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frewen

photos for Etsy and website

What's the best way to take close up photos of items 6'' tall or so.

I need to put some things up on Etsy (online shop) and the photos need to make people want to part with their cash Very Happy
RichardW

Dep on the item some scanners will scan 3d items very well. Failing that the macro setting on a camera.

Justme
goldy1

Is there anything simelar already on there? If so check out how the show them off. what are the items could they be placed in a setting or are they best shown off on a white back ground? If your using macro on your camera use a trippod as shake is picked up very easily.
Fee

A small/shoe box lined with white paper/card and desk lamp for small items and works very well.

Something like this:

http://www.studiolighting.net/homemade-light-box-for-product-photography/

But with a shoe box Wink SO you shine the light at the roof of the shoe box.
vegplot

Fee wrote:
A small/shoe box lined with white paper/card and desk lamp for small items and works very well.

Something like this:

http://www.studiolighting.net/homemade-light-box-for-product-photography/

But with a shoe box Wink SO you shine the light at the roof of the shoe box.


Excellent! Couild save a lot of time in Photoshop.
2steps

I always fine my photos come out best taken outside on a bright but not too bright day (great in the summer, useless in winter Rolling Eyes) My last lot were taken with the jewellery on a rock
Sade

White / cream / very light grey background, depending on the item, or whichever provides better contrast or more detail. The shoe box sounds like a good idea for the background.

Aim a couple of lights, play with them while taking pictures until you get the effect you want. Putting a couple of pics with lighting from different angles is also good.

Use a tripod for the camera. The tabletop ones cost 5-7gbp, and are very handy. Use the macro setting of the camera, and the timer. Using the timer less pics will be moved (shooting upclose is easy to get moved pictures). Finally, take loads of pic, choose the best ones, and use PhotoShop, the Gimp, or any other graphic editing program to trim the pic, and if needed, white balance, etc.
n

Have a look at Strobist.

Good tutorial and fab pics.
n
Fee

n wrote:
Have a look at Strobist.

Good tutorial and fab pics.
n


Ah ha! Yes, that's the website I couldn't remember! It's fantastic.
n

I was given daylight photographic lights for Christmas, but I managed before then by using a sheet of IKEA children's drawing paper which is cream coloured (I still use it actually) it comes on a huge roll for pennies.

You could use wallpaper lining paper instead.

Drape it over a chair so that it covers the back and the seat and this gives you a "seamless background".
Put the chair facing a large external light source, I used north-facing patio doors.
Set your camera onto AV (don't know what it stands for but the camera won't flash). You don't want flash, it will distort the colours.
Use a small camera, forget the SLR which is heavy and will need a tripod on AV, a little lightweight one is better because you don't get camera shake.

If you want to see what can be achieved without flash and without swanky lights have a look at Yarnstorm and her website - all the photos are done without additional equipment.... and she's onto her third book on the visual strength of what you see on the blog.

n
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