Full Version: Making product photo box
From: Carl (CSEWELL) [#14]
12 Feb 2007
To: Cindy (CINDYM) [#13] 12 Feb 2007
Ahhh...... but are you able to take a picture of the box? ...... and post it?
:^)
From: Cindy (CINDYM) [#15]
12 Feb 2007
To: Carl (CSEWELL) [#14] 12 Feb 2007
As we have seen from my past photo posting experiences, I am not a photographer, nor play one on TV!
Since our move it's been in the outside shop. If I get a chance, I'll pull it over to the main office and take some photos for you - then post them.
Cindy M
From: UncleSteve [#16]
12 Feb 2007
To: Carl (CSEWELL) [#14] 12 Feb 2007
From: Carl (CSEWELL) [#17]
12 Feb 2007
To: UncleSteve [#16] 12 Feb 2007
From: UncleSteve [#18]
12 Feb 2007
To: Carl (CSEWELL) [#17] 12 Feb 2007
From: Mike (MIKEN) [#19]
13 Feb 2007
To: ALL
http://www.pbase.com/wlhuber/light_box_light_tent
From: logojohn [#20]
6 Mar 2007
To: ALL
I have been trying to photograph plaques, trays, acrylics and other awards for awhile.
I have tried the small purchased light box and a large one I made with sheets as diffusers for the light.
Actually, the main problem is not from the sides on these highly reflective items but from the front.
I figured out early it is best to NOT use a flash from the camera at all.
Even lighting just from the sides without a flash, will reflect the camera, me and the room background in the shiny surfaces. I tried to shoot the plaques at an angle so the camera and me wouldn't be in the reflection, but I didn't like the looks of it and it would still reflect the corner seams of the light box or something else.
I have not noticed anything on the store bought boxes that even have anything to block the reflection from the front.
After trying many things I have found a fairly good solution. I took a piece of engraving plastic about 24" x 24" and cut a circle in it just big enough for the camera lens to stick through. I face the black back side toward the item being photographed which mutes the reflection.
On very reflective things like trays or some plaques, I can just use the clone tool in photopaint to remove the reflection of the lens.
For the plaques, I don't use the light box at all. I just found a "sweet spot" on the display plaque wall. We have many spotlights on the ceiling I can direct where I want. I actually like a little light reflection on the edges especially on the piano finish plaques so you can tell how shiny they are.
Using the plastic with the hole in it kills most of the reflection.
Before digital cameras, dating myself again, we took a van load of things to a photographer to make a catalog. They sprayed a silver ice bucket and similar things with a spray to deaden the reflection. But then it just looked like painted plastic. So they removed it and allowed some reflection.
I just got in some new silver Italian cups so that will put my theories
to the test pretty soon.
There is still room for improvement but these 2 webpages I just finished are much improved over the first attempt.
http://www.trophiesinc.com/plaqueswood/plaqueswood.html
http://www.trophiesinc.com/plaqueallocc/plaquesallocc.html
When you click on the little thumbs on the left you get a very big picture.
EDITED: 6 Mar 2007 by LOGOJOHN
From: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#21]
6 Mar 2007
To: logojohn [#20] 6 Mar 2007
Generally looks very nice.
On the faux wood page, a couple of the plaques have a "fun house mirror" thing going on, where the straight sides of the plaques look contorted.
From: Harvey only (HARVEY-ONLY) [#22]
7 Mar 2007
To: logojohn [#20] 7 Mar 2007
The 'blooming' is caused by being too close to the item being photographed. Back up and use a mechanical zoom for best results.
The photography, other than that is just short of amazing. You have found a new niche.
The website also is extremely well done. Easy to view, pleasant to view and intuitive. Good job here also.
From: Dave Jones (DAVERJ) [#23]
8 Mar 2007
To: logojohn [#20] 8 Mar 2007
On the very reflective items you can use a combination of Harvey's suggestion about moving back, plus put the object on a slight angle. The further back you go the less that angle needs to be. You could also tip it up a little bit.
Shooting with the room dark helps prevent reflections of the room. If you can't do that, then get a bolt of black cloth and run it from the edge of the light tent on an angle to the camera and then back to the other end of the light tent, with a hole or slit in the center for the lens to stick through. If you are tipping the item up a bit, you might need some black cloth above the front of the tent so it is in the path of reflection.
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