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Product photography lighting: It is simple when you know how.

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Alex Koloskov

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Working on our latest assignment, a catalog shoot for Refrigiwear, I decided to show how proper lighting can make a big difference by using one of the boots from the catalog as an example.

Working from this, 1 light boooo:



to a complete, ready for catalog shoot:



All the steps (I was adding lights one by one), lighting setup and a bonus photo on the blog article:

http://www.akelstudio.com/blog/product-photography-lighting-it-is-simple-when-you-know-how/

Ok, I'll post bonus one here, enjoy:



--
Prove it!
Alex Koloskov
http://www.koloskov.com
 
Alex Koloskov said:
Working on our latest assignment, a catalog shoot for Refrigiwear, I decided to show how proper lighting can make a big difference by using one of the boots from the catalog as an example.

Working from this, 1 light boooo:



to a complete, ready for catalog shoot:



All the steps (I was adding lights one by one), lighting setup and a bonus photo on the blog article:
Click to expand...
Hmmmm.... sorry and all, but I can't help feeling it was rather better before you messed around with it so much. All it wanted was a little more zap [contrast] with a gentle texture light from the back.... [??] and that burned out background is killing it, in my opinion.

[Yeah. On my screen it looks somewhat bleached , as if it had been left in the sun.]

But hey, we all have our own individual ideas about what's good.... (shrugs)

PS. I would also have tilted it up on the toe, so that it appears less heavy and curled up at the front... (hiding shadow under front).

PPS. I have done a good deal of catalogue shooting of footwear, sometimes shooting nothing else for weeks on end.... [shudder!]
--
Regards,
Baz

Well, I'll see your Cher, and your Streisand... and I'll raise you an Alice Babs!
 
Barrie Davis said:
Alex Koloskov said:
Working on our latest assignment, a catalog shoot for Refrigiwear, I decided to show how proper lighting can make a big difference by using one of the boots from the catalog as an example.

Working from this, 1 light boooo:



to a complete, ready for catalog shoot:



All the steps (I was adding lights one by one), lighting setup and a bonus photo on the blog article:
Click to expand...
Hmmmm.... sorry and all, but I can't help feeling it was rather better before you messed around with it so much. All it wanted was a little more zap [contrast] with a gentle texture light from the back.... [??] and that burned out background is killing it, in my opinion.
Click to expand...
I agree, the first one looks a bit better overall.

If you look close [zoom in one level] you'll see that the first one has a bit "softer" focus than the second. Simply correcting that would also help a bit with the "zap/contrast".
Barrie Davis said:
[Yeah. On my screen it looks somewhat bleached , as if it had been left in the sun.]

But hey, we all have our own individual ideas about what's good.... (shrugs)

PS. I would also have tilted it up on the toe, so that it appears less heavy and curled up at the front... (hiding shadow under front).

PPS. I have done a good deal of catalogue shooting of footwear, sometimes shooting nothing else for weeks on end.... [shudder!]
--
Regards,
Baz

Well, I'll see your Cher, and your Streisand... and I'll raise you an Alice Babs!
Click to expand...
 
Maybe clean the sensor before shooting for a client, too. Nasty dust spots on that first...

 
C S A said:
Maybe clean the sensor before shooting for a client, too. Nasty dust spots on that first...

Click to expand...
I prefer to clean it during post production, sensor dust is a big problem for me, can't get it clean for a long time.
Only post production can ensure the image will be free of spots.
This is one of the reasons why we never give a client camera RAW.

What is good when you shoot on a white background that no sensor dust is visible: all the rest is free from dust without any cleaning.

--
Prove it!
Alex Koloskov
http://www.koloskov.com
 
Shrapening won't add detail to a first one, it may seem to look better only because it was shoot on a gradient. If you worked with lights well enough you'll what I mean: only low angle direct light will show you the texture.

BYW, if you read my blog post, there is a second image, same as a first one, but with the white background: this is how boot will be on a catalog. I know, white back reduced contrast, but still, the first one on a white, clipped out will look not as attractive.

Well, this is a personal preference after all :-) My style is what you see on the last one.

--
Prove it!
Alex Koloskov
http://www.koloskov.com
 
There is also a rather ugly wrap on the front of the sole that blurs its shape ad loses detail...
--
Best Regards,
Renato

'The world is going to pieces and people like Adams and Weston are photographing rocks.' Henri Cartier Bresson, in the 1930's
 
I would have blackened the edge/side of the sole all the way to the back of the boot. As it is, it appears to be a somewhat used boot.

Secondly, I would have liked to have seen the dof extended clearly to the logo back at the rear side of the boot.
Regards, Jim
Alex Koloskov said:
Working on our latest assignment, a catalog shoot for Refrigiwear, I decided to show how proper lighting can make a big difference by using one of the boots from the catalog as an example.

Working from this, 1 light boooo:



to a complete, ready for catalog shoot:



All the steps (I was adding lights one by one), lighting setup and a bonus photo on the blog article:

http://www.akelstudio.com/blog/product-photography-lighting-it-is-simple-when-you-know-how/

Ok, I'll post bonus one here, enjoy:



--
Prove it!
Alex Koloskov
http://www.koloskov.com
Click to expand...
--



Odds N' Ends album here:
http://www.pbase.com/jimh/inbox&page=all
Z album here: http://www.pbase.com/jimh/marilyn_the_car&page=all
 
Thanks for sharing the details! The final image looks good to me!

--
Viktor
'Happy shooting!'
 
This was very informative, and your lighting diagram was great. I thank you for generously sharing your expertise with us, .... this is a good learning post.

Snarky replies to your post should be accompanied with an example of how the poster can do even better. For that matter, why be snarky at all? It accomplishes nothing.

Sal
 
Sal18 said:
This was very informative, and your lighting diagram was great. I thank you for generously sharing your expertise with us, .... this is a good learning post.

Snarky replies to your post should be accompanied with an example of how the poster can do even better. For that matter, why be snarky at all? It accomplishes nothing.

Sal
Click to expand...
Sal,
Thank you.

I am completely OK with any type of critique:-) This is why I post here. There are no ideal photography, and each person has its own opinion on how things should be done.

Some of us are good in critique, some in photography :-) Usually the most arguing guys does not have their portfolio listed in profile, which is bad, IMO: I love to see the level of expertise of the person I have conversation with.
--
Prove it!
Alex Koloskov
http://www.koloskov.com
 
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