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Carpet Photography

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SariHiari

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I've been asked to photograph carpets.

Some of these carpets are really big, up to 18ft in length.

I am having trying to visualize the images.

How would you photograph/light this kind of subject.

Thanks,

--
Learn to recognize and ignore trolls
http://www.pbase.com/sarihiari/
 
SariHiari said:
I've been asked to photograph carpets.

Some of these carpets are really big, up to 18ft in length.

I am having trying to visualize the images.

How would you photograph/light this kind of subject.

Thanks,

--
Learn to recognize and ignore trolls
http://www.pbase.com/sarihiari/
Click to expand...
Prepare a big spotlight.

Pretend to walk away from the carpet but make sure you can still peek at it through a doorway or the like.

When the carpet thinks you've gone; it should start to fly...

At that point... "switch on the spotlight, point the lens in the carpets direction and press the shutter button on your camera; a lot!"

This usually works for me.

1,2,3,4,5... just one more beer?

Regards
Bill.
 
SariHiari said:
I've been asked to photograph carpets.

Some of these carpets are really big, up to 18ft in length.

I am having trying to visualize the images.

How would you photograph/light this kind of subject.

Thanks,
Click to expand...
Sari, more infos, please.
1. studio size / hight ?
2. can you shoot from above? or are they hanging from a wall?
3. woven or knotted, wool or silk carpets?
4. lighting equipment at your disposal?
--
Kind regards,
Peter B.
('Pardon my English. Still practising.')
 
You said carpet(s) and mentioned they are quite large. How are you going to handle these large, awkward and heavy carpets? Are they going to provide some manpower?

What comes to my mind is laying them out flat on the floor, using a tall step ladder and a tilt-shift lens
 
SariHiari said:
I've been asked to photograph carpets.

Some of these carpets are really big, up to 18ft in length.

I am having trying to visualize the images.

How would you photograph/light this kind of subject.

Thanks,

--
Learn to recognize and ignore trolls
http://www.pbase.com/sarihiari/
Click to expand...
For the highest quality output, you could scan each segment of the carpet on a flat-bed scanner and piece the images together in Photoshop....

Irv
 
Hang a corner over a table, or something like that, and take a close up of the corner. This would be for up close detail only.
--
Rob'O
 
BCC said:
You said carpet(s) and mentioned they are quite large. How are you
going to handle these large, awkward and heavy carpets? Are they
going to provide some manpower?

What comes to my mind is laying them out flat on the floor, using a
tall step ladder and a tilt-shift lens
Click to expand...
Camera position at the center of th object, 2 6ft softboxes on the side - it's not too complicated.

You will have to shoot with no distortions and guarantee that colors will be correct plus your capture must represent the texture of carpet material.

What print size was requested?

I would use a 67 or at least 645 slide for such sort of work - client may request actual slides to be presented to look at.
 
Hi SariHiari

It depends what your client wants, you need to discuss different ideas with them - and as others have said: purpose of the photographs, the type of carpet, woven or knotted, wool or silk carpets, etc.
Have you consider working with a stylist ?



--
http://www.ampimage.com
 
Lets assume you want the full image as you stated they are big, so
you probably want the whole carpet in the picture for a catalog?

Here is a good tool you might want Zig Align.

http://www.zig-align.com/

The reason to align the subject and camera film in the same plain is
for perspective control. You need the camera to be centered on the
carpet. Carpet on floor, but the camera directly centered above. Zig-Align
will help align the two just like working on a fine art print/painting.

You will also need a line of lights at 45 degree on each side. In this
case, rather large array. You can rent these and use for the work.

Also, I would suggest a BetterLight scanning back to get the file size
you need to cover detail in the large subject.

http://www.betterlight.com you can also rent these scanning backs for the
week or by day. Please consider this as essential because most dslr
cameras do not have the lens or coverage for a 20 foot carpet.

Camera movements:
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/movements.shtml

Good luck... HB
 
http://www.scaffoldingdirect.com/sd/catalog.html

http://www.falconscaffold.com/

Every product photographer should have a few scaffold pieces.
They can be bought at surplus or junk yards. We have a set up
ten feet wide that will support me at eight feet off the ground
lying down or standing up with tripod for 16 feet elevation. I
can put this on my trailer, but it gets scary up there.

You can also rent a scaffold at just about any rental yard. Either
hang the carpet or use scaffocd for camera support.

HB
 
Peter Berressem said:
Sari, more infos, please.
1. studio size / hight ?
Click to expand...
In location, 6 meters high.
Peter Berressem said:
2. can you shoot from above? or are they hanging from a wall?
Click to expand...
Should be on a wall, or other wise on the floor.
Peter Berressem said:
3. woven or knotted, wool or silk carpets?
Click to expand...
I believe its Woven. And I know its silk.
Peter Berressem said:
4. lighting equipment at your disposal?
Click to expand...
Shop lights (Sports in the ceiling and some directional lights).

--
Learn to recognize and ignore trolls
http://www.pbase.com/sarihiari/
 
While I believe in the superior resolution and quality of a 4x5/8x10 format. I really think its overkill for a simple catalogue or a website.
Paul_U said:
wolfe said:
Hang a corner over a table, or something like that, and take a
close up of the corner. This would be for up close detail only.
Click to expand...
Or shoot the thing with 4x5/8x10 camera as other people do.
Click to expand...
--
Learn to recognize and ignore trolls
http://www.pbase.com/sarihiari/
 
centralcoastmagazine said:
http://www.scaffoldingdirect.com/sd/catalog.html

http://www.falconscaffold.com/

Every product photographer should have a few scaffold pieces.
They can be bought at surplus or junk yards. We have a set up
ten feet wide that will support me at eight feet off the ground
lying down or standing up with tripod for 16 feet elevation. I
can put this on my trailer, but it gets scary up there.

You can also rent a scaffold at just about any rental yard. Either
hang the carpet or use scaffocd for camera support.

HB
Click to expand...
--
Learn to recognize and ignore trolls
http://www.pbase.com/sarihiari/
 
over do it on the lighting.... you will have shadows if not....

You might post this as a lighting question in the lighting forum?

Even with paintings of 60 inches full lighting is important.

I would like to see the answer of the lighting people on this one!

However, you stated these are for the web, so maybe it is a little
less important because you can use PS to adjust the coverage.
 
SariHiari said:
Man power will be provided (God willing).

And the idea doesn't seem bad at all. Thought I dont have access to
a tilt lens. Would perspective transformation in Post processing do?
Click to expand...
Yeah, perspective transformation in Post would do (I don't have a tilt shift either)... but how many carpets are there?

Another Idea, a light stand with a boom would get your camera directly over the subject. Use a small bubble level against the lens to make sure it's parallel with the floor.
 
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