Product pictures

[wkdfraggle]

I am currently taking pictures of my stock and am really not happy with them. I thought they looked ok-ish till i put them on my site. But once they were there they looked really rubbish. I have tried using different coloured background material and taken pics in natural light (the conservatory on a sunny day) but i am just not happy with them.
Can i ask if anyone has any tips on taking photo's which look proffessional enough to put on a website?

Simone
xxx

[Netty]

Mr T bought a lightbox ...

[Trinity]

I use our photo programme thingy, you can tell I am really computer technicaly can't you? Software, that's the word - anyway I use that to brighten and change the contrast, and also to resize the photos. Do you have any photo software? If you had that it would help you create better photos.

Is it is digital camera that you are using - do you use the flower button for close-ups? Yes, I am really good with technical terms on the digital camera too!

Sorry, not been much help but bikemad maybe able to give you some tips.

[Christina]

Hi,

I offer this service and I have worked with so many WAHM, you can check out some of my work on my site under commercial and it can all be done by post and it's not as expensive as you may think!!

Hope i can post my link (admin please remove if i have broken any rules!!)

www.christinajaynephotography.com

Thanks

Christina

[Lemon]

I use our photo programme thingy, you can tell I am really computer technicaly can't you? Software, that's the word - anyway I use that to brighten and change the contrast, and also to resize the photos. Do you have any photo software? If you had that it would help you create better photos.

Is it is digital camera that you are using - do you use the flower button for close-ups? Yes, I am really good with technical terms on the digital camera too!

Sorry, not been much help but bikemad maybe able to give you some tips.

My thoughts exactly !!

I use photoshop to edit my photo's and take out the backgrounds etc. It's brilliant and has alot of features. It has taken me a few hundred photo's and endless patience to get the most out of it but I think I have got the best I am going to get now with it.

I only take photo's in the day when there is alot of natural light. Make sure you get behind the light and not in front of it to shade the item (not saying your thick, but I've done it !!!).

HTH xxx

[Lemon]

I am currently taking pictures of my stock and am really not happy with them. I thought they looked ok-ish till i put them on my site. But once they were there they looked really rubbish. I have tried using different coloured background material and taken pics in natural light (the conservatory on a sunny day) but i am just not happy with them.
Can i ask if anyone has any tips on taking photo's which look proffessional enough to put on a website?

Simone
xxx


Why don't you send me one of the photo's, I'll see what I can do with photoshop and then you will be able to see if it makes much of a difference or whether you need a different camera :laugh:

[MrTempleDene]

I did indeed just buy a light tent, and am planning on doing stock photos as part of my business, so, as they say in the trade, see my website for details!

[Tanya]

I am not very good at taking product photo's so I have no advice to offer.

I don't own a copy of Photoshop but I do use MS Digital Image Pro software which removes the backgrounds but don't think it's as good as Photoshop :unsure:

[sadierhianne]

Oooooooooo this has been such a problem to me too - i bought a new camera but was tiold that it wasn't my camera to blame and to a degree it wasn't, the new one is loads better though.

I have some free downloads that i use - i have gimp but i can't get my head around how to get rid of the background so i think that i need to invest in photoshop or something like that -

I have microsoft digital image ( free)
I photo plus 4 (found this in a drawer so must be years old)
Gimp (free)
Picassa ( free)

They all do something wonderful but not one of them do everything i need.

I use a photo cube with natural daylight bulbs but still had to use white paper inside 'cause the fabric showed all bumpy - wouldn't matter if i didn't need to get rid of those bumps which sort of makes me wonder why i need the cube anyway 'cause it only seems to help stop shadows.

My recent photos are rubbish and a cause of huge stress to me.

I'd send an image to lemon to see if you do need a new camera - i think the images actually look ok in some of the photos, just the backgrounds need to go - maybe try a sheet of white cotton?

Christina, your site wouldn't load for me.

xx

[KeznJay]

I have the same problem with photos. I have photoshop cs2. but i still cant work out how to remove the backgrounds. if anyone would like to give me a pointer i would b greatful.

Kerry xxx

[wkdfraggle]

Thanks for all your replies.
I actually used a piece of lino when the sun was shining in through the window for the pics that are on the site at the min. Not very proffessional i know. But i used a white sheet originally and some of the clothes just looked drab. Didnt really stand out iykwim.
Have sent you a pic Lemon. I must admit i wondered what pictures you were on about when i read your pm as i hadnt read my replies on here :cheesy:

Simone
xxx

[chris]

Good to hear what you are all doing with photos. Pictures (especially when they go to low resolution) are my problem which is probably obvious if you look at my site!!
As most of my items are individual, I end up photographing most of them and at present do that in the office which is not ideal. I end up with reflections from windows, flashlight etc.
I have photoshop 7 which is brill but only if the photographer is any good!! It does remove backgrounds and sharpens images but takes time.
I have a friend who is a professional photographer who is always saying he will take pictures for me but as there are so many items and really fiddly (the Russian dolls drive me mad getting them all lined up then packed away again!!), that I don't like to bother him.
It would solve a problem though!!

[wkdfraggle]

Tim has just told me we have coral photo paint 12. Does anyone use this?

Simone
xxx

[willowcat]

I also find this subject interesting.

I took some photos recently with a lightbox but the background was still not as bright a white as I wanted.

How do you remove backgrounds in Photoshop?

Cheers,
Sharon

[chris]

How do you remove backgrounds in Photoshop?

Cheers,
Sharon
Hi Sharon,
well, the way I do it (a little knowledge may be a dangerous thing!).
On the Photoshop tool bar there is an eraser (well on my version). If you right click it that gives 3 options - eraser tool, background eraser and magic eraser tool.
eraser tool - this is manual and just 'rubs out' anything where you put drag the curser.
background eraser tool. if you set the tolerance level to 'low' and limits to 'find edges' (these are at the top of the screen), this will erase the background yet know when it is has come to an object in your picture and stop erasing. Bit of practice as it will also erase the image if you are too quick!
Magic eraser - this just takes out all 1 colour at once. Set tolerance to a low number if image and background are similar colours / shades.
Click on background and it removes it. I usually find I have to 'tidy up' with the manual eraser tool but it is quick and gets rid of most of the background at once.
I hope this makes sense - a little difficult to type but happy to explain anything further.

Can you please tell me a little about light boxes? Are there different ones, how do you pick the one that is right for you, how much are they etc.?

[willowcat]

Thanks Chris !

They are basically like a little white pop up tent that you place the items inside and then shoot.

You have to ahve a light or good natural light and I had neither the other day !

Cheers !

[MrTempleDene]

something like this is a light cube, photo tent etc.

they come in bigger sizes as well

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/PHOTO-SOFT-BOX-LIGHT-TENT-CUBE-80cm-x-80cm-x-80cm_W0QQitemZ260088674238QQihZ016QQcategoryZ3860Q QrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[wkdfraggle]

Thanks for that Mr TD.
I am watching it and a couple of others so will see how i get on.

Simone
xxx

[chris]

that's great - I thought they were going to be really expensive!

It will be ideal for me. many thanks.