1.Taking a picture for an auction

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Frequent photo failure

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Atmospherically good photo

Let's compare photos 01 and 02 to analyze the differences between them.

Don't you feel uneasy about the background? It is a bed sheet. Using the sheet is not a bad idea, but its wrinkles make the photo messy. In addition, a speedlight makes the foreground bright and the background unnaturally dark. Do you see how the arrangement of the cactus and doll is not good?
Under these conditions, most people end up taking a photo similar to Photo 01. Let's solve the problems one by one.

The background of a photo for an auction is most important. It plays a significant role in showing the meaning, image, and usage of a product.
What kind of background is good? Think of the background of the product as a scene showing where and how the product is used. Therefore, be careful to select a background that lets the product look fresh and vivid.

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White paper: Lacks interest and provides no intuitive information on the product size.

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Wooden desktop: Gives a friendly impression and provides intuitive information on the product size.

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Other objects providing size comparison are placed on the desktop.

How do you arrange your object in a photographic frame after choosing the background? Let's find the answer while looking at the viewfinder or LCD monitor, or taking a test shot.
There are three requirements:

• Do not place too many elements in the background of the product.
• Make the look of the product prominent.
• Reproduce the profile of the product correctly and pleasingly.

Do you switch the zooming function to the wide-angle (W) or telephoto (T) mode? Where do you set up your camera?
Note that these photos and the ones shown before were taken using only indoor fluorescent lamp.

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Wide-angle (W): Makes the background of the product wide and presents too many elements, such as a PC, mouse, desk edge, and wall. Moreover, the main object is top-heavy.

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View from an upward angle: Presents an interesting photo but makes the look of the product unseen.

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Telephoto (T) and low position: Presents a good product profile.

Photo 08 is good enough to be presented for auctions, but to polish your photographic techniques, let's take a picture while paying attention to light.
Before going to this step, you need to determine the correct background, zoom setting, and camera position, all of which maximize differences in light.
There are various light sources: sunlight incident from a window, desk-top lamps, and lighting devices special to photography. Again, remember to use the white balancing and exposure compensation functions to adjust the color and brightness, respectively.

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Photographing condition
Sunlight comes from a window on the right wall, the indoor fluorescent lamp is turned off, and the white balance is readjusted. In such a dimly lit room, you must fix your camera to a tripod.

<10>
The only light source is the sunlight from the upper right corner. Therefore, the shadows of the cactus and doll extend toward the front. This photo is good atmospherically, but the shadows in the foreground make the picture gloomy.

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Just setting an exposure compensation of +1 makes the photo bright and gives the impression that the intensity is higher. Compared with Photo 08, this reproduces the texture of the object beautifully.

To take a picture of a product, you have to consider how to select the background and how to best show its features. Don't you now feel it is easy?

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Frequently failed photo

<13>
Atmospherically good photo

Photo 12 is not in focus. If your camera is a compact digital camera, set it in the Macro mode. If a digital single-lens reflex camera, use a macro-lens. Take a picture again while checking the focal range.
Photo 12 does not give a good impression because a speedlight yields strange reflections and the background is not neat. Though the camera works successfully, the photo looks like a failure product.
Photo 13 is an example of addressing this problem.

To reproduce an industrial product with high fidelity, you need to set your camera to the telephoto (T) mode and take some distance between the object and camera. This principle holds true not only for all photos of products, but also for general photos including portraits.
Standing away from the object and using the telephoto (T) mode have several advantages; the profile is much more attractive and the product is prominent without excessive elements in the background.
Note that these photos shown below were taken using only indoor fluorescent lamp.

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This photo is a composite one showing a photographic scene in the wide-angle (W) mode (Photo 15) and the other taken from a distance in the telephoto (T) mode (Photo 16).

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A short-distance shot with the wide-angle (W) mode deforms the object profile and includes various elements in the background.

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A long-distance shot with the telephoto (T) mode shows the correct object profile and a simple background.

When photographing a product, it is essential to show the object's color and depth correctly. However, this is very difficult; even impossible at times, because light changes the color and depth.

Accordingly, high-fidelity photos rely on the imagination of the people who see them.
Note that you need to use the white balancing and exposure compensation functions to adjust the color and brightness, respectively.

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This photo is a little purplish all over and very light in color. If the resulting photo is far from the real color and brightness of the object viewed, check the white balance and exposure compensation.

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Adjusting the white balance eliminates the color unbalance. However, the color is still light due to the incorrect exposure compensation, rather than due to the darkness of the room.

<19>
This photo is taken with an exposure compensation of -0.7. The depth is good, the gloss of the satin is reproduced well, and the camera looks like a luxury item.

Being made of glass, the lens reflects light on its surface. Moreover, it is spherical, so the reflected light propagates in every direction. Accordingly, most lighting devices on the ceiling appear on the lens.
This reflection is called a shine.

Since the shine appears when the object reflects light emitted by a lighting device on the ceiling, it disappears when the reflected light is blocked.

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An A4 paper is inserted between the lens and the lighting device.

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White, purple, and blue lines appearing on the lens surface are the reflections of fluorescent lamps on the ceiling. These shines are distracting because the reflections are thin and intense.

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The result shown in Photo 20 eliminates the thin, bright shines, resulting in the entire surface of the lens being covered with softly reflected light.

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Frequently failed photo

<24>
Atmospherically good photo

Photo 23 is the worst example because not only the blouse but also the bed sheet has many wrinkles. Moreover, a speedlight makes the foreground bright and the upper back dark. In principle, when you take a picture of a product, never use the strobe light built in your camera.
Photo 23 has another problem; the camera is in a low position and the blouse is placed obliquely, which makes the shape of the blouse unclear.
Photo 24 is taken after these problems are solved. Note that only indoor fluorescent lamp is used.

You can take a beautiful picture of a blouse made from soft cloth or a T-shirt even if it is placed on the floor. To reproduce the shape and pattern of the blouse beautifully, you must shoot it from above. As shown in Figure 25, you can use a large plate as an underlay and lean it against a chair, which enables a shot from an angle.

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To reproduce the shape of the blouse beautifully, shoot it from above. If you place a large board under the blouse and set it against a chair, you will be able to take shot with upward angle.

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<26>Taking photo when you stand with your camera in front of the blouse enlarges the foreground and reduces the upper back. <27>An example taken from above, which reproduces the profile with high fidelity. The white background color allows delicate colors to be shown correctly.

You may realize the softness and the texture of cloth only by touching it.
How can a photo show them visually? You may find it surprising, but wrinkles show the softness, and shadows show the texture.
You may think that the wrinkles and shadows degrade product photos, but by using them well, it is possible to represent the texture. Let's try to take full advantage of them.

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Taking a picture of the blouse extended without wrinkle makes the pattern clear, but the texture is unclear.

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Taking a picture of the ribbon and gathers of the blouse makes the texture and design clearly visible. Note that only indoor fluorescent lamp is used.

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This photo is taken with sunlight through a window. The slanted light shines at the upper left portion of the photo, and the resulting heavy shadows represent the texture well and present a three-dimensional effect.

Since a blouse or T-shirt is flat, taking a picture of them by placing them on the floor can represent their features well.
However, if a three-dimensional article of clothing is placed on the floor as is, unnatural wrinkles will result, which degrade the quality of the resulting photo. In this case, prepare pads and balls made by rolling a piece of paper or a plastic shopping bag, and insert them into the clothing to give it a naturally photographed three-dimensional image.
Moreover, using sunlight incident from a window can make shadows that strengthen the three-dimensional effect.
Such efforts are time-consuming but can show well the look of the clothing.

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Cushioning material (bubble wrap) and a shopping bag ball give a good shape to clothes.

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Shooting with the indoor fluorescent lamp presents a flat image due to the lack of shades.

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A window is located above the clothing item. Light incident from the window casts shadows on the foreground to give it a three-dimensional effect.