PDA

View Full Version : commercial packaging and photography questions


edds_bestfriend
May 20th, 2010, 10:59 PM
Hey everyone,

So I somehow came across a graphic design job at a kitchenware company and I've got some questions.

I'm basically in charge of photographing the company's products and basically any art/graphic design related work. I've got the graphic designing down, but the problem is that I've never really been formally trained in the prep part of it. Such as what I need to do to prep digital files so that we can get the product as close to how to we want it as possible. I know about CMYK and bleed lines and such...but that's about it. Er...I know this is kind of weird. Its a small company and my boss was the one who was doing all the art stuff before I got there. He's just been winging it this whole time...So we both are kind of winging it now.

Another thing is photography. Here is a aim convo I had with a friend that I've condensed..

i'd like to know how to get the best shot possible for something like pots and shiny metal stuff
but i dont know much about cameras or lighting or anything for that matter
i got a recommendation for a camera but you see
i borrowed someones slr camera and was trying to take a shot
(8:55:30 PM): they come out really really yellow
(8:55:36 PM): i think this is because the lighting is not good
(8:55:50 PM): or perhaps the camera setting is not good
(8:56:26 PM): we've been just using a regular digital camera
(8:56:39 PM): with the white light setting on tungsten
(8:57:08 PM): it takes decent shots for one product but if there are products in the back, it gets blurry

Sorry, that was probably really hard to read....Um. Anyways. So that is my second problem. We've got these huge lights, but they don't seem to do much.

Anyways. Can anyone recommend anywhere I can take a quick crash course on this type of stuff? Or a site maybe? Where to people learn to do these things in the first place. @_@

Thanks for reading. >_>

kennygeeze
May 20th, 2010, 11:44 PM
(8:55:30 PM): they come out really really yellow

Set your white balance to 'tungsten'. Also shoot in 'raw' format. When you put the image into photoshop it will give you far more adjustment on the lighting temperature (through the camera raw plugin) than just importing the processed jpeg from a regular camera.

(8:55:36 PM): i think this is because the lighting is not good

It takes a long time to learn about decent lights. I suppose if you're just using regular living room lamps -- yeah those aren't the best for lighting.

(8:55:50 PM): or perhaps the camera setting is not good

Well... that'll take time to learn too...

(8:56:26 PM): we've been just using a regular digital camera
(8:56:39 PM): with the white light setting on tungsten

The slr should have that setting too. Might be better to use the slr because odds are the lens attached to the slr is superior to the regular digital camera.

(8:57:08 PM): it takes decent shots for one product but if there are products in the back, it gets blurry

That probably means your aperture is too wide for the depth of field you desire. A narrower aperture will allow objects closer or farther from your focus point to also be in focus.

The "hotshoe diaries" is an excellent book on lighting. I'm not a photographer, but the minimalist gear the book recommended was actually affordable to me and wasn't the "epic budget" many kits of photography stuff cost.

edds_bestfriend
May 21st, 2010, 01:31 AM
Thanks for the reply!

I've been watching some youtube videos on photography and they help a lot. So as long as I change the light to Tungsten, I don't need and special light bulbs?

Do you have any SLR camera recommendations? I got the Canon Rebel XS recommended to me...

kennygeeze
May 21st, 2010, 01:35 AM
Thanks for the reply!

I've been watching some youtube videos on photography and they help a lot. So as long as I change the light to Tungsten, I don't need and special light bulbs?

Do you have any SLR camera recommendations? I got the Canon Rebel XS recommended to me...

Since you say you don't know much about lights yet I wouldn't buy anything until you're able to try stuff out and learn more. So long as you adjust the camera's white balance to whatever color of light you're shooting under the shot should come out reasonably okay.

I can't recommend you a camera because I've only been doing photography a year and only have experience on the canon rebel xsi.

It seems fine for what I'm after so far since I mainly shoot reference photos for paintings.

edds_bestfriend
May 21st, 2010, 01:44 AM
Ok. Thanks very much for your advice. :>