on it all day every day for a week. I know exactly how I want it to look and I'm going to keep at it until that is exactly how it looks. Turning that over to someone else would just stress me out.

I would think that the image you linked is actually generated in Ps.

Uh. I'm guessing if you can get a car into the garage there might be an opening in some wall big enough to let in some light. Scatterbrained may be onto something, combo of illustrator and photoshop. Taking a photo of a photo usually increases contrast and makes the image not quite the way you had it printed. Also, you likely won't be getting the paper true white in camera anyway. I just like having it all over the place to keep reflections nice and bounce more clean ambient around.

I like the shirt, lol.

Edit: fwiw, I've never used LED lights. Speedlights and small portable strobes are what I stick to. Use to use 150-250 watt halogen shop lights shot into nylon fabric for continuous.

I'd start with the piece on a white background, in a garage with the door open to a north sky or equivalent.

Use a large black foam core board to add a negative reflection to the plexi surface. Might be long exposure so tripod is likely.

Moving the setup closer or farther from the door will help to add or diminish directional character of the light.

There are ways to replicate that setup with strobes or continuous lights but I'd start with the simplest approach.