I've been doing a bit of research this week in relation to taking product photography shots for a client. As is usual with my efforts for clients, trying to find the most affordable option to quality ratio for our end results. I realize there are professional solutions to some of these issues, but right now there is no professional budget available to just go purchase everything we'd like to solve the problem.
The first challenge I've experienced is trying to find an assortment of small boxes and platforms that could be used to elevate and position a collection of products together without them all being on the same plane or surface. In my head I'm envisioning a collection of both black and white boxes of varying shapes and sizes. Surprisingly I've been able to find zero products like this so far in my searches online. Do I just need to build these things myself out of small scraps of wood sanded smooth and painted with matte black or white paint? It's beginning to appear that way.
For future reference, below is a collection of articles that I've found in my searching that appear to be pretty helpful that I want to be able to reference and come back to later. So, this list is as much for myself as you right now, but enjoy it nonetheless.
Product Photography Tips and Tricks Articles
- A DIY Guide to Product Photography - floship.com
- Equipment Tips for Quick and Efficient Studio Product Photography
- Tips for Fast and Effective Studio Product Photography
- The Ultimate DIY Guide to Beautiful Product Photography
- 11 DIY Product Photography Hacks
- 7 Functional Tips for Better Product Photography
- How to Master Product Photography on a Tight Budget (We Did it With Less Than $50)
Photography Equipment Resources
Photography Instruction Sites
The interesting thing I've found, and perhaps it's because I'm just not looking frequently enough or noticing yet is that finding a photographer these days is pretty easy... if you're wanting someone to do portrait photography or perhaps even landscape photography. If you're looking for product photography specialists, well, they're a little harder to come by in your search.
My son has recently expressed an interest in photography and I'm really supporting and pushing him as much as I can. The more I see about the potential of what he could do if he pushes himself, the more I'm finding out about potential income streams. Sure, as stated before, there's portraits and landscape photography he might sell to stock photography shops or other specialists. However, what about sports photojournalism? News photojournalism? Forensic photography? Oh yeah, and product photography!