Product Photography

"cbjroms" wrote in message

I an just starting-out on taking photographs of each of the products which my business sells, to put onto a new website.

I want to show each product on the same colour background but have not been able to find any backdrops that give me the right colour.
So my plan is to take each product against a sharply contrasting backdrop (of whatever colour) and then change the background using Photoshop – first, am I on the right lines with this plan?

I have spent a few days going through online Photoshop tutorials – which have been excellent – but I can still not see a simple way to set a background colour and then apply it consistently to all my photographs. I have tried to use the Match Colour function but the pale green background that is on my ‘master’ photo turns into a light brown when I apply it to other photos!

I would be very grateful if someone would point me in the right direction.
Thanks in anticipation.

Chris

Hi.

Not really. It is always much easier and usually better to get it right when taking the pics.

If you can not find a suitable "real" backdrop colour, what makes you think a "virtual" colour will be any better.

If you go to the right Fabric Warehouse type outlet, you will find they sell sheeting in almost every colour imaginable, and in good range of widths.

Roy G

cbjroms wrote:

I an just starting-out on taking photographs of each of the products which my business sells, to put onto a new website.

I want to show each product on the same colour background but have not been able to find any backdrops that give me the right colour.
So my plan is to take each product against a sharply contrasting backdrop (of whatever colour) and then change the background using Photoshop – first, am I on the right lines with this plan?

I have spent a few days going through online Photoshop tutorials – which have been excellent – but I can still not see a simple way to set a background colour and then apply it consistently to all my photographs. I have tried to use the Match Colour function but the pale green background that is on my ‘master’ photo turns into a light brown when I apply it to other photos!

I would be very grateful if someone would point me in the right direction.
Thanks in anticipation.

Chris

Cutting out and replacing backgrounds is much more difficult and time consuming than people believe before they actually try it. I do it when I absolutely have to in on-location portraits, but it is a pain I try to avoid.

The biggest problem you will have with product photography is that the lights will bounce off the background and reflect its color onto the product. This can be a HUGE PITA to get rid of. Trying to get rid of chroma green out of parts of complex subject is no fun. The obvious solution is to use a neutral background – white, black, gray. Of course, a neutral background will throw neutral colors on your product that may dilute the color of the product.

The other big problem comes with transparent, semi-transparent, or soft edge products. Then your selection becomes much more problematic. You can spend a lot of time making sure your product doesn’t look like it was cut out with scissors by a grade school kid.

I absolute agree with Roy G that you will find it MUCH easier, faster, and cheaper to use the right background during the capture process.

Clyde

"cbjroms" wrote in message

I an just starting-out on taking photographs of each of the products which my business sells, to put onto a new website.

I want to show each product on the same colour background but have not been able to find any backdrops that give me the right colour.
So my plan is to take each product against a sharply contrasting backdrop (of whatever colour) and then change the background using Photoshop – first, am I on the right lines with this plan?

I have spent a few days going through online Photoshop tutorials – which have been excellent – but I can still not see a simple way to set a background colour and then apply it consistently to all my photographs. I have tried to use the Match Colour function but the pale green background that is on my ‘master’ photo turns into a light brown when I apply it to other photos!

I would be very grateful if someone would point me in the right direction.
Thanks in anticipation.

Chris

If the objects you have photographed have clear and well delineated outlines, it should not be too difficult!!
Set your background colour to whatever you decided upon, and then using the magic wand, select the existing background and use the fill command, and select use background colour, there other ways, but this sounds the easiest!
It might help if you could link to an example with the original background intact, so we could give it a try, or send me a copy, remove the []from @!! The match colour function is for overall image tone, not for this purpose.

Harry

"Harry Limey" <harry[@]hackedoff.co.uk> wrote in message

"cbjroms" wrote in message

I an just starting-out on taking photographs of each of the products which my business sells, to put onto a new website.

I want to show each product on the same colour background but have not been able to find any backdrops that give me the right colour.
So my plan is to take each product against a sharply contrasting backdrop (of whatever colour) and then change the background using Photoshop – first, am I on the right lines with this plan?

I have spent a few days going through online Photoshop tutorials – which have been excellent – but I can still not see a simple way to set a background colour and then apply it consistently to all my photographs. I have tried to use the Match Colour function but the pale green background that is on my ‘master’ photo turns into a light brown when I apply it to other photos!

I would be very grateful if someone would point me in the right direction.

Thanks in anticipation.

Chris

If the objects you have photographed have clear and well delineated outlines, it should not be too difficult!!
Set your background colour to whatever you decided upon, and then using the magic wand, select the existing background and use the fill command, and select use background colour, there other ways, but this sounds the easiest!
It might help if you could link to an example with the original background intact, so we could give it a try, or send me a copy, remove the []from @!!
The match colour function is for overall image tone, not for this purpose.
Harry

you>ooh teach me to be a photographer in one easy lesson me>hire a professional product photographer, you are a salesman, sell OK RANT OVER
NOW< if you know in advance you will knock out the background use a color not found in the product and as suggested only use on objects with simple outline shapes or you will create a masking nightmare.There are specific colors for knock out called chroma key and other options suggested, try for a color tone similar as exact cutouts are not for noobs. AND go to a photography forum and ask the best simple way to shoot it right or as close as possible to what you need BEFORE you get in Photoshop. Yes PS can rescue the crappiest of pictures with a person who knows how to use it. Like the camera doesn’t take the picture the photographer does. To take good product photos you need a good lighting setup, this is the most important thing for any photo. Taking a simple product shot with a background of the right color is easier, most likely will look nicer and is more time/cost effective for you.