I have read hear about photography and how to make photos better. I used to think, till today, that using natural light could not really make a big difference. That is till I took some photos of inventory for my square reader inventory program.
I had been using my SLR with a flash and thought it was pretty good. Then this morning--to prove to myself that it was not a big game changer--I tried photos on a desk in front of a big window. I was quite surprised at the improved lighting. Now, I a not a professional, obviously, so if I can see the difference, this is markedly better. I plan on doing all my photos this way now. It has also encouraged me to find out how to use more features of my camera. First though dh has to replace the battery door on the camera. BUT he has to wait till I get through with this batch of photos first ... which is turning out to be a bigger job that I thought.
I had photos of a lot of my work. However I am realizing that I need a totally unique SKU number for each piece every for every change I make .... either a different color tile, different back ground on the piece or different color. Those the most common things to change. It has been a long day working on that and learning about the natural light but I feel better for all the work and learning.
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Here are 3 more images to critique. Please be let me know pros and cons. I sell coasters and they are heavy so I am not sure of a way to take photos vertically. I have other images of groupings but I wanted to start with these and the other 3 I already posted.
Just so y'all know this is the first product photos I've posted here, ever, for review or not. I am finally getting brave enough to do post them. Not that I am ashamed of my product because I am not. I have been to chicken to post for critique!
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Read what I wrote in my previous post. You're out of focus and blurry.
Larry Berman
I did. My 2 messages were posted minutes apart. I believe you were posting when I was uploading pics.
The second set is no better. That's what my second post was about.
The settings were the same. If you right click on the image and go to properties, you can see what camera and what settings were used.
Larry Berman
Larry, your assistance is so appreciated. I will follow the suggestions and I plan on seeing an improved appearance in my photos.
I was waiting until there were photos to critique and none ever followed.
Flash on camera - never. Possibly if moved off camera and heavily diffused. You need two light sources for even lighting.
Natural light - maybe, if you can get even lighting over the whole piece, maybe by using a reflector as a second light source.
Lights in umbrellas or softboxes - yes but again, you need to have two lights for even lighting.
All photography will require using a tripod because you'll be stopping down the lens for enough depth of field to keep the entire piece in focus and it will make the shutter speed much longer to keep maximum image quality when the camera is set properly.
Tips on how to photograph your own art including an article on how to set your camera:
http://bermangraphics.com/digital-jury-resources/photographing-art.htm
Larry Berman
http://BermanGraphics.com
412-401-8100
Sent you message.
Larry thanks for the link to all the info. I am going to bookmark that and take time to study it. It looks very helpful just from the titles.
I will upload some photos that I
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You need better photographs. Your camera settings are wrong and your pieces are slightly out of focus, which could be from the camera being closer than the distance that the lens is capable of focusing at.
If you give me a call, I'll go over your settings with you.
Larry Berman
http://BermanGraphics.com
412-401-8100
Hi Cynthia,
Well, I'm not an expert either so I can appreciate and learn from your experience. My son, who knows more about photography than I do always tells me to use natural light rather than a flash whenever I can, so I've been doing that too. Taking more professional looking photos of my work is somthing I need to do this year also, as I'm thinking about finally taking the plunge and applying to some shows. Thanks for sharing your tips with us.