See the in-depth video here
Ecommerce photography needs to be a quick process with great results every time, well from my point of view. If I have many items to photograph I want the process to be quick and efficient and I believe I have found the perfect setup! For a long time I have always used strobes mainly for the power output and being able to capture a greater depth of field, this set up incorporates softboxes, lighting a background separately, and the space to set this all up but now I have a setup which I could literally set up on my dining room table in a matter of minutes the only difference is I am using continuous lighting! I know right, less power, a shallower depth of field but in all honesty the camera capability of todays cameras and a good solid tripod has removed those limits, clean iso at ridiculous numbers and the ability to shoot at lower shutter speeds allow for shooting at a greater depth of field.
Using 3 light panels specifically the 450d and 350d from Pixapro enables me to create a set roughly 3ft square anywhere! These lights come with a mains adapter but also have the ability to be run off Sony npf batteries making them super portable which is awesome working away from the studio.
The setup takes minutes to put together, I used 3 mm white plastic for the base
( matt or high gloss depending on the clients needs, reflection or no reflection) Starting with the back light
(450d) I adjust the brightness from the control knob, the key here is make sure you don't just blast the light as bright as it goes I find the lower settings perfect and at this level won't create the light bleed around the product.
Once the background light is set I always use two more lights (350d)
one for a main light and one to either fill or create a hi light,
this allows for greater control of how I want the final image to look.
Shooting white products on a white background has also never been easier using the same approach as before only this time because of the reflective surface of the product and the solid slab of light coming from the 350d I can choose to use a couple of small scrims to diffuse the light if I think it needs it.
This whole process literally takes minutes to set up and start shooting!
The image below is straight out of camera with no adjustments.
I love finding ways to improve the process and I wanted to share this work flow as its the most efficient one I have used yet and being able to see the light speeds up the process a huge amount, so if your someone who is looking to start e-commerce photography and don't have the space this is a perfect way to start, or if you have a studio, this setup can easily be tucked away in a corner and left set up.
Affiliate Links to all gear used.
Backlight 450 Glowpad https://amzn.to/2v7HyPE
Main light 350d Glowpad https://amzn.to/2SQWzyi
Camera. https://amzn.to/2v53b2B
Kit Lens. https://amzn.to/2RFIdzc
Favourite prime lens https://amzn.to/36bKR4X 5 in 1 reflector. https://amzn.to/34n7Ny4 Speedlite. https://amzn.to/2KQQQnH
Pika 200. https://amzn.to/2KMJTE3
Smart Bracket https://amzn.to/2Daq2uj
Light Stand. https://amzn.to/2sdDZpj
c stand. https://amzn.to/33i0C8I
90 cm octobox. https://amzn.to/2pRgwti
Rode Video Micro https://amzn.to/2XMpbJR
Rode Cable https://amzn.to/2pLcuT1
clamps. https://amzn.to/37CH82i
Table top tripod https://amzn.to/33ejw0j
All Terrain Trolly https://amzn.to/2QNiKEQ
Motorised Dolly. https://amzn.to/2OdMvgt
Gimbal. https://amzn.to/35zJptb
Card Reader https://amzn.to/2QPb3y6
HDD Dock https://amzn.to/2QKHxtd
Belt Camera strap https://amzn.to/2rpgF7K
Sandbag https://amzn.to/2pRhYfe
Huion 610 Pro Graphics Tablet https://amzn.to/37CIr1c