Best kit for taking product photos for a website

[HammyHamster]

Hi all,

I need to take professional looking product photos of prescription glasses and sunglasses, with a completely white background so I can upload to my website as a product image.

We currently do this with a small light box, eliminating external light sources and using a very slow shutter speed (up to 20 seconds), but the background doesn’t come out completely white and requires touching up in a photo editing software which is time consuming. It’s also sometimes a challenge to pick up the clear lenses of the glasses.

I’d like to be able to buy some kit which allows us to take a photo and have zero editing of the image afterwards, other than re-sizing.

The products I’m looking at are:

Translucent Non-Reflective Photo Shooting Table

Umbrella Softbox

The camera I’m using is a Nikon D3200 with a 18-105 lens.

I’d appreciate any advice you might have – have I chosen the right kit?

[K12beano]

I'd be inclined to adjust your exposure.

When you say the background doesn't come out white - have you got a colour cast you need to correct for. In which case (Read the Manual) set a custom white balance.

If it's just grey instead of white, that's simply because the meter's doing what it's been programmed to - make everything 18% grey and you just need to dial in a bit of EV compensation to get a little more light in - 1 or 2 EV might be all it needs.

Try these before spending any more money - you come on this thread and we're all keen to get you more kit!!!!!

[K12beano]

PS - in other ideas, create the look you want in post processing and simply copy and paste the settings or create an action? One click or less and it's all done for you.

Had a quick look at your site and it seems like it should be easy - the results seem to work.... (and I might go shopping on that site later.....)

[Simpo Two]

Or you could take a trip to Essex - you wouldn't be the first PHer to turn up with a bootload of stuff

[HammyHamster]

Hi K12, thanks for the reply. Yes, we do use a custom white balance (we take a photograph of the background to set it).

I'll have a look at the EV compensation and exposure, sounds like I need to read the manual! Regarding creating a script for the post processing, we use Photoshop Elements which I don't think has that feature. Might need to upgrade to the full Photoshop I suppose.

p.s. glad you like the website, happy to do discounts for PHers by the way