Growing Panes

No, I didn't misspell it... 

The title of this post has relevance to the artistic nature of product photography and all the trials and tribulations that come from learning on one's own.

It has been a jagged journey from the beginning shooting with a small point and shoot and a sheet of craft paper. Back in the day I had not a clue what to do but I enjoyed the modest shots of my pots and the response was generally positive.

from 2009...bad color saturation, ok lighting but not much resolution

Notice the above photo. It is a pot that has the same glaze as the composition at the top and yet one can hardly tell.  I now have a program that I use in post editing that helps me to get adjust the color saturation. This is a very handy tool to have. The light set up in these older photos and the exposure setting on my little point and shoot camera were in desperate need of controlling if I wanted to bring it to the next level...

this shot was taken a year later in my light tent setup...not bad, but the setup still had some limitations

In 2010 I purchased a light tent kit that I used with lights and a backdrop. This is the 'Go To' method for a lot of potters.  Overall I was very happy with this set up but I still had several issues with the lighting.  Sometimes it was just too soft or too harsh and glossy pots where a nightmare. I have since figured out to keep tweaking the method individually for each photo. Very time consuming but worthwhile all the same.

I have since corrected these and other problems. A new backdrop method is being explored, one that doesn't scratch and leave ugly marks. I have also gotten a better camera and lens this year. This has made the most impact on my photography, but that is a story for another day. If you have the need for any suggestions with your product photography please feel free to drop me a line.

That's all for now...in the meantime keep changing those windows!