Over the past few months, I have been learning news skills for product photography and am fascinated at all of the different ways you can accomplish a photo using a particular setup. For that reason, I decided to share my setup with you so you can see what all goes in to a product photography session.
Currently, I am utilizing natural light from a window in my office and a white foam core board to bounce light back to lessen the shadows on the product. Did you know that the further the subject is from the light, the shadow lessens. Meaning if you keep the product closer to the light source, the larger the casted shadow. On this particular day, it was cloudy outside so the light was diffused a bit, but I did need to move the board and stand further away from the window as time went on and the sun shined brighter to lessen the shadow.
Utilizing this method of lighting your subject can be tricky, especially living in Pennsylvania where it is cloudy like Seattle 🙂 I am in the process of learning off camera flash to allow for shooting times no matter what time of the day, the way the weather changes or how many clouds are in the sky.
Resource Recommendations
Here are a few of my favorite tools or resources that help me with these photography projects (includes affiliate links):
- Flourish Academy – This is by far my most favorite resource for all things photography, Lightroom, Photoshop and of course an amazing community of like-minded photographers who love to learn together.
- Best Ever Backdrops – I love the Best Ever Backdrop. They are lightweight, stain resistant, and 100% waterproof. They are printed custom double-sided with the textures you select.
- Impact Turtle Base C-Stand Kit – I love this c-stand. This kit is comprised of a C-stand, 2.5″ grip head, and 40″ extension arm and features a patented locking mechanism that allows the legs to swing out and lock into place for easy setup and collapse flat for storage (huge win for me since I am limited on space).
- Manfrotto 234RC Monopod Head with Quick Release – I use this to connect my camera to the c-stand. I like this because it is easy to quickly release the camera if I want to shoot something at a different angle.
Speaking of tethering? what is it and why use it?
One of the many benefits of tethering your camera to a computer for a product photography session is to capture the shots using live view on the computer. When a camera is set up on a c-stand and lifted higher than you are standing, you may not always want to climb up on a ladder to see what you are looking at. I am using the native Canon EOS Utility 3 and a tether cable to connect my camera directly to my laptop and I love the flexibility to see exactly what is in camera on my screen.
I hope you found this information to be helpful and as always, if you are looking for professional brand or product photography I would love to chat with you?
You BELIEVE in your product or cause, now let’s CREATE a solution to INSPIRE others to believe in it too!
This post is a part of a photography blog circle featuring photographers specializing in a variety of niches. To see what the next photographer is sharing for the weekly theme, “From Where I Stand,” check out Jessica Wasik with Bark & Gold Photography, celebrating the joy and love between Pittsburgh pets and their people. Continue to click the link at the end of each post in the blog circle until you eventually find your way back here.
Comments
Amy this was so helpful! Thank you. I’m checking out the C clip today.
Super informative! Lighting can be tricky in Pittsburgh, too—it’s always changing with our spotty cloud coverage. OCF will make a big difference in conveniently shooting whenever, I’m sure!