Photo lightboxes?

Poppy Design · Sep 28, 2008

hello

I have a client, whom I am designing an ecommerce site for.

They want to have a go at their own photography of their jewellery products.

I have no experience of photo lightboxes but does anyone here have any experience of using one?

If so, are the results good? Would a non professional photographer really achieve high quality results? Do you need a specific camera? Costs? etc

Thanks!
Joanne

PhilDPho · Sep 28, 2008

To get high quality results, you really do need the skills and the right equipment.

Lighttents don't give the best light, for product photography, you're not just showing the product, you want to make it look good.

Without extensive photographic knowledge, good results are very unlikely.

If you would be interested in outsourcing, although not my main area of work, I can provide you with a very competitive quote, pm me with more details. I'm happy to provide examples of my product photography

lesliedocherty · Sep 28, 2008

I agree, the blurb for the lightboxes make it sound very easy, nope indeedy, you will not get the same results or results even close without good equipment, lights and the right amount of experience.

Eagle · Sep 28, 2008

It's more skills and knowledge than having all the gucci equipment. A professional will get the job done and done right.

willitbe · Sep 28, 2008

OP i've seen perfectly good pack shots of jewellery done with a lightcube and rudimentary camera equipment before.They spent a day practising and then got on with it.

Tell them to go for it...

Poppy Design · Sep 28, 2008

Hello

Yes it is as I thought!

I always recommend to my clients to get a professional photographer for their products but some do exist on trying to do it themselves!

However for a small start up company with a wide range of ever changing products, using a professional photographer could prove to be crippling if all their products are one-offs.

I do have have some local photographer contacts in place but thanks all the same Phil.

Thanks
Joanne

Cracking Media · Sep 28, 2008

You may well say that I would say that, but I agree with Phil.

If you gave me a cook book and a set of ingredients I could cook you a reasonable meal, but you wouldn't want to visit my restaurant if I ever opened one.

Likewise, I am not saying that someone with good equipment and a bit of instruction cannot achieve reasonable results, but if you want high quality results, it is not just a question of having good equipment and a bit of knowledge, you need the skills as well.

It may be worth experimenting with a decent camera (if the client owns or can borrow one), a tripod and some creative ideas to show off the jewellery first. If that doesn't work out then revert to a local professional.

Peter

Page · Sep 28, 2008

The problem is not so much the pro for the first 100 items sat there and can be done in one lot and probably very cost effectively with good work flow and skills but what happens when another 2 items come in to stock.

The money may be spent better on good equipment.

As always it all depends!

We do in house but never really got the shots banged out and eventually got a good skilled mate to come in and advise us and give us tips. We got more from this than from reading loads of books and internet posts which try to deal with everything.

If I had my time again I would pay for someone to tell me exactly what to buy and where from and then give some very cost effective training. So play with the new toys then get them in for a few hours play a bit more and get them in again. They will be able to give training on taking the pictures, touching them up, workflow and anything else involved.

Then at the end of the day you will develop the skills so that you can cost effectively and very quickly take images of a single new item that has just come into stock.

The problem is finding that person.

(But some people will never see what it needs to take a good photo so decide if that is maybe you)

Oh and another problem with outside help is that you need to spec up what you need from the pictures. One of my suppliers has just spent a fortune on some great looking but useless shots since the photographer had no idea on what features they should have been emphasisng to encourage someone to buy. So work out what your objectives are for the pictures.

Eagle · Sep 28, 2008

Why don't photographers offer to do it free? We designers can work all week for the cost of a web link or a month's free hosting!

PhilDPho · Sep 28, 2008

To get the results your after, product photography is 100% about lighting, and the most basic aspect you need a grasp of is 3 Dimensional Contrast Lighting, working with the correct tone, specular highlights and shadows.

These are very important for GOOD product photography, true a light box will give a half decent result, but, to really make your product "pop" go for a pro.

You can often find student photographers offering to work for free for experience, however, it seems rare to find in product photography due to how much time it takes.

Poppy Design · Sep 28, 2008

OK thanks everyone for your tips and advice and I guess the answer to my question is "no"!

It is my client's decision and I can only stress my thoughts on it.
They may well try and learn some photography.

However as an ecommerce designer, I cannot stress how important I think professional product images are!

Visuals are everything for an online product shop.

A client can pay me for a nicely designed online shop/logo but if their product images are rubbish .... well there is not much that can be done!!

Joanne

Page · Sep 29, 2008

I agree but the sums have to add up in terms of cost v likley sales and also being dynamic if this is needed.

andysears · Sep 29, 2008

Find a local photography club, im sure there would be many willing to help.

If you do go for it yourself, try natural light, jewellery with its polished shiney nature can be hard to light, natural light could be better option, and use tripod.

Dawg · Sep 29, 2008

andysears said:
Find a local photography club, im sure there would be many willing to help.

If you do go for it yourself, try natural light, jewellery with its polished shiney nature can be hard to light, natural light could be better option, and use tripod.

I'm sorry but I fundamentally disagree with using natural light for jewelery. It is about the worst way to light it.
The tripod advice is steady tho'.

Cracking Media · Sep 29, 2008

Dawg said:
I'm sorry but I fundamentally disagree with using natural light for jewelery. It is about the worst way to light it.
The tripod advice is steady tho'.

Sorry I agree too.

The lighting needs to be soft but not natural. Where gems are involved it is important to be able to make sure the stones sparkle. You will only achieve that by carefully positioning a separate light until you see the sparkle through the viewfinder.

Don't use the camera's flash, preferably bracket exposures and use RAW format if available.

And of course, make sure the photos are sharp... OK, I know that sounds obvious, but it is often forgotten. It also highlights the importance of using a tripod to allow for a slow exposure and a small enough aperture to make sure you have enough depth of field.

andysears · Sep 29, 2008

Someone trying to light jewellery with artificial light will have a harder time. Natural light can be controlled to a certain degree with use of refelectors / White / Coloured cards.

Natural light on crystal / diamonds and other stones will show great detail, compared with an amateur trying to use flash / tungston and lightboxes.

NOT in bright sunlight, use a bright day, slight overcast.

This can also be tried with next to no costs, be creative, try it out.

I believe the question was that the client wanted to have a go at porduct photography themselves.

You could of course use a professional photographer, and obtain the spectacular images you require, but remember will these look the same once they have been shrunk down to size, compressed and displayed on a screen.

PhilDPho · Sep 29, 2008

I also have to disagree, you have next to no control over daylight.

Artificial flash lighting is the way to go, that can still be controlled with the use of umbrellas, softboxes, grids, snoots, barn doors, coloured gels, reflectors, etc, etc, etc.

It is much easier to work in an enviroment where you have total control of the lighting conditions.

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Photo lightboxes?

Poppy Design

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Eagle

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Cracking Media

Page

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PhilDPho

Poppy Design

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Cracking Media

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