Camera and Gear recommendations needed, please
Hello,
There is a need for me to get wayy more into photography at my company. We do a lot of outdoor lifestyle shots (which I won't do that much, we'll use the pros for that) and indoor studio shots of our products (shoes, boots and the like). So I'm looking to put together a list of equipment i'll need, camera, lenses, lighting, remote flash triggers, accessories, etc. Obviously I will need a lot of education on all this as well, so I'm planning on classes and workshops in the area. So pretend that money is an object and I can't buy everything totally high end but I don't want basic starter stuff either. I want to get a canon, maybe a 60d or 7d ( I like the dust and weather resistant-ness of the 7d), might as well have HD video as well. I need to make a list of the basics to get me started. What would you suggest?
Thanks a whole bunch for your help!
There is a need for me to get wayy more into photography at my company. We do a lot of outdoor lifestyle shots (which I won't do that much, we'll use the pros for that) and indoor studio shots of our products (shoes, boots and the like). So I'm looking to put together a list of equipment i'll need, camera, lenses, lighting, remote flash triggers, accessories, etc. Obviously I will need a lot of education on all this as well, so I'm planning on classes and workshops in the area. So pretend that money is an object and I can't buy everything totally high end but I don't want basic starter stuff either. I want to get a canon, maybe a 60d or 7d ( I like the dust and weather resistant-ness of the 7d), might as well have HD video as well. I need to make a list of the basics to get me started. What would you suggest?
Thanks a whole bunch for your help!
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What is the largest item you intend to photograph?
The smallest?
What space do you have allocated for the product photography?
What is the largest size you intend to print and display?
Will you be promoting using the Internet or mostly through literature?
Do you need perspective distortion control?
Pretty much, the more you tell us about what you want to accomplish, the more we can help.
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2 - Sigma 24-70F2.8 / 70-200f2.8, (24-70 would be my first lens if primary use is studio shooting -
but for the price of either from a camera company you could easily get both lenses from SIGMA.
3 - 4-6 ALIEN BEE 800 OR 1600, alien Bee softboxes 2 large matching and 1 narrow strip light 6-10 inches wide by 3-4 feet long){With a little diligence on ebay you could save money on softboxes, lightstands: which I recommend C-stands with boom arms (approx $150 on ebay) especially for product shooting}
4 - ebay barndoor & filter sets (x2),
5 - 16 channel ebay triggers
6 - sekonic light meter (nothing less than the L358)
7 - build a light tent (out of PVC pipe) that you can walk into for ease of work, shooting table...2 saw horses (metal fold up ones) with a min 2x4 clear plexi top,
8 - backdrop either white or thunder grey or blk...grey and blk with color the best with the color filters mentioned above.......
for studio shooting there is no need really for the 16 channel triggers as the built in slaves of the AB will work very well (unless the light is totally hidden on the other side of a wall where no light can reach)....
as to lights I would go with no less than 3...if doing a set up with 2 lights and one dies you have a back up...so my original call for 4-6 was 4 for set up and 2 spares, are AB's prone to dying....no but if not prepared then the worst happens....I have 5 - studio set up is 4 with 1 spare........
also if using softboxes you can actually go with a PVC backdrop holder the table and just use the softboxes instead of a full walk in tent...but I would build 4 separate PVC frames so that if a set of a tent is wanted or needed then you have it........More and more i use my tent less and less....I set up my Brolly boxes (softboxes shaped like and look like umbrellas) to light the product evenly use 1 PVC frame and a shooting table...drape the background from the PVC frame across the table.....everything held in place with a set of plastic pliers type clamps (got at harbor freight for under $10 for a bag of like 20 clamps....work well)
What is the largest item you intend to photograph?
Snowboard boot, maybe a backpack.
The smallest?
parts about the size of a plum.
What space do you have allocated for the product photography?
hmm, maybe garage, or small warehouse.
What is the largest size you intend to print and display?
usually print ads, could be poster size.
Will you be promoting using the Internet or mostly through literature?
both
Do you need perspective distortion control?
not sure what that is.
Pretty much, the more you tell us about what you want to accomplish, the more we can help.
we get a ton of product in from cycling shoes to snowboard boots, to backpacks. The photos could get used in marketing materials and product catalog or images on our website. We use pro's for everything now but there is a lot of use for images that don't cost quite so much.
thank you!
On rare occasions we will go with a 24mm or 48mm perspective control lens, but that is ultra rare these days. Software can almost duplicate the effect much cheaper than the lens.
Lighting is based on the space that you can use. Alien bees are nice and relatively cheap, but you need room to work with. A handful of flashes will do the job if space is limited.
I am not much of a fan of the light tents, we use light tables 99.9% of the time.
We shoot exclusively on white backgrounds, as you can gel them to almost any color quite easily. Preference is paper, but cloth can be used.
For remote triggering, pocket wizards.
A lot of people have a lot of luck with cheaper systems, but when money is on the line you go with the tried and true.
Lighting accessories are really depending on what you are shooting and how. I suggest having some softboxes, shoot through and bounce back umbrellas.
There is a lot to be said for being thrifty and diy kits, but you have to remember that money is on the line, other people's money. The last thing you want to tell your client is you cannot shoot their product because you couldn't afford to buy the right tools. There is a huge difference between doing photography for fun and doing it for money.
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Product shots are a special technique - perhaps you should hire a pro for this too in the beginning. You can see how they do it and then make up your mind whether to do-it-yourself and what you might need - I think you will be surprised how much skill, experience, and equipment is involved to do product shots professionally. Imho product shots are much harder to get right than "outdoor lifestyle".
We do use a pro already, so I'm not surprised by how much skill it takes. I've spent some time art directing photo shoots.