# Beginner to Product Photography asking for advice, C&C.



## FattyMcJ (Mar 23, 2010)

Hey guys, 

Just getting into this genre, as per the request of my mother who wants photos of her jewelry for insurance purposes as well as for use in future sales of said items.

Here's what I'm working with...DIY lightbox with 3 clamp lights.










These are some shots I took to sell my Sony P&S...

















How are these, so far?  I found it hard to not blow out the corners of the black camera body...how could I fix this when shooting? Move the lights a bit further away? Shoot underexposed a bit?

Next, when shooting jewelry, the first couple shots I did of some rings were TERRIBLY out of focus.  The kit lens just won't focus on something that small well enough.  Any suggestions for a good macro attachment? (I'm unemployed so my budget is VERY limited)

And last, when shooting rings and necklaces, how do you pose them? I've seen shots on (example) QVC online and they have the rings propped up at an angle, but you don't see what they used to prop it up, like a ghost is holding it.  I'm lost how to get that look.  I can photoshop out something if need be, but I'd like to get it right in camera first.

Thanks for your help!


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## FattyMcJ (Mar 25, 2010)

To the top!


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## LearnMyShot (Mar 25, 2010)

not too bad.....your shooting area is too small to control the light effectively....like the clamp lights!  see my free website, I think it will help! LearnMyShot - learn how to photograph anything


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## FattyMcJ (Mar 25, 2010)

LearnMyShot said:


> not too bad.....your shooting area is too small to control the light effectively....like the clamp lights!  see my free website, I think it will help! LearnMyShot - learn how to photograph anything



I like it!  Excellent video, thank you for sharing! 

Edit: WOW...your dog is very well behaved, she looks like a sweet heart! lol  BTW, Lucy only has 3 legs? What happened, if I may ask?


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## HalftoneStudio (Mar 25, 2010)

Good job for what you are working with.  One note, when working with continuous lighting such as your clamp lights, be careful of other light sources bleeding into your photo.  Take a look at your detail of the memory door.  On the top left corner of the camera i see the warm light from your clamp light and then you have some bluish light, probably window light, hitting on some other highlight points.  You can see the source of the bluish light also in your wide shot of your setup reflecting off the outside of the reflector of the left clamp light.

To help go macro "on the cheap" look for some extenuation tubes.  While not ideal, it is very inexpensive with good results.  You'll have to manually focus with the majority of tubes though.

Many times the "floating" effect can be accomplished by having the item placed on a piece of frosted white plexiglass which is lit from the underside. This eliminates the shadows and you can manipulate the "angle" by simply moving your camera position.

One last note, your toning seems a bit warm and a bit green.

Hope that helps.


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## kundalini (Mar 25, 2010)

The wrinkled cloth background sweep is noticable in your shots. Go and get yourself a piece of white posterboard. That would cut down your PP time.


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## Don Kondra (Mar 25, 2010)

Turn all the room lights off, cover the windows and use 5500k bulbs..

Shoot in aperture mode at + f8. 

Post those results and we can help fine tune  

Cheers, Don


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## FattyMcJ (Mar 25, 2010)

HalftoneStudio said:


> Good job for what you are working with.  One note, when working with continuous lighting such as your clamp lights, be careful of other light sources bleeding into your photo.  Take a look at your detail of the memory door.  On the top left corner of the camera i see the warm light from your clamp light and then you have some bluish light, probably window light, hitting on some other highlight points.  You can see the source of the bluish light also in your wide shot of your setup reflecting off the outside of the reflector of the left clamp light.
> 
> To help go macro "on the cheap" look for some extenuation tubes.  While not ideal, it is very inexpensive with good results.  You'll have to manually focus with the majority of tubes though.
> 
> ...



Wow, good call. I didn't even notice the blue/warm highlights.  You're right, that photo was taken with the west facing window behind me at twilight, while the rest it was evening with no light in the window.  

As far as extension tubes..

Vivitar | VIV-2x4-P Series 1 4 Elements 2x Macro | VIV-2X4-P

or 

Vivitar | VIV-2x7-C 2x 7-Elements Macro Teleconverter | VIV2X7P

?


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## gogodog2010 (Mar 25, 2010)

People think this is easy stuff, but no. Every product has it's own personality for light, especially reflective objects so there is no one solution to the problem...Hire a professional and see how they do it. That's the best thing to do. I've been shooting products for 30 years.
__________________
____
David Griffin
David Griffin - learn how to shoot


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## HalftoneStudio (Mar 25, 2010)

As far as extension tubes I was thinking of a manual set like these.

I didn't realize that they were discontinued though.  I believe you can still find them on ebay or such though.  They are glass-free though, being just a tube, and all they do is just change the focal point of the lens on the sensor.

The ones you listed contain glass elements, similar to a teleconverter.

Going with one of those, I'd choose the 4 element one.  In general, the fewer glass elements you add the sharper your image will be.


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## FattyMcJ (Mar 25, 2010)

HalftoneStudio said:


> As far as extension tubes I was thinking of a manual set like these.
> 
> I didn't realize that they were discontinued though.  I believe you can still find them on ebay or such though.  They are glass-free though, being just a tube, and all they do is just change the focal point of the lens on the sensor.
> 
> ...



Perfect info! Thank you!  If I can't find one of the one's you listed, I'll go for the 4 element converter I found.


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## FattyMcJ (Mar 25, 2010)

Don Kondra said:


> Turn all the room lights off, cover the windows and use 5500k bulbs..
> 
> Shoot in aperture mode at + f8.
> 
> ...



Offer help and I'll accept it!

Took these tonight. Closed all the blinds and moved lights around.  Still not happy with the focus issues, but it's getting better.

After a few shots, noticed the cloth base created fuzz...in #3 I used a  piece of printer paper for the base.  As kindalini suggested, I'll be getting some posterboard in a day or two.

1.





2.





3.
One front light, 2 sides...





4.
One front light + flash, two sides...





5.
Two front + flash, side/behind camera right





6.
Two front lights (no flash) one side/behind camera right...





7.
Same lights, messed with the aperture to 5.6 from 8...not what I was looking for, but I kinda like the soft look overall. Neat outcome from an obvious mistake. lol





Not a fan of the color of the flash, but I like the way it looks on the diamonds. Maybe a diffuser?  I'll keep trying

Thanks for your time!


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## Don Kondra (Mar 26, 2010)

The whole idea of the light box is to diffuse the light, the flash and front light defeat that purpose... and are visible in the stone/metal. 

Another thing to try is place black reflectors on the (in)sides of the box and reflect the light off them onto the object.  Say 1/3 to 1/2 of the height of the sides, then place the lights high and aimed at the reflector on the opposite side of the box... try this with and without the box. 

Cheers, Don


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## FattyMcJ (Mar 26, 2010)

Don Kondra said:


> The whole idea of the light box is to diffuse the light, the flash and front light defeat that purpose... and are visible in the stone/metal.



Hmm, indeed...but how does one create the "sparkle" in jewelry?  When I had the lights all diffused, the rings looked dull and flat.  I agree about the flash, don't like it at all, but I had to try.



Don Kondra said:


> Another thing to try is place black reflectors on the (in)sides of the box and reflect the light off them onto the object.  Say 1/3 to 1/2 of the height of the sides, then place the lights high and aimed at the reflector on the opposite side of the box... try this with and without the box.
> 
> Cheers, Don



Alright, I'll give that a go!


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## FattyMcJ (Mar 26, 2010)

swiftspin said:


> To achieve 'sparkle' on diamonds we use a tiny LED torch and direct it at the stone. If you move the torch whilst looking through the viewfinder you can sometimes introduce some rainbow colour effects too. Just make sure the light doesn't fall onto any other parts of the jewellery or you'll get an ugly reflection.
> 
> We use the same effect on our 360 Swiftspins by fixing the light. It sparkles brilliantly as the jewellery rotates.



Fantastic! Thank you!

To the hardware store!...


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## LearnMyShot (Mar 26, 2010)

we rescued her at 6mo. but she was a little out of control and ran off...got hit by a car...on that leg....the operation was botched and an infection took over ...we fought the infection for about a year until it threatened her life so the leg had to go. She's fully recovered and I think she's so well behaved now is because we spent so much time with her while she had the leg problem....she was actually tied to the kitchen table for 6 mo. for healing after the car accident and had to be carried on the stairs.....once the leg was removed she was fine in 15 days..amazing!


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## FattyMcJ (Mar 26, 2010)

LearnMyShot said:


> we rescued her at 6mo. but she was a little out of control and ran off...got hit by a car...on that leg....the operation was botched and an infection took over ...we fought the infection for about a year until it threatened her life so the leg had to go. She's fully recovered and I think she's so well behaved now is because we spent so much time with her while she had the leg problem....she was actually tied to the kitchen table for 6 mo. for healing after the car accident and had to be carried on the stairs.....once the leg was removed she was fine in 15 days..amazing!



WOW, that's amazing!  I'm glad she's doing well


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## LearnMyShot (Mar 27, 2010)

FattyMcJ said:


> LearnMyShot said:
> 
> 
> > we rescued her at 6mo. but she was a little out of control and ran off...got hit by a car...on that leg....the operation was botched and an infection took over ...we fought the infection for about a year until it threatened her life so the leg had to go. She's fully recovered and I think she's so well behaved now is because we spent so much time with her while she had the leg problem....she was actually tied to the kitchen table for 6 mo. for healing after the car accident and had to be carried on the stairs.....once the leg was removed she was fine in 15 days..amazing!
> ...



So how are the photos going? Yove' seleced one of the toughest subjects to shoot....I'll be doing a video on it soon..but try the tissue and also add a couple of clear bulbs without diffussion to get the sparkle...but at a much lower wattage


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## FattyMcJ (Mar 27, 2010)

LearnMyShot said:


> So how are the photos going? Yove' seleced one of the toughest subjects to shoot....I'll be doing a video on it soon..but try the tissue and also add a couple of clear bulbs without diffussion to get the sparkle...but at a much lower wattage



Not as well as I'd hoped.  The lighting is working well...I set a doubled sheet of Muslin on the coffee table and used other square sheets of muslin to diffuse the three clamp lights and it's a lot smoother, now I just need to get that LED torch to make the diamonds sparkle...or as you suggested clear bulbs. 

Basically just need to do some testing/learning.

Still though, the lens (or lack OF a macro lens) is frustrating the hell out of me.  I can't even fill 10% of the frame if I want to get a semi decent focus, then at a 100% crop (which leaves a good border on the ring) it's fuzzy as hell.  If I get closer and fill the frame with more of the ring, it's worse.

But..I'm stubborn and determined to make the kit lens work well enough to warrant making some money for these shots (no, not PRO, money from my parents).  A kind of "prove myself" thing to my folks to invest in my future as a photographer. Being a single unemployed father sucks lol

Anyway, I'll continue to try the suggestions and EAGERLY await your new video on this!


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## LearnMyShot (Mar 29, 2010)

to add sparkle try gloss silver paper.....from the arts&crafts store...make small mirrors and reflect onto the facets of the diamond.....try extension tube for close up..but you will lose depth of field..it depends on how much focus you want..


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## LoveAlwaysJami (Mar 29, 2010)

Add more pics when you retry!  I love seeing the progress!


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## FattyMcJ (Mar 29, 2010)

LearnMyShot said:


> to add sparkle try gloss silver paper.....from the arts&crafts store...make small mirrors and reflect onto the facets of the diamond.....try extension tube for close up..but you will lose depth of field..it depends on how much focus you want..



Bummed today, found my local 2nd hand camera store website said they had a set of 3 extension tubes for dirt cheap...$30.  Went there, someone had beat me to it only hours before. Grr...

But...they did have a 50mm f/4 macro lens for $115.  Wish I had the money, soon maybe.  Until then, I'm stuck with the kit lens.  So, I'll work on getting the light right for when I can actually take pics that are in focus lol

BTW....where's more videos of yours?! I've finished watching all on your site and I'm quite anxious for more. Great stuff!



LoveAlwaysJami said:


> Add more pics when you retry!  I love seeing the progress!



Thank you, I will do so ASAP. I've been busy playing daddy day-care to my daughter since it's spring break for her lol


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## SusanMart (Apr 2, 2010)

You are very creative and innovative!
But I def like what you have as a result....when I looked at your first pics I was about to say that there's no little space to capture things (and probably that's why you cropped camera ans camera case a little))) but jewelry itself is small and looks good!

What's your zoom?


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## FattyMcJ (Apr 2, 2010)

SusanMart said:


> You are very creative and innovative!
> But I def like what you have as a result....when I looked at your first pics I was about to say that there's no little space to capture things (and probably that's why you cropped camera ans camera case a little))) but jewelry itself is small and looks good!
> 
> What's your zoom?



Thanks!

I'm just using the stock K-x + 18-55mm kit lens. The EXIF _should_ be embedded in each photo, sometimes it works, others it doesn't...lol

I do have a 105mm f/2.8 Macro coming soon though, I'm excited to get some really nice and sharp images with it.  I'll post them up as soon as I get it!

Sigma | 105mm f/2.8 EX Macro Autofocus Lens for Pentax | 257109


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## FattyMcJ (Apr 6, 2010)

Alright folks...

Haven't received the macro lens yet, but I was asked to take some shots of Scottish Sporrans for sale.  Here are the results.  I'll have the sporrans for another day or two, so I can reshoot, and after looking at them I think the DoF is too shallow...what do you think? C&C always appreciated!

I'll post a few actual photos, and a link to the Flickr set for those that would like to see them all.  EXIF data included in each photo.

1) I like the sporran, but after I shot it, I realized it's rather flat. 






2) Much better angle from here out...





3)






The rest here:  Scottish Sporrans - a set on Flickr

Thanks for viewing!


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## Don Kondra (Apr 6, 2010)

#1 is the closest for white balance 

Still could use a bit more back light on the left side....

I think #3 is the best angle, same problem on the left side. 

Cheers, Don


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## FattyMcJ (Apr 6, 2010)

I see what you're saying about the WB & the light on the left.  I'll fix that in the reshoot if I can.

Thanks Mr. Kondra!


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## Don Kondra (Apr 6, 2010)

Are you still using the box for these shots ?

It would be a lot easier to use a reflector without the box for these objects...

Even a piece of cardboard covered with tin foil would do it. 

Cheers, Don


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## FattyMcJ (Apr 6, 2010)

Don Kondra said:


> Are you still using the box for these shots ?
> 
> It would be a lot easier to use a reflector without the box for these objects...
> 
> ...


 
I did use the box, only because I don't have enough materials (or stands for the clamp lights) to use an open flat table with reflectors.  I'll adjust the lights tomorrow.


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## FattyMcJ (Apr 6, 2010)

In the mean time, I went back and fixed the WB in Lightroom:

Some different items this time:

1)





2)





3)





I deleted the original photos and posted up the new photos, replacing the original set.  Scottish Sporrans - a set on Flickr


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## SusanMart (Apr 7, 2010)

I love these shots....but still i think you cropped a little the shot ( the second one)..

or maybe it was the idea?


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## FattyMcJ (Apr 7, 2010)

SusanMart said:


> I love these shots....but still i think you cropped a little the shot ( the second one)..
> 
> or maybe it was the idea?



Yes and no...lol

Yes, I did it on purpose, in camera, because I didn't have enough room to show the entire flap and back of the sporran. (If you notice, you can see the cloth line under the flap where I had to add more cloth to even get a halfway good looking shot. Obviously some Photoshop work is needed to get rid of that, and some other unwanted things like the corner of the box in a couple of the shots.  Not a big deal, but noticeable none the less.

Thanks for looking and commenting!


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## SusanMart (Apr 9, 2010)

oh ok, I see

but can you rotate your white box somehow?
or this is really the maximum width?


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