Photography question
 

I am looking to purchase the nescessary equipment to take professional white background small product photos. I am using a Canon 20d, hopefully that does the trick. What else would I need?

what producst are you shooting.. this is important...

something like this, aluminum

http://i19.ebayimg.com/03/i/06/b3/64/95_1.JPG

I"m on icq... 35805493

go to ebay and look-up soft box photo tent - they are cheap and easy way to do small product lighting

or

buy some white paper - :)

get a light box:

sample 1



....or you can go all out and get this one.. depends how much you want to invest... i've used this one and it's awesome!

sample 2

(i've seen cheaper versions of this one, but can't find the link)

Get a Macro lens and watch out for any reflections on the metal. Good luck :)

go to ebay and look-up soft box photo tent - they are cheap and easy way to do small product lighting

or

buy some white paper

Lol thats funny

A small light box .. with a couple of 250 strobes .. you can also go with 500W Lights .. The light Box shouldn't run you more then 100$ with at least 3 different backdrops (white, blue and black) ...

good luck

A cheap ass Build which I've done on occation ..

Get yourself some showCard (thick white cardboard, two sided, B & W

Your local photo shop will sell yah some 500 W bulbs for 4.50$ add stands, chrome scoop and socket for 69$ each total.

You'll also need some diffusion paper like Tough Spunn (better then difussion as not to create a hotspot on the metal your shooting) ..

And click away ...

Tripod (and shutter cable release is also a good idea to further avoid camera shake).

When working with a dslr - a tripod separates an 'okay photo' from the 'really good photos'. No matter how steady you think you may be with handheld - a tripod adds that extra bit of stability that greatly improves most photos.

I shoot 95% of our images on tripod, even though its often cumbersome and a pain to work with. But its worth putting up with.

good Point SK ... never do product shot handheld .. And Please do not use th auto focus .. take you time take several pictures .. and a good rule of thumb is to Bracket your shots (camera will take three pics, One under, one over, one at your setting)

Buy this one
http://www.usa.canon.com/html/camera...phics/mt24.jpg
The new Macro Twin Lite gives serious close-up, nature, and macro enthusiasts a different option in macro lighting?a directional quality of light, as opposed to the rather ?flat? character of the traditional ring lite. Two separate flash heads can be swiveled around the lens, can be aimed separately, and even removed from their holder and mounted off-camera. Like the MR-14EX, the new Macro Twin Lite MT-24EX is fully E-TTL compatible with all EOS bodies, including digital SLRs, and even allows Wireless E-TTL flash control with one or more 550EX and/or 420EX ?slave units?. It also provides easy ratio control of each flash head?s output, over a six-stop range.

Canon Twin lite

a ring light can be nice.. however it really depends on what you are shooting.. glass and chrome things generially are shot better with tents..and plastic often looks better with a ring light.. it just depends on how nice you want it to look, how much you have to shoot, and what it mostly is.

feel free to hit me up.. and I can help you more if you want.

Go buy some 2 by 1 wood, some right angle brackets and knock yourself up 2 wooden frames, around 4 by 4 foot. Cover with rosco (thick transparent tracing paper) with a stapler. The base (which you'll place your items on will be white perpex as this reflects the background, making it seemless. One frame behind and the other over the object. Flash gun pointing at each (but not too close). Place object. Reflectors (white card) in front and to each side just outta shot. Camera on tripod. Lens to smallest apature. Shutter on 'B'. Darken the room. Using a cable release open shutter and lock. Wait 5 seconds for everything to steady (no-one move in the room) and start punching out the flashes until you reach the required 'f' stop....each time double the number of flashes for each single increase of 'f' stop. If the objects are silver or shiney with detail, use black shoe polish to help add contrast to detail. Experiment tilting the reflectors, the frame above the object and 'f' stop. Schools out.

thanks everyone, lots of good tips here