# Framing a Product Shot



## JPMcQueen (Aug 19, 2016)

Hi, please forgive me if I've posted in the incorrect forum but I'm looking for a bit of guidance. Firstly, I'm not a professional, just very much an amateur looking to improve the images I use on my website and eBay store by using actual product images rather than stock images.

What I need help with is framing a shot so that the item being photographed remains a consistent size between each item. For example, the images attached are all different bottle sizes but their framing remains the same within the borders of the image.

Buy perfume online - London perfumery | Roullier White

I appreciate this is very much a beginners 101 question but if you dont ask, you dont learn


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## tirediron (Aug 19, 2016)

Are these your own images?


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## JPMcQueen (Aug 19, 2016)

No, i just used them from a commercial website as examples.


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## astroNikon (Aug 19, 2016)

JPMcQueen said:


> No, i just used them from a commercial website as examples.


can't post images that aren't yours.  copyright stuff.
you can provide links to them.


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## JPMcQueen (Aug 19, 2016)

Really? Okay, I thought with them being in the public domain so to speak they'd be okay. Original post has been edited to reflect this.


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## tirediron (Aug 19, 2016)

JPMcQueen said:


> Really? Okay, I thought with them being in the public domain so to speak they'd be okay. Original post has been edited to reflect this.


Thanks!  Just to clarify things:  Simply posting an image on line doesn't place it in the public domain.  It is, unless specifically indicated to the contrary still a copyright image.  TPF, being a community of photographers feels that it is in appropriate to use someone else's work without permission.


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## tirediron (Aug 19, 2016)

To answer your question however, there are two ways to do it:  (1)  Use reference marks in your viewfinder and move the camera nearer or farther so that each container touches those marks; or (2) the easy way, which is to crop them in post so that there's the same amount of space around each container.


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## Designer (Aug 19, 2016)

JPMcQueen said:


> What I need help with is framing a shot so that the item being photographed remains a consistent size between each item. For example, the images attached are all different bottle sizes but their framing remains the same within the borders of the image.


Excuse me for not understanding the reason for this.  Another poster has said the same thing; wanting all items of varying size to appear to be the same size in photographs.  

Why?  

Not only do I not see any rationale for it, I would instead make each the same SCALE, not the same apparent size.  

I am curious as to your reason.


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## tirediron (Aug 19, 2016)

Designer said:


> JPMcQueen said:
> 
> 
> > What I need help with is framing a shot so that the item being photographed remains a consistent size between each item. For example, the images attached are all different bottle sizes but their framing remains the same within the borders of the image.
> ...


Possibly a layout requirement?


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## Designer (Aug 19, 2016)

tirediron said:


> Possibly a layout requirement?


I would characterize it more of a layout PREFERENCE, not a requirement.  

Anyway, as I wrote in the other thread; why not make everything appear in correct relative size so customers know if something actually is smaller or larger than another choice?  If I were the customer, that's what I would want.  When I buy purses or perfume I would like to know if it is a large or small something.  Sure beats reading the sizes listed and getting out a tape measure to find out how big something is.  

But hey!  That's me.


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## tirediron (Aug 19, 2016)

A layout requirement in the sense that the compositior or layout man/editor tells the photographer, "I want 5 shots from product range 'X', all 1 column by 2 inches because that's the amount of space the client has paid for and that's how many products they want featured.


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## JPMcQueen (Aug 20, 2016)

Apologies for the delay in coming back to you with this and thanks for the advice so far. It is more a layout preference with a bit of constraint thrown in. The images on my website are specifically 500x500 pixels and I want to maximise the actual size of the product in the image in relation to the image size whilst keeping it consistent e.g. 50 pixels from the top/bottom and so minimise the amount of waste space with just the back sweep.


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## JPMcQueen (Aug 20, 2016)

tirediron said:


> (2) the easy way, which is to crop them in post so that there's the same amount of space around each container.



I think this is the way forward. Is there a link anywhere that shows how to do this in Photoshop? So say that I want the image to be 500 x 500 in size with the actual image 50 pixels from top and bottom of the framing?


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## KmH (Aug 20, 2016)

You can set the Rulers in Photoshop to pixels, inches, mm, cm, points, picas or percent.

If you don't already have Rules set to ON click on View > Rulers, or use the shortcut Ctrl+R.
Once the rulers are displayed at the top and left side of the workspace, right-click on a ruler to set the units.

When you have the Crop tool selected you can set the crop dimensions or aspect ratio (500 x 500 is a 1:1 aspect ratio) in the Crop Tool Options Bar across the top of the workspace.

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Adobe Photoshop help | Photoshop.com


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