# Product photo studio, take 3



## minicoop1985 (Mar 1, 2014)

Got a pair of softboxes and set them up instead of the lights covered with pillowcases. I believe this is an improvement, but I'm always looking to make things better. How is this? Any help or comments are very much appreciated. Thanks. "Product" is a Sigma 28-80 f3.5-5.6 II aspherical macro zoom lens.




Sigma by longm1985, on Flickr


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## D-B-J (Mar 1, 2014)

Crop a little closer. And maybe fine a reflector for a touch of fill on the front.


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## striving4mediocrity (Mar 1, 2014)

What are you selling and in what quantities? I can't imagine you need it any better quality than this! It looks great.


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## minicoop1985 (Mar 2, 2014)

I like the reflector suggestion. I don't like that I need to buy more stuff. OK fine, you got me, I like buying this stuff.  I cropped it a little closer and see what you mean on that too. Another thing I wanna do is set up my better table (need screws for the leg but I'm lazy) so I don't have to shoot from a mile and a half away and might get everything cropped from the get-go.

I buy, restore (well, normally just clean what needs to be cleaned and fix what needs to be fixed, but I also have done a number of close to full restorations), and then sell old camera stuff. I try to stick to film cameras. I buy them wherever I can find them (sometimes quite literally in bulk), or buy busted/broken cameras (I specialize in TLRs or anything with a Compur shutter) and do what I can to make them look like new again or customize them a bit. It means that a camera that may have had a rich history, but fell into uncaring hands, gets a new chapter in its story. I appreciate the comments from both of you!


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## xj0hnx (Mar 2, 2014)

You definitely don't need to buy a reflector for a home studio shoot, just make one. I glue aluminum foil to pieces of construction paper, or card board, and just a piece of white paper to the other side, works great.


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## KmH (Mar 2, 2014)

Aluminum foil gives a fairly harsh quality of light.  White foam board would work better for products.
Often when shooting products you'll want to subtract light.  Black foam board (AKA -black flat) works for subtracting light.


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## Braineack (Mar 2, 2014)

striving4mediocrity said:


> What are you selling and in what quantities? I can't imagine you need it any better quality than this! It looks great.



this.


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## xj0hnx (Mar 2, 2014)

KmH said:


> Aluminum foil gives a fairly harsh quality of light.  White foam board would work better for products.
> Often when shooting products you'll want to subtract light.  Black foam board (AKA -black flat) works for subtracting light.



Using the dull side helps that.


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## Roger3006 (Mar 2, 2014)

Ditto on the foam board.  A hot glue gun comes in handy also.

Good Luck,

Roger


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## minicoop1985 (Mar 2, 2014)

Excellent-I think I'll make a reflector today. I'll do dull side of aluminum foil on one side and white paper on the other, unless the board I use is white. Then I can make one with a black scrim I have from my "tabletop studio" I bought a few months ago and promptly realized is too small. Thanks for all the help!

Maybe I'll find a way to incorporate duct tape and bacon into this project somehow.


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## xj0hnx (Mar 2, 2014)

I also use the lighter side of those folding windshield sun screens ...




Most of the time one side is a light gray, or reflective silver, or flip them around and use the black side to absorb stray light.


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## minicoop1985 (Mar 2, 2014)

Hey, you know, I think I have one of those, actually. I'll have go dig it out. I know it's got one silver side and one blue.


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