30 January 2008

Advertising shots


Thought i'd try to do a sort of advertising shot. Unfortunately it's not that good. Lighting is ok but it's a little out of focus at the front and back of the object. Reason.... well maybe I used the wrong settings and lens or maybe it was because I didn't think everything out (see tips below).
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Tips: Before photographing a product, you should spend time thinking about how you want to present it. You need to consider the following: Item's size, texture, and surface material. Reflective surfaces must be carefully lit. Do you need to capture small details? Will any other items be in the photo, such as related products or props ? What colour background is appropriate? Materials and shapes can make a big difference in lighting choices.
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Glass and ceramic materials usually reflect light so you have to be careful about glare spots. Use indirect flash by bouncing your flash unit to something like a light coloured ceiling.
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Wood has wonderful texture and a range of color in the same item. Soft indirect lighting and high contrast works well.
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Metal is similar to glass in reflective capacity. A lot depends on what color it is. Indirect soft flash works very well.
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I think it's worth posting this shot up to show we all dont take perfect shots every time. This is how we learn by comparing old inadequate shots with new ones that we have improved on. I'm mainly adding this onto my blog to review it in a few months time after having tried a few more attempts at this sort of shot. I'm always willing to try anything new in photography. I'll be sure to take note of the tips i've added here for you which I found today online.

Settings
  • Camera Olympus E500
  • Hand Held
  • Lens Zuiko Digital 50mm macro
  • Aperture - f/4
  • Shutter speed 1/50 sec
  • ISO-200
  • Exposure compensation - 0 step
  • Focal Length - 50mm

2 comments:

Anna Ridley said...

I know what you mean about not taking the "perfect" photo sometimes, but I think this works so well just as it is. The DOF adds interest to me; I wouldn't like it nearly so much if the entire screw were sharp. I love the lighting you used here - really shows off the textures and tones well. I think your take on this shot makes an ordinary, everyday object into something very artistic.

Carole said...

Thanks Anna. I too liked it only I thought it could be better. But that's me striving for perfection.