Suggestion for Product Light Kit

[PhotoByLeal]

Product Shooters......
First of all, I tried doing a search on TPF, but I might not be searching right.

I would like to start doing some Product Photography......
I have Photogenic Lights, do I need to buy another kit for Product Photography or just buy a Shooting Cube?

thanks,
angel m. leal jr.

[Mindy H]

I'm glad you asked this! I keep trying to take product photos (my own products, not for clients) and I just cannot make the shots look right. I'll be curious to see what others say about the benefits of using a cube.

[PhotoByLeal]

Mindy do you have one of these cubes or tents?
Photoflex LiteIgloo Shooting Tent - Large - 31.5" (80cm) Cube

or do you have a kit like this
Lastolite Cubelite Kit

what have you tired or what do you use for product photography?


thanks,

[BEphoto]

I made a homemade lightbox out of:

1 cardboard box
1 sheet posterboard (for seamless backdrop)
2 500w work lights
Scrapbooking Velum, or tissuepaper for the diffusion panels
some duct tape
Optional: a piece of glass from a picture frame to put under the product to give a reflection.

I was very excited by the results.

Here is the box in use.




You can view some of my product shots on my website, here.


For the skateboards, i actually built a 2' wide, 2' deep, and 4' high box out of some PVC pipe with elbows, a king size white bed sheet, and a roll of seamless paper. It was an interesting contraption, but im hoping i dont ever have to break it back out again....

Now that you mentioned it here, im going to do a how-to tutorial on each step to building one on my photo column, here.

[Jeffery]

I shot all of these with a seamless background, two cheap monolights and shoot-through umbrellas. I added the thin plexi to get the reflection, after a few recommendations, so the products don't look like they are floating in space.







This was my setup.

[BEphoto]

BTW, disregard the flash on my camera. I didnt use it, and honestly dont even remember why i had it on!

[PhotoByLeal]

Originally Posted by BEphoto

I made a homemade lightbox out of:

1 cardboard box
1 sheet posterboard (for seamless backdrop)
2 500w work lights
Scrapbooking Velum, or tissuepaper for the diffusion panels
some duct tape
Optional: a piece of glass from a picture frame to put under the product to give a reflection.

I was very excited by the results.

Here is the box in use.


You can view some of my product shots on my website, here.


For the skateboards, i actually built a 2' wide, 2' deep, and 4' high box out of some PVC pipe with elbows, a king size white bed sheet, and a roll of seamless paper. It was an interesting contraption, but im hoping i dont ever have to break it back out again....

Now that you mentioned it here, im going to do a how-to tutorial on each step to building one on my photo column, here.

Brad,

so all those pictures on your link, did you use this setup or did you use something else?

thanks

Originally Posted by bung

I shot all of these with a seamless background, two cheap monolights and shoot-through umbrellas. I added the thin plexi to get the reflection, after a few recommendations, so the products don't look like they are floating in space.

This was my setup.

Jeff,

good stuff....

Do you both think it is better to use strobes or mono lights?

[d2creative]

Monolights are strobes that have their power source contained in the head like Alien Bees. I think you mean hot lights.

You want to use strobes so you can shoot at really high f-stops.

I refuse to use light tents. Not enough control over the light.

Shot with studio strobes using a mix of modifiers, flags and reflectors.



Shot with nothing but a couple nikon speedlights and 2.5 gallon fish tank.



This icing shot on this package (in stores soon ) was shot like the first image with just two studio strobes, modifiers and reflectors.

[BEphoto]

Originally Posted by PhotoByLeal

Brad,

so all those pictures on your link, did you use this setup or did you use something else?

thanks

All of the small objects were shot in that actual box. The skateboards were shot in my big box that I made. The small box can be made for under $10 if you have lights already. Also, the worklights I used were a bit overkill and weren't all that easy to manuver. If I had to do it again, I'd go with the clamp style worklights (the big silver dish style) and some nice bulbs. The worklights I used also got really hot, really fast.

[PhotoByLeal]

Nice work Dennis.....
It looks like you use 4 lights on the fruit shot, is that correct?
Was there a piece of glass that the fruit was place on?
If you don't mind me asking what would you suggest to start out with and work up from there in the future?

thanks,
angel m. leal jr.

[Mindy H]

Originally Posted by PhotoByLeal

Mindy do you have one of these cubes or tents?
Photoflex LiteIgloo Shooting Tent - Large - 31.5" (80cm) Cube

or do you have a kit like this
Lastolite Cubelite Kit

what have you tired or what do you use for product photography?


thanks,

I don't have either of those. I've just been using my regular high key set up that I use for my portrait work. Which, it does ok....I just feel like the shots are missing something but I can't place my finger on it. I think it may be the reflection that I need to ground the products a bit.

[PhotoByLeal]

Originally Posted by Mindy H

I don't have either of those. I've just been using my regular high key set up that I use for my portrait work. Which, it does ok....I just feel like the shots are missing something but I can't place my finger on it. I think it may be the reflection that I need to ground the products a bit.

why don't we have a GTG in the future @ your place and and brainstorm?
we can bring all kinds of lights, modifiers and tents to try all kinds of things!

[d2creative]

Originally Posted by PhotoByLeal

Nice work Dennis.....
It looks like you use 4 lights on the fruit shot, is that correct?
Was there a piece of glass that the fruit was place on?
If you don't mind me asking what would you suggest to start out with and work up from there in the future?

thanks,
angel m. leal jr.

I only have 3 lights to work with and that's usually enough. Once in a blue i wish i had a 4th for background lighting but I make it work with 3. I think the fruit was 3 but sometimes I only need 2. It depends what you're shooting. I shot those on white plexi. I would suggest a kit of 3 lights. A good book to look at is Still Life and Special Effects Photography. Tons of great setup diagrams.

Some people get by with a tent, but I don't like the flat light it produces for what i shoot. You don't have enough control over the light and shadows. It's kinda like putting your camera in program mode.

[photostein]

Anyone can buy a light set; however, not everyone takes the time to learn about light. I suggest that you find a product that is lit just like you want yours to look, then learn how to duplicate it.

I suggest some lighting education from Dean Collins and his kind.

If you already know about lighting, then never mind.

[Mindy H]

Originally Posted by PhotoByLeal

why don't we have a GTG in the future @ your place and and brainstorm?
we can bring all kinds of lights, modifiers and tents to try all kinds of things!

You guys doing the work...while I watch....sounds good to me.