Great article on taking great photos

thelivesandlovesofmaggiethecat · Posts: 10159

http://www.designsponge.com/2012/10/biz-ladies-five-tips-for-taking-your-best-product-photos-yet.

Some of us need this info more than others.

TyreeTrading · Posts: 1608

I once asked my brother, a professional photographer, what kind of lighting system I should buy. Or at least one or two lights. His answer (one of the points in the article): buy a good photo editing program.

One tip I would add, that I have learned the hard way...when doing close ups, wear white clothing. That way the colors your camera pick up will not be inflenced by the bright red shirt you are wearing.

thecheapskirt · Posts: 2123

Thank you for posting these tips. You are right, some of us need to work on our photography. I'm not afraid to admit it that I could definitely do better.

caljackscollectibles · Posts: 719

Good article. Thanks for listing it. Very Happy

thelivesandlovesofmaggiethecat · Posts: 10159

Right on Cheap Skirt. My photos leave much to be desired and I see many on line that make me look like an expert.

I was not targeting any one seller by the way.

tigercreekgifts · Posts: 6293

I feel the same way. My photos are not the best that they could be but, I too have seen other sellers that make me look like a professional photographer. It all depends on what type of camera the seller has (expensive, decent, cheap) and the way they are able to capture the image using lighting, good angles, and picking certain types of backgrounds.

I know if you take a photo on a white background, you need to have alot of lighting available or your photo will turn out all dark and greyish. If you use a yellow or brown background, the photos can turn out with a yellowish tint. I have found that since I don't feel like fooling with a mini studio lighting set-up, It works best for me to just take the photos next to a window during the day using natural sunlight. I never take photos at night because the lights in my house are all soft-white bulbs that turn my photos yellow. Yuck!

thecheapskirt · Posts: 2123

I don't think the camera type matters all that much. I took that picture of the fall leaves in the October thread with a cell phone.

robnsuzyscorner · Posts: 28

Good article.

I found out that a light blue background works best for me. A white background or black background troughs off the color balance. I have seen a split black and white background work, but for some reason I can't get it to. The blue background doesn't give the item any yellow or other tints.

Always experiment with different lighting from natural to what you can find in your house. When you find lighting you like, keep using it. I just use my overhead light in the bedroom. Sometimes I use my body to cast a shadow over the object to reduce glare from that light.

Be creative when setting up items to take pictures of. You don't have to use anything fancy. My set up for taking pictures of jewelry is a light blue sweatshirt and two small boxes. The one is tall, and the other I can place in front of it to give a solid platform. All I do is throw the sweatshirt over the boxes, and have a nice display.

If you are looking into a camera, I think that is important. The cost or brand doesn't matter. What matters is the zoom in feature/close up/tulip/macro for taking the detailed shots such as signatures. My camera was expensive when I bought it a few years back. It has a macro and super macro feature. That feature saved me many times. I have an inexpensive camera that does not have a close up feature, and can't get the pictures I like.

I'm sort of picky on the pictures. If a person can't see the item, why would they buy it. Sometimes I think I get too good of a picture.

One of the most important things that is sometimes over looked is the angle you are taking the item. I always think to myself, if I wanted to look at this what would I like to see? Sometimes a picture of the front of the object is great, and sometimes the object needs to be angled a little to really show it off. The slanted shot of the bracelet doesn't really show it off. Raise it up on a box. Have a higher box behind it. Throw a solid color something over it. It is easier to take straight on shots, especially when I can sit down and do it. Personally, I think the more pictures the better.

The article talked about a photo editor. I have paint shop pro 6. I know it is old. Anyhow, the features I use are brightness and contrast, crop, re-size, and sharpen. I rather retake the picture than sit and play with the gamma correction. You could sit there all day and play with it, and still not get the correct colors. The brightness and contrast only lightens and darkens the photos. It uses the colors that are there, and doesn't change them. Sometimes a photo can be too dark, and no matter how much you brighten it, it doesn't work. Re-take the picture.

Have fun, and use your imagination. The more you experiment, the more you will get a feel of what is and isn't going to work. The more you take pictures, the better you will get at it. If you don't like the picture, think what can I do different to get the picture I want?

Should I drape the cloth over the box, and pin the brooch on it? How do I get the earrings to dangle? Maybe tape string to the back of the box with loops hanging over the front of the box that you can just hang the earrings in the loops. The string needs to be long enough to go over the cloth also. Should I put the duck in the garden as if it was in it's natural setting? Maybe I should drape something over the chair out on the back porch to take a picture of those boots.

You are only limited by your imagination.

ToonTownTreasures · Posts: 34

Thank you for sharing that article..I struggle with pics, big time.