# Need help fotographing my Tutus



## tutuOMG (Jun 24, 2013)

I'm using Cannon PowerShot SX160 IS to photograph my tutus. However, colors come out all wrong. I use florescent light soft boxes on either side to achieve white background. Here is an example http://www.tutuomg.com/lil-bee-personalized-bumble-bee-tutu-deluxe.html

I've used flash photography before to come up with something like this https://www.etsy.com/listing/113789987/spring-fairy-purple-tutu-deluxe?ref=shop_home_active
The colors are ok but the picture comes out dark.

Can anyone help with suggestions on how can I get vibrant colors to show up and so the pictures look light. This lady seems to know the answer
https://www.etsy.com/listing/113931296/circus-fun-clown-with-numberpersonalized?ref=shop_home_active
How does she achieve such vibrant colors?

Everyone who sees my tutus loves them becuase they are so bright and sparkly. On the photos, they look doll and plain.

Please help.


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## jowensphoto (Jun 24, 2013)

I'd take it to a professional; no sense in trying to be a jack of all trades. You'll end up on the lower quality all the way around. Focus on your design/seamstress skills.


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## tutuOMG (Jun 24, 2013)

I understand, but professionals charge $500 to take pictures of 40 products. I also want to take pictures of T-shirt separately from bow and changes things up as I go along.
I've tried that and determined it would be much cheaper for me to learn. I'm just starting out and don't have thousands of dollars to spend on photographers. I do appreciate your feedback though


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## tutuOMG (Jun 24, 2013)

jowensphoto said:


> I'd take it to a professional; no sense in trying to be a jack of all trades. You'll end up on the lower quality all the way around. Focus on your design/seamstress skills.



Very nice blog. Congratulations on new baby.


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## tirediron (Jun 24, 2013)

You're probably just about at the limit of what your little P&S can do.  If you want to do this yourself, and given the scale of business, I can understand why you do (and BTW, $500 to shoot 40 items is pretty darn cheap!) then the first thing you need to do is understand better how light works.  Buy the bible! Then, spend a little bit of money on equipment.  One used D3100, 18-55 kit lens, two Yongnuo speedlights and triggers and a pair of medium speedlight soft-boxes should come in well under $1000.  This 'site will help you learn all you ever wanted to know about off-camera lighting (start with the Lighting 101 section!).  

If you spend one weekend reading the book, another surfing the blog and one or two more practicing with the equipment, you will have no problem turning out well lit, good quality images.  I realize $1000 might seem like a lot of money, but if you amortize it against the number of images you can create in 2-3 years, it's really pretty cheap...  less than a $1/day!


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## Derrel (Jun 24, 2013)

I looked at your "Jennifer" pink and white and black shot...the colors on the tutu and the thulle (did I spell that right???) look "natural". The other woman's etsy site, the multi-hued tutu she calls the clown model, is made with some screaming neon synthetic fabric dyes, so it looks, well, RADICAL!!!!

Your "jennifer" sample tutu has excessively high contrast issues; the top shoulder area is detail-less white, due to over-exposure for the amount of light. The torso area and the tutu are both lighted and exposed okay.

What you need: A LARGE, diffused source of light, such as a 60x60 inch PVC pipe or wooden frame, covered with thin diffusing material, like white rip-stop nylon or CHina silk, would make a good diffuser panel. Mount that, or hang it up using heavy string or light-duty cord, and shine one or two strong lights through it from about 24 inches back, and PRESTO! A large source of soft, easy-to-work-with light for clothes. If you can make a tutu, you can build this PVC panel for $14. You can also locate the kind of fabric needed. You can also sew it right too!

Set the camera white balance to Tungsten, and use two Home Depot "work lights" for the light source. Set it up 7 feet from the clothes, up at about the 11 o'clock position, so the light sweeps over the clothes from the left, to the right, so the shadowed side is on the right hand side. Put the clothes flat on a table, and climb a short step ladder to photograph from. With soft light sources like this, you can then "juice up" the color using software.


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## tutuOMG (Jun 24, 2013)

tirediron said:


> You're probably just about at the limit of what your little P&S can do.  If you want to do this yourself, and given the scale of business, I can understand why you do (and BTW, $500 to shoot 40 items is pretty darn cheap!) then the first thing you need to do is understand better how light works.  Buy the bible! Then, spend a little bit of money on equipment.  One used D3100, 18-55 kit lens, two Yongnuo speedlights and triggers and a pair of medium speedlight soft-boxes should come in well under $1000.  This 'site will help you learn all you ever wanted to know about off-camera lighting (start with the Lighting 101 section!).
> 
> If you spend one weekend reading the book, another surfing the blog and one or two more practicing with the equipment, you will have no problem turning out well lit, good quality images.  I realize $1000 might seem like a lot of money, but if you amortize it against the number of images you can create in 2-3 years, it's really pretty cheap...  less than a $1/day!



Thank you so much for this advice. I would definatelly follow your advice. Would you happen to have links to these products on Amazon? I just returned Nikon D3100 and swapped it for Canon Rebel T3 and then for then for the camera mentioned. LOL should have kept D3100.


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## tutuOMG (Jun 24, 2013)

Derrel said:


> I looked at your "Jennifer" pink and white and black shot...the colors on the tutu and the thulle (did I spell that right???) look "natural". The other woman's etsy site, the multi-hued tutu she calls the clown model, is made with some screaming neon synthetic fabric dyes, so it looks, well, RADICAL!!!!
> 
> Your "jennifer" sample tutu has excessively high contrast issues; the top shoulder area is detail-less white, due to over-exposure for the amount of light. The torso area and the tutu are both lighted and exposed okay.
> 
> ...



Thank you so much.. I will try that


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## jowensphoto (Jun 24, 2013)

Do you have any colleges or even high schools near you (that offer a photography program)? 

Also, something to consider in terms of your specific business: there are SOOOO many "MWAC" types that love those tutus and use them frequently. Maybe find someone in your area, just starting out, and strike up a deal - you get photos, they get tutu samples.

ETA: it's like a "preferred vendor" program. The photographer can list you on her site as "exclusive tutu vendor" and all the mom's oohing-and-ahhing at the shoot will be referred to you for tutus. Win-win situation


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## cgipson1 (Jun 24, 2013)

It's easy... a decent camera (preferably a dslr) and a good diffuse daylight balanced light source (like the REAL daylight the other photographer used). You could do this with a Point and Shoot... but you do need to get a better light source. Those "Inexpensive" Fluorescent softboxes that are so popular will work if you know how to use WB, and color correction in post processing, but it can be difficult to get realistic colors without practice. Those light sources also require longer exposures since they are typically very weak. That is more difficult to do with a Point and shoot!

Flash (diffused) is good (as in multiple external flashes with modifiers - again difficult with your camera), as is actually sunlight (diffused). They are probably easier in many ways than having to color balance your images.

Get some diffusion material, build a PVC frame for it large enough to hold your items... put them in sunshine and shoot away.   (diffusion material by the yard  Amazon.com: ALZO Diffusion Fabric White - 60" wide - by the yard - by alzodigital.com: Camera & Photo )

Or you could set a manual WB on that camera using a Gray / white card ( Canon Manual http://gdlp01.c-wss.com/gds/0/0300008490/01/pssx160is-cug-en.pdf  Page 84)


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## cgipson1 (Jun 24, 2013)

jowensphoto said:


> Also, something to consider in terms of your specific business: there are SOOOO many "MWAC" types that love those tutus and use them frequently.



huh huh huh... she said MWAC!  lol!


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## KmH (Jun 24, 2013)

Moved to the Commercial/Product Photography forum.


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## jowensphoto (Jun 24, 2013)

cgipson1 said:


> jowensphoto said:
> 
> 
> > Also, something to consider in terms of your specific business: there are SOOOO many "MWAC" types that love those tutus and use them frequently.
> ...



Its a fact though, is it not?


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## cgipson1 (Jun 24, 2013)

jowensphoto said:


> cgipson1 said:
> 
> 
> > jowensphoto said:
> ...



Yes.. but I doubt that most could provide images for the OP that would be an improvement over what she has....


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## jowensphoto (Jun 24, 2013)

Ohhhh com'on Charlie! Some of the "higher end" ones aren't so bad.


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## cgipson1 (Jun 24, 2013)

jowensphoto said:


> Ohhhh com'on Charlie! Some of the "higher end" ones aren't so bad.



You mean those that have actually graduated out of MWAC status, through hard work, and practice (very rare species!)? They no longer deserve the title MWAC... that is reserved for those that seem to think owning a camera is enough to be a pro... who needs to learn?


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## Derrel (Jun 24, 2013)

OP...check out the Photoflex.com photo school tutorials...you can watch how small product shots can be done using a simple digital camera and the right tools.

Start here and spend a few hours.

Product/Still Life | Photoflex Lighting School | Photoflex


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