Photos of your photography setup

[silverlemon]

I'd like to start a new thread with snapshots of everyone's photo studio set-up if everyone is happy with this.

I don't post in show and tell because I don't have a permanent space for taking pictures, and have to get out lots of things and move lots of 'stuff' before I can start.

What do you guys do, who post a lot of photos? Do you use a light tent, a plastic box, little desk lamps etc. It could be a snap done with a fairly good phone, as it may be helpful to see where you put your camera.

Please show us what you've got!   

[Donna@Rockin' Beads]

This would be so useful cos I am having no luck at all getting something organised for decent pictures.
All I have so far is one daylight lamp and a white cloth. I tried a light tent but my lamps weren't powerful enough to give enough light through it.
I have also just realised that I've been taking on the wrong speed (doh) and wondering why I just cannot brighten my photos enough!!!

[TheJanie]

Sorry, no photos at the moment, but I invested in this some time ago...

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=38260&C=Maplin&U=SearchTop&T=studio&doy=4m4

... and have never regretted doing so!

I have two halogen desk lamps, lighting either side of the setup.

Although I have a digital SLR camera to take my pics, including a macro lens, you don't really need anything fancier than a compact digital camera with a macro function.  I'd recommend any of the reasonably priced Fuji cameras - I originally used one of these and have had a play with newer versions too.  My website has a mix of pictures taken on my newer camera as well as on my old Fuji.

Hope this helps - I'll try and get a snap next time I'm taking pics of stuff...

[saffie]

i have not got any piccies either at the mo but will try to sort that this weekend. My hubby is a bit of a photographer he has a light tent which he does not like that much as he finds it fiddly. We have an old white roller blind that was my daughters black out blind that fell down 2 days after we put it up!!! i have 2 daylight lamps and Tony uses camera on tripod! i gues pictures will help answer stuff, will try to post piccie over weekend
Saffie

[Kaz]

I just use a Canon digital camera with the flower macro and take the photos on the scruffily painted window ledge in my studio on a reasonably bright day. My website gallery pictures http://www.cheekycherubdesigns.co.uk/page12.htm I simply edit with Micosoft Office Picture Manager to crop and increase the whiteness of the background.
Kaz

[Lush!]

I do the same as Kaz, no fancy equipment - just a white background and a little digital camera (bought a new one from Argos last week, £59.99).

Then I crop, brighten and resize in Picture Manager.

[greenbeadenvy]

I worried about my pictures for a long, long time. Got a light tent and lights and all that gubbins, but in the end I still use a piece of white card and the window ledge or sometimes I really push the boat out and take them in the back garden .
I asked my customers what they thought to my pictures before the light tent and after and they all agreed there was nothing wrong with the before ones LOL.

[Sam]

 I think that this thred is a great idea and it's kind of you guys to share photos of your set ups with us!


DH and I spent HOURS one Sunday in the backgarden taking photos of jewellery with terrible results

We got good daylight and put white paper behind the items and snapped away.

The background turned out grey and the jewellery looked awful

After that I got some daylight bulbs on the net and two small angle poised lamps in Wilkinsons (£5 each!!!) and yes you've guessed it they're still in a bag waiting to be used.

Any help would be realy greatly appreciated!!


Sam

[Vicki]

I just take my light tent in the back garden, its been hard to take pictures with the light being so bad this winter

[Les]

I just use a bit of neutral card on the kitchen worktop..... when it's not piled up with dirty dishes, that is

xx

[Dragonfire Glass]

The important bit is making sure the beads are in focus.
A contrasting background helps to see colours etc

[Dickie]

I think that this thred is a great idea and it's kind of you guys to share photos of your set ups with us!


DH and I spent HOURS one Sunday in the backgarden taking photos of jewellery with terrible results

We got good daylight and put white paper behind the items and snapped away.

The background turned out grey and the jewellery looked awful

After that I got some daylight bulbs on the net and two small angle poised lamps in Wilkinsons (£5 each!!!) and yes you've guessed it they're still in a bag waiting to be used.

Any help would be realy greatly appreciated!!


Sam

Sam... the answer to your problem is here !!!
http://www.frit-happens.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=4011.msg72376#msg72376

I really do need to do a tutorial on this ! It's such a common problem, and most people don't understand it

[Dickie]

Sarah is going to kill me for posting this but to start the pics off, this is our FULL setup for when we need "quality pics" for something. I don't always use the second light (with the umbrella), and normally try to replicate pictures taken in the sun with one single point of light (the one in the foreground). But I have experimented with other techniques

The sweep of paper at the back is so that I can do low angle shots of beads standing up, to give an infinite background.



Note
The Christmas tree has no effect
And the mess just serves to trip me up when I try to move about !!



Below is an example of a picture taken with this setup, I like the fact that you get sharp shadows, reflections and sparkles on the beads with a single point light, I find that a light box makes things seem matt and dull (personally)

[silverlemon]

You see what I mean about it not being permanent and having to move lots of 'stuff'....lol

BTW this photo was taken at the end of Jan.   hmmmmm.