AboutJoe Appel Expertise I can answer questions related to many areas of photography, but most specifically relating to photojournalism. I can also offer advice on using digital and 35mm cameras, Adobe Photoshop, and digital photography in general. Once upon a time I was pretty good in a darkroom too.
Experience I have been a staff photographer for a major metropolitan newspaper group (over 100,000 circulation) for 12 years. Concurrently, I have maintained a freelance photography business.
Organizations belong to National Press Photographers Association
Publications Rolling Stone, USA Today, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Cleveland Plain Dealer, Palm Beach Post, New York Daily News, Philadelphia Inquirer, Super Street Bike, Motorcyclist, Sport Rider, Cycle World, Roadracing World, T.W.O. (Two Wheels Only), the ABA Journal.
Expert: Joe Appel Date: 9/18/2007 Subject: taking still pics for ebay, website
Question Hi Joe! I have a website, colourtherapyspa.com, which you might look at if you don't get what I'm trying to say here, as I don't know any photo "lingo". Just bought a Fuji S7000 digital camera with many manual functions, and am very excited to learn to use it!! (I could use a coach, if you have any interest, let me know!)
But my question today is this: I need to learn how to take pics like those in my website for things I make for my site, and pics for items to sell on Ebay. Some are fabric, some books, some wood peices, some glass. All small, under 1' x 1' and many in just very small 1 oz- 4 oz bottles. I have NO experience. I want to use a tabletop to take pictures on, and just don't know what else I need to make great "LITTLE" photos...eg make them look professional, no lines showing, basic white or black background...I guess most important, I don't know how to set up the LIGHTING to take these photos. The professional ones I see seem to be "floating in air" where you don't see any table or any item holding them up at all. Can you help me out and explain what I need? Also, I have a zero budget so anything that can be done a "cheaper" way would be really helpful.
Thanks!
Lisa
Answer Lisa,
Since you're taking photos of little things, I think your task is made more simple.
What you need to do is get a background that you like. It can be a thick piece of white paper that you set up as a seamless backdrop, or maybe a piece of black velvet. Whatever you like, it just needs to be big enough so that when you take the photo you don't see the edge of the material.
Then you need to hang the backdrop so that it gently curves from the vertical to the horizontal.
You'll set the object to be photographed a little bit in from the front edge of the backdrop.
You can use pretty much any small desk lamp - 2 are better - for a light source. Set them up on either side of the object, the closer the better without getting them in the photo. You could also use a couple of those inexpensive clip-on utility lights.
The thing you'll probably want to do with the camera is to set the white balance manually to match your light source. If you're using regular light bulbs, then it's probably a little picture of a light bulb. Same for florescent lights.
That's pretty much it. You'll need to do a little experimentation to see what works best for you, but nothing major beyond what I've described.
