# Tips/Essentials for photographing wooden flooring



## LAURAAA (Jul 5, 2010)

My dad owns a wooden flooring company, and I will be taking photos of all his different kinds of wooden flooring (these will be boards, on some kind of stand) and wooden flooring finishes and other products he sells. I am new to photography using a DSLR, however I do want these to look professional as they will be going on his website. I have the Canon EOS 450D. Do you guys have any tips for photographing wooden flooring or know of must have items that I need? I have a Tripod stand and also a big white sheet which I was planning to place behind the items I am photographing.


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## KmH (Jul 5, 2010)

What will you be using for lighting and which lens came with your 450D?


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## LAURAAA (Jul 5, 2010)

I will either be taking photos inside an empty room (with windows + ordinary lights) or outside. I have no professional lighting. I have the 18-55 mm lens. I also have no external flash.

I heard a reflector would work well?

[ame=http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000RGRU3M/ref=s9_simh_gw_p23_i2?pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_s=center-1&pf_rd_r=1B8WFHME51SF6VPSQB5Z&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=467198433&pf_rd_i=468294]Ex-Pro 5 -in- 1 Photographic Light Reflector - 42": Amazon.co.uk: Electronics & Photo[/ame]


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## gsgary (Jul 5, 2010)

LAURAAA said:


> I will either be taking photos inside an empty room (with windows + lights) or outside. I have no professional lighting. I have the 18-55 mm lens. I also have no external flash.
> 
> I heard a reflector would work well?
> 
> Ex-Pro 5 -in- 1 Photographic Light Reflector - 42": Amazon.co.uk: Electronics & Photo




A reflector will only work outside unless you have studio lights, If you shoot inside with your white sheet if it is not lit it will look grey, i would probably use a black background, i'm a joiner and i think it would look better against black but then if you shoot inside without lighting no background will look good


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## LAURAAA (Jul 5, 2010)

Ah okay. What is a good kind of way of lighting a room well for taking photos? I'm worried that the dark wooden floors may not be very well visible against a black background?


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## LAURAAA (Jul 5, 2010)

And what is the best method for getting a black background?


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## KmH (Jul 5, 2010)

A black sheet can work as a black background.



LAURAAA said:


> I will either be taking photos inside an empty room (with windows + ordinary lights) or outside. I have no professional lighting. I have the 18-55 mm lens. I also have no external flash.
> 
> I heard a reflector would work well?
> 
> Ex-Pro 5 -in- 1 Photographic Light Reflector - 42": Amazon.co.uk: Electronics & Photo


In all honesty but still trying to help, don't expect professional looking results.

You don't really need professional lighting but you do need to learn how to use lighting in a professional way, and how to use your lens to best advantange to capture it with the camera gear you have.

Shooting indoors gives you _way more_ control than shooting outside.

You can get pretty good looking images inside, using a couple or three inexpensive lights like these clamp lights:

Designers Edge 10.5 In. Brooder Clamp Light - E-240-4PK at The Home Depot

You'll have put daylight balanced 120 watt or so light bulbs in.

A steady tripod and using the camera's delayed shutter release timer will eliminate camera shake.

If you click on the top  For Sale link in my siggy &#8595; &#8595; &#8595; you can look at some product shots I made.


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## flyingember (Jul 5, 2010)

get a way to control your light.  make a large soft box and use exactly one kind of bulb for your lighting.

most of all, make sure your white balance is set right.  wood can look 100 different ways in different light and you want the photo to match the product to almost crazy levels of accuracy.  customers complain if what they get isn't what they saw


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## LAURAAA (Jul 6, 2010)

Thanks for the tips guys 

I'll have a look into some clamp lights or a large soft box.

KmH your photos look good!


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## Village Idiot (Jul 6, 2010)

LAURAAA said:


> Thanks for the tips guys
> 
> I'll have a look into some clamp lights or a large soft box.
> 
> KmH your photos look good!


 
Read through this before you buy anything:
Strobist: Lighting 101

A very helpful book on the technical aspects of lighting:
[ame=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0240808193/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=0240802756&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1Y031T1W1NXBYXKTRWNF]Amazon.com: Light: Science and Magic: An Introduction to Photographic Lighting (9780240808192): Fil Hunter, Steven&#133;[/ame]


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## gsgary (Jul 6, 2010)

Just seen a photo for flooring in a mag and it shows the bottom of some white kitchen units making a triangle in the top left hand  corner and just across the top of the frame and flooring running at about 45 degress from right to left, 2 runs of each type of flooring,
If you could make a white right angle corner or if you have a corner of a room with white walls lay 2 runs of each flooring and try shooting at different angles it could work if you have the right lighting, hope that makes sense
If you live anywhere near Derbyshire i might be able to bring soom lighting got 2 powerfull flash heads, octobox, umbrellas, 580ex flash and other stuff


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## LAURAAA (Jul 8, 2010)

gsgary said:


> Just seen a photo for flooring in a mag and it shows the bottom of some white kitchen units making a triangle in the top left hand corner and just across the top of the frame and flooring running at about 45 degress from right to left, 2 runs of each type of flooring,
> If you could make a white right angle corner or if you have a corner of a room with white walls lay 2 runs of each flooring and try shooting at different angles it could work if you have the right lighting, hope that makes sense
> If you live anywhere near Derbyshire i might be able to bring soom lighting got 2 powerfull flash heads, octobox, umbrellas, 580ex flash and other stuff


 
That composition sounds great! Thanks for letting me know about it. I'll give it ago. Unfortunatly I live in Hertfordshire, which is quite a way away, but thankyou for the fantastic offer!


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