Setting The Stage with Sharpics Tabletop Lighting & Background Equipment

Chuck Behrmam of CH Behrman Photography demonstrates the Sharpics Complete Tabletop Studio setup.

Sharpics, Inc., a leading source for product photography, introduces its Complete Tabletop Studios as the ideal solution for achieving professional product images. Designed for do-it-yourself product photographers, Sharpics products are ideal for online auction sites, e-commerce websites, insurance claims, appraisals, home and office inventories, estate planning and more.

The key elements for creating great product photos include an easy to set-up background, daylight-balanced lighting, and stabilizing the camera. The Complete Tabletop Studios feature the D-Flector Portable Photo Studio, a Compact Light Kit and the Tabletop Monopod – all the necessary components to achieve great results in a compact size for home or office use.

The D-Flector is a portable photo studio that resembles a brief case that quickly unfolds into a tabletop background stand to support the product photography needs of everyone from professional to novice photographers. Available in two sizes: 20”Wx32” and 30”Wx40”, the D-Flector contains three seamless backgrounds in reflective silver, matte white and black.

Until now, professional grade lighting has typically taken up a great deal of floor space. The Compact Light Kit sits on the table making it easy to position lighting for small to medium sized products. Floor standing lighting lacks agility for tabletop photography applications. The bulbs include two 30-watt compact fluorescent bulbs. The bulbs are “daylight-balanced” at 5000 Kelvin and 2000 lumens for maximum output. Daylight color lighting provides a better contrast for products you photograph. The two 30-watt bulbs illuminate light equivalent to a 240 watt household incandescent bulbs. Not only do they offer a bright output, they are both cool and energy efficient.

The tabletop monopod provides a stable platform for the camera to eliminate blurry. Unlike a tripod, it provides room to work without taking up floor space. Its compact and sturdy design clamps directly onto a table with many adjustable features found on most tripods without the legs. As an added benefit, it can also be used as a copy stand for overhead shots. The monopod is perfect for getting the sharpest picture possible.

Ideal Studio for Product Photography

Are you using the wrong studio equipment to take product photos? There are all types of photography (i.e. portrait photography, landscape photography, food photography, wedding photography and product photography. Each has their own requirements for studio equipment. Product photography requires fine detail to emphasize important features to the customer.

To achieve product detail, you need;

• A steady camera to provide a long exposure so that everything in the photo is in focus
• Consistent lighting as well as highlights to bring out the features and add shape to the product
• A non-distracting background to bring focus to the object and not a fancy background.

We put together a studio system to address all the requirements a photographer needs to create great product photos with minimal effort. All you need is to clear out a few feet of table space and this system is ready for business. We make it easy to take professional-quality images for websites, online auctions, Internet retailing, print catalogs, promotional materials, graphic design and more. Order a complete system and save!

White Balance

Light has a wide variance in color temperature which will affect the overall color tint of a digital image. Digital cameras provide adjustability to compensate for variation in the color of light and this function is referred to as "White Balance".

Many cameras today provide several “Preset” white balance such as daylight, cloudy, tungsten, fluorescent, etc. The fluorescent setting on digital cameras is normally meant to be used with the type of fluorescent bulbs found in offices and commercial buildings. Those bulbs typically have a slightly yellowish or greenish color cast. The daylight balanced bulbs which we sell are daylight balanced bulbs. Daylight bulbs normally don't require color correction. The standard white balance setting for daylight balanced fluorescent bulbs is Auto White Balance (typically marked as AWB). Should you find that you are getting a color cast with AWB, and then you could try the Daylight setting.

Using a "preset" white balance may not reproduce perfect color but will always be consistent when using a specific light source. A consistent color shift can be corrected with software, and once you get the correction parameters set, you can use this adjustment on every image and get consistent results.

"Auto" white balance or AWB can cause random color shift depending on the subject, and this color shift will require adjusting color balance with software.

"Custom" white balance setting is the best solution with your studio setup. The procedure for using Custom white balance varies depending on the specific model of camera, but it normally entails shooting a test picture with a gray or white background, then calibrating the camera to use that picture as a reference for color correction. This option will provide near-perfect color reproduction when using artificial lighting. Study your camera manual for procedures on setting "custom" white balance.

Why a tripod is so important

Eliminate Blurry Photos
A steady camera is essential for a sharp photo. Any slight movement such as pressing the shutter can cause a blurry photo. Blurry photos can be undetected until you download the image into your computer and display the photo on a bigger screen. Some features on a digital camera require a steady platform.

Depth-of-Field
Photography for selling merchandise online requires as much detail as possible without special effects. Keep the depth-of-field as long as possible. For instance, a larger aperture (smaller f-number, e.g. f/2) has a shallow depth-of-field. Thus, anything behind or in front of the main focus point will appear blurred. A smaller aperture (larger f-number, e.g. f/20) has a longer depth-of-field. Objects within a certain range behind or in front of the main focus point will appear sharp. A steady camera is key for this type of shot.

Close-up or Macro-mode Photography
Smaller items may require macro photography or close-up photography. Macro-mode changes the camera's optics to be able to focus within 12 inches or less. A good macro lens attachment may be needed if your products are small or you want to emphasize on a particular area of the product.

Helpful Hint: The camera’s self-timer can be used along with a tripod to ensure a steady camera "hands-free".

Visit http://www.sharpics.com/ for more information.