On 1/14/2015 6:55 PM, sawdustmaker wrote:
I want to start taking photos of projects I've done. The camera flash isn't
the best way to go. Any recommendations + or - on lighting kits? I'm
looking at buying from http://www.skaeser.com/. They seem to have a broad
selection.
Yeah -- I've done the websearch / google thing.

You're right; on-camera flash sucks. But why does it suck? It's mostly
because we don't as a rule walk around in the dark wearing miner's
helmets. One small light source located on your forehead, bright enough
to overpower any other light in the room, produces an effect that looks
very unnatural to us. The first lesson then is that almost any other
kind of lighting looks better.

What do intend to do with the photos? Will they be promotional product
shots? Or will you just use them for LumberJocks posts or something like
that?

Assuming the latter (or even if "pro-quality" is your goal) the first
thing you'll need is a tripod. I suggest making that your first
purchase. And in my inexpert opinion, it doesn't need to be a fancy one.
You won't be doing video, so you don't need smooth panning.

A tripod will immobilize the camera long enough to take photos with
longer shutter speeds; long enough that a piece of furniture that looks
nice in your living room may look nice (enough) in the photo. Rearrange
the lamps in your room, add a clip-light or two, maybe facing the
ceiling. Experiment. You should be able to get much better results
without spending much money. I think this is a worthwhile course even if
you eventually decide that you want professional lights. You'll learn a
lot doing it. And you may want to take some time getting to know your
way around photo-editing software. A little lighting an contrast
enhancement can make a big difference.



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