Shooting Pickup Porn

[LtKojak]

Not cheap, but here's an entire setup, lights and all.

Photo Studio In a Box

My first paying job was as a tabletop photographer's assistant. I was 13!

Having a portable setup like the one indicated would've saved me a lot of grief back then.

Less than a Franklin? I'd say PRICELESS!

[David Schwab]

I like rjb's idea of the clothes hamper, I'll have to try that.

I tried to make a photo tent a couple of times with varying success. I tried a white bedsheet, but that wasn't really translucent so the light didn't diffuse very much.
Besides, the material got dirty very quickly too. Next, I bought some white nylon? sail material from a local that made windsurfer sails... too opaque.

Why am I so picky? I want my photos to be as nice as possible the first time, so I don't have to spend all day in Photoshop fixing shadows.

ken

I sit my pickups on my work bench which is by a window. I use macro mode and usually turn off the flash on my Canon PowerShot A590.

I think I used the flash on this one:



I got fancy with this one and used some black fabric. Lighting was from a desk lamp.

[rjb]

I sit my pickups on my work bench which is by a window.

Facing which direction? What time of day?

I got fancy with this one and used some black fabric.

With camera on auto or manual settings? Doesn't auto freak out with black on black?

Lighting was from a desk lamp.

OttLite? Incandescent? Kerosene?

BTW, could you tell me how to play an "F" barre chord?

-rb

[David Schwab]

Facing which direction?

You can see it in the photo above.

What time of day?

The time that I take the picture

With camera on auto or manual settings?

Auto

Doesn't auto freak out with black on black?

Apparently not. That one wasn't by the window.

OttLite? Incandescent? Kerosene?

Florescent

BTW, could you tell me how to play an "F" barre chord?

Game as a G bar chord, but a step lower.

[rjb]

Facing which direction?

You can see it in the photo above.

I meant the window.
But I bet you knew that.

[Joe Gwinn]

Light Tents Reviewed

There are many light tents available, and it's easy to make them (just copy the general details of the commercial tents).

They talk about all the wonderful properties of their fabric, but it's mostly hype. Any fabric or film that looks white by both reflected and transmitted light, and isn't too opaque, will do. Commercial tents are made of thin nylon or dacron fabric, or acetate/mylar drawing film.

Light Tent Kit for photographing jewelry: Studio & Lighting Technique Forum: Digital Photography Review

[David Schwab]

Another way if to shoot outdoors on an overcast day.

I'm not a photographer per se, but my older brother is professor of photography at Brooklyn College in NYC, so I grew up watching him do stuff. He always says that lighting is the most important thing, and takes the longest time.

[rjb]

Another way if to shoot outdoors on an overcast day.

We don't get those in sunny Baltimore.

...my older brother is professor of photography at Brooklyn College in NYC....
He always says that lighting is the most important thing, and takes the longest time.

So... it look's like my initial snarky answer "It's all in the lighting, man" wasn't too far off.
Wisdom from the mouths of boobs....

[Possum]

I nearly became a professional photographer back in the 80's until I realized it would mean shooting photos of stuff I had no interest in, all day every day, and that most photographers got into the field because they loved the art, but ended up making pretty pictures of cans of beans for a living, no thanks ;-) But I did alot of product photography for EMG Pickups for the ads and brochures and NAMM booth stuff I did for 12 years for that client.

You need to use aperture priority on the camera and many small point and shoot cameras don't have this option. You need aperture priority so you can use a small f-stop so you get as much of the product in focus as possible. Point and shoot cameras almost always default to wide apertures in macro mode so part of your product is in focus but most isn't. In general the smaller the f-stop the more will be in focus, your focus point will then have 1/3 of the focus field in front and 2/3's in back of the focus point will be in focus. For lighting, all I do is set up my product on my work bench, put a paper towel over the two desk lamps I use to soften the light so no harsh shadows or highlights, set up the camera on a tripod because your shutter speed will be slow, and position the lamps for effect. Use the self timer for stability. I use bounce cards or small mirrors in front to fill in dark areas etc. then shoot a ton of different setups and exposures. My desk lamps are Ottlites with daylight temperature. You can color correct and retouch in Photoshop to get rid of dust etc. This photo below was done my ancient Nikon Coolpix 1.2 megapixel, despite low resolution the camera has full pro features and a sharp glass lens.

[David Schwab]

That's a nice finish on those Dave. Are those covers plastic or metal?

[Possum]

Raw nickel silver that I do my own special finish on. The brown background is an old leather jacket ;-)

[ken]

You need to use aperture priority on the camera and many small point and shoot cameras don't have this option. You need aperture priority so you can use a small f-stop so you get as much of the product in focus as possible. Point and shoot cameras almost always default to wide apertures in macro mode so part of your product is in focus but most isn't. In general the smaller the f-stop the more will be in focus, your focus point will then have 1/3 of the focus field in front and 2/3's in back of the focus point will be in focus. For lighting, all I do is set up my product on my work bench, put a paper towel over the two desk lamps I use to soften the light so no harsh shadows or highlights, set up the camera on a tripod because your shutter speed will be slow, and position the lamps for effect. Use the self timer for stability. I use bounce cards or small mirrors in front to fill in dark areas etc. then shoot a ton of different setups and exposures. My desk lamps are Ottlites with daylight temperature. You can color correct and retouch in Photoshop to get rid of dust etc. This photo below was done my ancient Nikon Coolpix 1.2 megapixel, despite low resolution the camera has full pro features and a sharp glass lens.

How do you get rid of reflections like the ones on a pickup's metal cover? I have a great shot of a Tele rhythm pickup cover I took where you can see me and the camera very nicely in the photo.

I switched from film to a Nikon Coolpix myself... and now I have to retake all my photos because I lost the whole box of original film photos and negs in a move.

ken

[Possum]

By using soft light, the paper towels over the two lamps you won't get harsh reflections, then the other trick is hold a white card above the tele neck cover so it mirrors the white card, move it around for effect. What you're trying to do is make something look super real, as 3D as possible. If you buy one of the small enclosed photo tents that some hobby places sell, you'll only get reflections of soft white light because thats whats over surrounding your product. Its a good idea to look at catalogue shots of pickups to see how the photographer handled reflections, sometimes you'll see an umbrella light in the mirror finish, or a white tent, or bounce card etc....

[rjb]

...then the other trick is hold a white card above the tele neck cover so it mirrors the white card....

Or, for true pickup porn, use a French post card. ;^)

[SonnyW]

... I have a great shot of a Tele rhythm pickup cover I took where you can see me and the camera very nicely in the photo. ...

This is off topic I know, but would that Tele pickup be one of the ones you did for Big John Stannard? I have been dying for a chance to congratulate you on those, and on hooking up with him. Man is he good, and those sound great. I recently picked up an old pedal steel and poking around on you tube for pedal steel stuff it didn't take me long to run across some of his rehersals with David Hartley. I thought - who is that guy with the old red Esquire, and why haven't I heard of him before, he's about the best I ever saw. Then I started looking for info about the Esquire, that's when I found out you did those. Congratulations.

OK back to the topic at hand now.... -sonny