Lightbox Photography Tips – Unveiling the Secrets of Awesome Product Photos
You may think that using a lightbox is a pretty straightforward process but to tell you frankly, there is quite a big difference between just using a lightbox and clicking away and using a lightbox to come up with some awesome product shots. If you are eager to uncover the secrets of using a lightbox to capture perfect product shots every time you push your shutter release button, then you really need to read today’s post from beginning to end!
Lightbox Factors to Consider
Basically, a photography lightbox (also referred to as a photo tent or a photo cube) is used if you are taking photos of small to medium-sized items. This particular photography tool is quite useful if you want to take crystal clear images of products you want to sell on eBay, Etsy, or your own website as well.
To get the best results from using a lightbox, you need to consider three things – the proper positioning of your subject, using the right background and the use of proper lighting. Here’s how you make it work to your advantage:
Positioning Your Subject
In positioning your subject, you need to consider how you want it to be lit and how you want your viewers to see it. In most cases, people prefer product images without any shadows. To do this, you can put your product in the middle of the lightbox and position your light source evenly. Since the walls of your lightbox will reflect light evenly from all angles, there will be no visible shadows in the resulting images. However, if you prefer just a small drop of shadow, you will need to put your product a little bit off-centered to do the trick.
In determining the best angles by which your product can be viewed, you can try moving the product around and shooting from various angles. Take as many shots as you can to increase your chances of capturing some very good images.
Choosing the Right Background
Why do most photographers prefer to use a white background? Well, they do this for a lot of good reasons. First, a white background minimizes distraction and blends seamlessly with the white space in websites and in print. Second, it is great for highlighting your product and third, it put viewers in the buying mode.
However, this does not mean that you can only use a white background in taking product shots. You can also use darker backgrounds especially if you will use the resulting image for advertising and other marketing purposes.
Using the Proper Lighting
For best results, use daylight bulbs in illuminating your product. Avoid regular light bulbs at all cost since they tend to cast a yellowish tinge.
Some Other Tips to Get Great Looking Product Photos
Now that you know the three most important considerations in capturing awesome product photos, here are some other tips that you may find useful:
- Reduce camera shake. Since you will be shooting extreme close ups, make sure you use a tripod and a remote shutter release cable to reduce camera shakes.
- Turn off the date stamp. Do not date your photos if you don’t want them to look outdated later on.
- Brighten up your photos. If you want to add more zest and pizzazz to your images, why don’t you consider editing them? You can use just about any image editing software to do the trick!
By using a lightbox, you can definitely come up with crystal clear product photos so why don’t you try using it? If you’re worried about incurring additional cost, don’t be. There are several inexpensive options out there in the market and you can even make your own for just a few dollars. Believe me, the benefits of using a lightbox far outweighs the cost so do yourself a favor and use one.
I hope you found inspiration in today’s post,
Ray Baker
