a mate wants to take some pro. photos for his website / sales brochure etc...

any ideas/advice ?

everything from noob to pro advice please...

backdrops, lights, etc. etc. etc

this is his website right now... http://www.warwickwhelpingboxes.co.uk/
(don't worry he's getting a new one soon)

I'm guessing he'll want to take photos of his other pet stuff too, but not 100% on that.... waiting for him to get back to me :-)

I he went to us for a site and used our ecommerce framework I mostly developed: http://nztemplate1.corecms.co.nz/ (his design over top of this) his site would be much better $3.5k NZ so half that for UK cost.

i think 2k would be miles over budget :-p

he already has niges number, and has a couple of other options on the go


no more photo advice guys ?  what should he use for the background ?  what kind of lights ?  what type of camera ?  what settings on the camera ?

(I sent him a link to this thread)

There are quite a lot of options here, and they depend on several things, including the new site design, budget and existing equipment.

Background: You really have three main options here:
1. Plain white sheet - the background and the floor should be the same sheet ideally and curved between the two at the right angle, so that there are no harsh corners.
2. In its natural habitat - The environment will need to be clean, clear of any unnecessary clutter, and have suitable appearance. Lighting will also need to be even and would recommend a larger aperture if there is a lot of depth to get the item in focus but everything behind blurred.
3. If it will fit then in a softbox lighting tent, you can then shine a couple of lights at it outside and it will diffuse and bounce the light around the inside of the box, but has size limitations: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/32-80CM-PHOTO-STUDIO-BOX-LIGHT-CUBE-TENT-4-BACKDROP-/330596858678?pt=UK_Photography_StudioEquipment_RL&hash=item4cf91bbb36

Lighting:

A lot of this will depend on budget, workmans lights can actually be used to good effect, and a diffuser is essential in all cases. also ensure the whitebalance on the camera is correct to the type of lighting you are using.

1. Flash - Never use a direct flash on the item which will cast nasty shadows, your are instead looking to fire a flash through a diffuser and ideally bounce it off something above the item.
2. Constant lighting - You can either purchase a proper camera setup for £1-200, with an inbuilt large diffuser, or if you need a makeshift solution use a workmans light or two, and either bounce the light or diffuse it. [See Picture 1] and also this seems pretty inexpensive: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1000W-PhotoStudio-Continuous-Light-Kit-Soft-Box-Softbox-/250529568836?pt=UK_Photography_StudioEquipment_RL&hash=item3a54b9d844
3. Natural light - Often the easiest option, but obviously unpredictable, but usually you can achieve an even light on the item.


Camera:

Ideally SLR if you have one available, just makes it easier to adjust white balance, will have better image quality and obviously you can attach a flash (Never use the on board flash!) This is not to say that you can't use any camera, some parts you will be able to fix in post processing, but there is a limit to that and will limit your options. Also invest in a tripod even an inexpensive one will help increase IQ and will mean you wont need to ensure fast shutter speed.

Camera settings: there are so many options here, but basically adjust the aperture to get the item entirely in focus and if need be the background blurred, this is less of an issue on a white background. And ensure that the white balance is adjusted correctly so that whites are white and not yellow or blue.

It would be good to know: Current equipment available, level of skill, budget and will the photos be a one off or how often will they be updated?

# Picture 1