# Taking pictures of Products



## minimadgriff (Jul 8, 2007)

Afternoon All,

HELP!

We are trying to take pictures of exhausts at work. We are using a white fabric background and two flash guns but they are coming out terrible. (Using a Canon DSLR)

I don't know if it is a lighting issue or the person taking them isn't doing it correctly but they are coming out so bad it is difficult/impossible to save them on photoshop or make them look like professional pictures. On the ones I can save it is just so time consuming getting them to look ok.

This is how they are coming off the camera.







Any tips and advice will be gratefully appreciated. I really need these better so I don't have to spend so much time photo shopping them or having to get all the exhaust out again to take them again.

If we have to spend abit of money (not too much!) on lighting then please recommend what we should get.

Thanks,

Ben


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## m1pui (Jul 24, 2009)

Where are you positioning and aiming the flashguns


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## minimadgriff (Jul 8, 2007)

We have tried one from each side and over head.


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## vek (May 3, 2011)

its a long time since i worked in this field but personally i would be using a diffuser on the flash units to soften the shadows thus spreading a soft light that would be more even.


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## minimadgriff (Jul 8, 2007)

We do have the flashes in soft boxes.


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## minimadgriff (Jul 8, 2007)

Would something like this help?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/540w-Stud...raphy_Flash_Lighting_Kits&hash=item2a355b9c8f


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## Stewartfinley (Mar 3, 2012)

You need loads more light!

To get this below I use 4 lights, so on a bigger project it be using 5 or 6.

1 or 2 on the background, left, right, above, and below (if you were to put the background on a glass table)

Before photoshop:









After photoshop:









In spring you could try and shoot these outside on the white background on an overcast day, using a slightly longer exposure I think you could get a decent result.


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## Benn (Aug 22, 2007)

I was gonna say more light is needed. As you want to use it to lose the background...


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## minimadgriff (Jul 8, 2007)

So, more light is the key which is as I thought.

Found this on the bay?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/900w-Stud...raphy_Flash_Lighting_Kits&hash=item416b83ed1c

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Upgrade-3...Photography_Lighting_Kits&hash=item565510cc04


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## Stewartfinley (Mar 3, 2012)

the first one of the 2 as it has soft boxes which makes it easier to control the light


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## TRN Ent (Nov 16, 2008)

I'd say the white fabric background is a bit poor looking, if it was a solid colour then it'll look a lot better.
So try and get a solid white background, rather than one with a texture and have background on all sides, this will bounce the light more evenly, try getting one above too, like below the ceiling.

This image is a little over exposed and that shadow some viewers may not like it, but I think it adds a depth to the photo:









To give you an idea this was taken with the following setup. There were pieces of paper on all 5 sides which bounced the light pretty much all over. The flash was hardly facing into the box but it worked, so you should be able to get good results with a decent background setup:









Just gives you an idea you might not have to spend £100's on equipment straight away, experiment with different lighting angles.
Hope this helps,
Tom.


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