Help needed with Product/Catalog Photography

[VmV]

I'm helping my dad with catalog pictures of his patented machining tool. He has a small, portable, white light box kinda thing with small lights that he bought out of the SkyMall magazine a while back. The lights are kinda crappy, a platform for the product to sit on was helpful, but the pictures still aren't as crisp, clear, and defined as they need to be.

Example shot thus far:

ClickChange Catalog Pic

By the way I had to improvise the platform- a box with white paper under it was all that I could find.

(Tool will be cut out of background to be placed in catalog)

Any suggestions on the composition of the photos (ie: platform type, lighting & its placement, camera distance, etc), camera settings, or alternatives/additions to the photo setup?

[Trader]

There a few comments that I would make. One, I would like to see more even lighting to show off the product more. Second, I would use a smaller aperture to increase the depth of field so the back right of the product was in better focus. I don't know if the camera angle is the best for this product. I would have put more focus on the company logo/phone number but maybe that is not what you want? Hope that helps.

[kencaleno]

Throw your light tent away!They cause more problems than they solve-they limit your lighting possibilities-here's my set up: I just use window light and a piece of black white or colored board for background:

[fletch]

Just juice it up a bit in photoshop. Mainly a bit of contrast and sharpening.

[Joey the girl]

Originally Posted by fletch

Just juice it up a bit in photoshop. Mainly a bit of contrast and sharpening.

Agree there. PP can go a long way in turning something good into something great. Also, you can add a little more interest by putting a piece of glass or plexiglass under it to give it a reflection. Just an idea.

[frg]

Your picture looks good, just needs a bit more punch , I'd play with the levels and curves a bit . One suggestion I would make is that you wipe the product down , dust specs reflect the light and show up as white specs on your picture

[bobajob]

Only suggestion I have is the back ground. Use a big piece of white card and do not fold it but rather bend it. That way you wont have line going through the back of the foto. I have a stong engineering back ground and the foto told me the story, all I need now to satisfy my curiosity is a short explanation. But for us engineering types the foto tells a story

[VmV]

Thanks everyone! I'm really excited to be able to try these suggestions. I'll be posting the results for more critiques.

[rpcrowe]

Originally Posted by fletch

Just juice it up a bit in photoshop. Mainly a bit of contrast and sharpening.

I don't think that your image was bad at all. Here it is tweaked up with a lot more contrast and some sharpening.

[spazoid1965]

I'm curious as to how well this clamp will hold the carbide insert securely while hogging of material. I'm also puzzled as to how to release the clamp when the insert needs to be indexed to a new corner. Does your dad have a website or any info on his tool holders and clamps?