I love looking at product shots. I’m always amazed at how crisp and clean the photographs are in magazines and certain books and catalogs. How do they get their products to look so good? Well, there are lots of things that go into setting up a shot. There’s tons of attention to detail, finding the perfect props, and getting the backgrounds and lighting just right. I’m always amazed as I look at product shots and see how intense they are. Some shots require entire rooms to be staged including repainted walls. I don’t ever do anything that intense, but I’m still in awe of it.
With so much going on the Internet these days, I’m sure many of you have had occasion to photograph an object. Maybe you’re trying to sell something on eBay or on a local selling site. Perhaps you’re documenting your newest project. Or maybe you’re just wanting a super clean shot of something without distractions in the way.
Whatever your goal, here are a few tips that can help you get a professional looking photo that will really sell your ideas (or highlight your photography skills).
* Use a large sheet of paper up against a wall to get a seamless shot. This is probably the simplest thing you can do when photographing objects, but it’s amazing how this simple trick can make a huge difference. Simply get a large sheet of posterboard or roll of paper in your desired color, roll it out against a wall (you may need to tape it to the wall if it’s not substantial enough to lean on its own. This gives you a continuous background from underneath to behind your object. Think of it as a mini version of a photo studio backdrop.
* Use a light box and lighting. This is another way to get a controlled environment. The great thing about light boxes is that you control what light goes into the box and the way the light reflects off the object.
* Shoot in natural light if possible, but if not, try to get a natural looking color of lightbulb (more on this in a later post).
These simple techniques will help you get a fabulous shot that gets your object noticed.