Subject shooting at home: lighting, equipment. Secrets of product photography

2024 Author: Sierra Becker | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-26 03:46

Subject shooting at home is possible not only in fantasy, but also in reality. Many photographers, especially beginners, think that subject photography can only be done in a specially equipped studio. But they are completely wrong. Even at home, it is quite possible to create a small but effective photo studio to take quality pictures.

Equipment required

The table for product photography is the easiest option. It can take pictures of small objects or still lifes. This table is very easy to build by hand. Even an inexperienced photographer can handle this easy task. First, you need to purchase a fairly large sheet of white cardboard. Secondly, you need to find a support for the table. To do this, you can take some thick book, dish or any other large item, since the support will not be visible in the frame. A table for subject photography is best placed on a wide windowsill. Particular attention should be paid tofalling light from the sun. After all, if the subject being photographed is in a bright strip of sunlight, then it will cast rough and deep shadows on the table, which will not lead to the desired result in the picture. That is why a window that faces the shadow side is the best place to organize a stage.

How to make a photo box?

There are special professional photo boxes for subject shooting. Their price is quite high, so it makes no sense to purchase such facilities for one-time work. A high-quality photobox can be made at home. To do this, you need a cardboard box and a sheet of drawing paper. It is desirable that the selected cardboard box has a cubic shape. Next, the lower part of the box is removed, and the back remains intact. On top of the box and on its sides, it is necessary to make large square-shaped cutouts and seal them with whatman paper. The inside back of the box and the bottom itself should also be covered with a sheet of white paper. With the above steps, making a photobox at home is absolutely not difficult.

Ordinary background

Subject shooting at home does not require the photographer to work with a photo box or table. It is quite possible to do without these things. Many amateur photographers choose the easiest way to shoot. Before starting work, it is necessary to determine which of the sections of the wall of the dwelling is the lightest. In the event that the wall is not plain, it must be hung with a background (tofor example, a sheet of drawing paper or a piece of cloth). The object to be photographed must be placed on a stool, which is covered with the same material from which the background is made. It is better to photograph various jewelry on polished granite, then the beauty of the jewelry will be clearly visible in the picture due to the reflective surface of this aristocratic stone.

How to organize lighting correctly?

A great activity for a novice photographer is subject photography at home. The right light for the job ahead can dramatically affect the result of filming. Lighting directly depends on the chosen equipment for work. If objects are photographed on the windowsill, then the main source of light, of course, is the sun. If additional lighting is required, a reflector can be used. You can make it yourself using cardboard and foil. If there are no such items at hand, then even an ordinary white sheet of paper can serve as additional illumination. In addition, absolutely any light-colored surface can act as a reflector.

Photo box lighting

Product photography at home using a photobox requires a minimum of three light sources. Thus, the object will be highlighted through the walls of the photobox from all the necessary sides, that is, from above and on the sides. The result is an excellent shot that does not have harsh and ugly shadows. If you give stagingproper lighting more attention and time, then the shadows in the photo can be completely avoided. Additional light sources can be table lamps or any fixtures that can be found in almost any home.

What photography equipment should I use?

In product photography, the clarity and sharpness of the subject is of paramount importance. To get beautiful and contrasting pictures, you need to use a tripod. This is a simple accessory that will help you avoid camera shake while shooting at slow shutter speeds. If there is no way to purchase a tripod, then you can use some kind of fixed support instead. In addition, without a remote control for the camera, the process of shooting can become quite difficult. In extreme cases, the remote control can be replaced with a cable for non-contact shutter release.

Correct composition

Product photography often involves painstaking work with composition. After all, it is not always necessary to place only one object in the frame. To correctly position several objects, you need to create a multi-level space. For this, various coasters are used, which can be both visible and hidden under any background material. If you need to highlight one object among many others, then you need to focus on it with the help of light or the location of the object in the foreground.

Severalactionable tips

Subject shooting at home on a white background is the best solution for a beginner photographer. After all, white color will help create a clear and contrasting image. For uniform illumination, the background is usually illuminated from the front and back sides. To create a clear reflection effect, you cannot use glass mirrors. They make the reflection double. For this purpose, it is necessary to use polished material. If during work it is necessary to fix a small product, then you can use a miniature hot glue gun. First, the glue is applied to the object itself, and only then the object is attached to the background.

Getting Started

In order for subject shooting at home to please with an excellent result, it is necessary to pay attention not only to the working equipment, but also to the object being photographed. The subject should be beautifully located on a makeshift mini set for filming. At this stage, you need to make all the necessary settings in the camera. Manual mode is the best choice for product photography. In photographs taken in automatic mode, exposure flaws are very often visible. If the subject chosen for work is colorful and bright, and the background is dark or even black, then manual mode will be an excellent choice for shooting. Quite a painstaking process - subject shooting at home. White balance and sensor light sensitivity settings are also extremely important. The ISO value should not exceed two hundred units. Toreduce the noise level in the photo, you need to lower the ISO number. This action is of great importance in the work of the photographer. Indeed, as a result, the object in the image should look natural and harmonious.

First shot

In order for the photo to turn out to be of high quality, you need to turn off the flash on the camera. For a good work result, enough light from a window or table lamps. After the first test shot, you need to pause the process of photographing. The resulting image must be carefully considered and analyzed. If there are visible problems in the photo, such as exposure flaws, fuzzy sharpness, incorrect lighting, then you need to correct all errors by changing the camera settings or the light. If the repeated subject photography turned out well, then you can safely continue to work.

A few secrets

Quite often, photographers are faced with the problem of lifelessness in the pictures, although at first glance everything looks perfect. If the photo needs to be creative, then you can make the image more dynamic. For example, you can add small spray from a spray bottle that will create volume. An interesting addition can be confetti, feathers or even soap bubbles. It is important that the aids do not fall on the camera lens. Such secrets of subject photography will help to achieve the necessary "air" in the final picture. If the photo should be full of colors, you can try to place a New Year's garland near the subject. Thus, choosingflickering mode, it is possible to achieve interesting color accents. It is necessary to make a series of shots, and then choose the most harmonious of them. In the process of work, you must constantly brush off the dust from the photographed objects so that they look perfect in the picture. Product shooting at home without expensive studio equipment is real. You just need to use the above tips and a good result will not keep you waiting.