Shoe photography with photo box

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Shoebaloo

New member
Hi all

I am struggling with some of the settings on our new D5200. I have a children's shoe store and am getting ready to launch our online store. I just purchased a photo box to take photos in but can't figure out which setting on the camera to produce top quality photos. Although the photo box is lighted, the background is not coming out crisp and white nor am I able to find the appropriate setting to bring out the clarity and detail of the shoes. Any suggestions?
 
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Don Kuykendall_RIP

RIP :(
Shoebaloo said:
Hi all

I am struggling with some of the settings on our new D5200. I have a children's shoe store and am getting ready to launch our online store. I just purchased a photo box to take photos in but can't figure out which setting on the camera to produce top quality photos. Although the photo box is lighted, the background is not coming out crisp and white nor am I able to find the appropriate setting to bring out the clarity and detail of the shoes. Any suggestions?
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First off Welcome to the forum

If you fill out your profile we can better answer any questions that you might have.
You can do that at http://nikonites.com/profile.php?do=editprofile

Some useful links
Nikon Product Manuals available for download
Nikon | Imaging Products | Digitutor

It will also help if you describe the photo box or even better give the online link to it. Also upload one of the photos you have done so that we can see it.

Thanks
 
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Carroll

Senior Member
Welcome to Nikonites! Lots of good information at: Strobist :D I built a home-made light box from info at Strobist, and learned some basics about shooting in a light box. Still learning, naturally. Like Don said, post a picture and he and others can really help you!
 
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Marcel

Marcel

Happily retired
Staff member
Super Mod
I'm sorry if my answer will sound a little harsh, but I think someone sent you on the wrong track. Photography is an art and a technique. Commercial photography is a trade that needs to be learned. Buying the best camera and the best lighting system on earth will NOT give you good photos if you don't know how to use the tools. Someone could give me all the tools that a carpenter needs, all the materials and I'm about 98% sure that I wouldn't be able to build a house.

I think you'll need guidance from a photographer or you have a lot of reading and experimenting to do before you have the knowledge to produce a high quality shoe catalog.

I'm not saying that it can't be done, but I'm just saying that I could not teach it to you in this forum even if my life depended on it.
 
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carguy

Senior Member
Well, she did come her looking for advice from photographers.

Moab Man had a good suggestion, post sample images you have taken and the EXIF data (image details); shutter speed, ISO setting, f-stop etc. From there there are people here that will critique the image(s) and that will give you good information to move forward with.

Good Luck!
 
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Shoebaloo

New member
Ok, here is a photo of the photo box I am using. photo.jpg

And here is an unedited picture that I took yesterday. DSC_0114.jpg
As you can see, the back ground is not crisp and white and I am trying to figure out the best setting to bring out the detail in the shoe.
My lens is a AF-S Nikkor 18-105mm.
I have tried using the scene with the flower symbol as well as Apperture and Manual Mode.
 
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Shoebaloo

New member
Marcel said:
I'm sorry if my answer will sound a little harsh, but I think someone sent you on the wrong track. Photography is an art and a technique. Commercial photography is a trade that needs to be learned. Buying the best camera and the best lighting system on earth will NOT give you good photos if you don't know how to use the tools. Someone could give me all the tools that a carpenter needs, all the materials and I'm about 98% sure that I wouldn't be able to build a house.


Did I not post in the LEARNING PHOTOGRAPHY section? That is what I am doing.... learning..... I am taking photography lessons but in the meantime, trying to best educate myself the best way I know how.
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RockyNH_RIP

RockyNH_RIP

Senior Member
Shoebaloo,

Please understand, your first question asked for suggestions to a problem we could not see etc.. Marcel was just likely equating that to someone saying there car does not start, any suggestion.

You did post in "learning" and you now have a photo posted so people can look at. That is the first step, post a picture you need help with and people can comment and offer some suggestions.

You mentioned unedited... Most people do some post processing to improve the photo... In yours, to my rookie eye, it may be a tad underexposed hence the lack of detail and off white...

Increase exposure a litttle in post and see if that helps.. white balance may also be off a little...

You will need to research and get a good handle on white balance and exposure though both can be massaged some in post. There are also some settings that default camera settings that can be adjusted if need be.

I you shooting in raw or jpeg??? I imagine someone can grab that photo and adjust it in post process .. I would try but a at work.

Pat in NH
 
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Moab Man

Senior Member
IMO underexposed. The settings you're using are automated or semi-automated. You will need to work in manual mode. Find the aperture that keeps the shoe entirely in focus. Slow the shutter speed down a bit to lighten up the overall picture. You will also need to manually set your white balance or try one of the presets to get the right shoe colors.

There are those far more experienced than I, but this would be my approach. And of course there is the editing of the photo on the computer to correct what we can't do on the camera.

Hope this helped.
 
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Rexer John

Senior Member
That's great advice from Moab Man.

Usually the advice would be to stay away from full manual but you are fully controlling the scene, so once you get a picture you like, those settings should be the same for pretty much any shoe. Although you may need different setting for a white shoe than a black shoe.

If you're only getting a small part of the shoe in focus you need to use a smaller aperture. To compensate, you will need to use a slower shutter speed.
Trial and error, but once you get in the zone, you will be able to get through a lot of shoes pretty quickly.

Again, as Moab man says, white balance should be manual too, otherwise the camera can be fooled into varying the white balance. Your lighting wont be changing colour, so best to set the white balance to get shots looking the right colours then leave it set.
 
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Don Kuykendall_RIP

RIP :(
I assume this is the look you are going after?

shoe.jpg

You are going to have to shoot in the manual mode and it will help if you shoot at a higher aperture (Larger Number) this will make the image sharper. Play with the shutter speed till you get the look that you are happy with.
 
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Don Kuykendall_RIP

RIP :(
Shoebaloo said:
Tracsoft - Don Kuykendall said:
I assume this is the look you are going after?

Yes! A crisp, clean background is exactly what I'm after. Thank you so much! I will play with the settings are you suggested. Your photo is lovely.
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That is YOUR photo with a bit of post processing done by me.

That is the next thing you will need to learn to get what you want. The first thing you need to do though is to get the photo closer to what you want and then clean it up the rest of the way.
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