Product Photography

Product photography has to make objects look their best — and do it efficiently enough to be commercially viable. Whether you're shooting a single hero product for an advertising campaign or hundreds of SKUs for an e-commerce catalog, the challenges of lighting, styling, and consistency are central to the work. This section covers product photography across scales, from tabletop setups to large-scale commercial productions.

Samsung NX1000 and NX210 Mirrorless Review

These cameras are incredibly similar. In fact, I’m going to treat this as the same camera review while pointing out differences as we go along. So why the $200 difference between the NX1000 and NX210? Let’s see if what's up and how these systems compare with the competition.

Ricoh GXR Mirrorless Camera Review

The Ricoh GXR is an oddball. It’s different than any other mirrorless camera out there -- with the GXR, you use the same base body, but switch out sensor/lens combinations. This format has some serious advantages and disadvantages compared to its competition.

Canon 650D Rates Worse Than Previous Models

While the new Canon 650D (Rebel T4i) does come with a few new features including a touchscreen display and a sensor-based hybrid AF system for improved focus, it seems that the camera itself might have fallen flat... on its sensor. A new comparison test conducted by DXO Mark puts the upgraded Canon 650D (Rebel T4i) up against its predecessors the Canon 600D (Rebel T3i) and Canon 550D (Rebel T2i). The results might just shock you.

Sony NEX-7 Mirrorless Camera Review

Hop on a sightseeing tour in your local town, and undoubtedly, at least one person probably has a camera in Sony's NEX line. The mirrorless line has been wildly successful, and the Sony NEX-7 represents its top-notch contender. Let's see if the NEX-7 can stand its ground -- after all, comparing to the Leica we reviewed a few days back is quite the challenge...

Runner's Paradise Behind The Scenes With Kevin Winzeler

Kevin Winzeler, a commercial photographer based out of Salt Lake City, Utah, had an amazing opportunity this summer to travel to New Zealand for one of his advertising shoots for Altra Footwear. He shot both in the studio for the initial product shots, but he also took the shoot outdoors in some amazing New Zealand locations for some actions images, as well.

Ikea Saudi Arabia Photoshops Women From Catalog

A few weeks ago you may remember Ikea's attack on product photography. Today news has spread that the Saudi Arabia franchise has photoshopped all females out from catalogs distributed throughout the Islamic nation. Women aren't the only ones being censored, however, as even glasses of wine have been transformed into less offensive "festive cups". What does Ikea have to say about the post processing changes found in their catalogs?

Reviewing the 'Ultimate' Mirrorless Camera: The Leica M9

The Leica M-series has long been the standard for rangefinder photography -- or so I've heard. Since the Leica M9 is a rangefinder, we know it's also mirrorless. And thus, this will be the introduction of the camera to 'look up to' throughout this month's reviews. If you're interested in a mirrorless system, despite whether or not this fits your idea of what's possible, I highly recommend you read on, as there are some great introductory explanations here.

The New Panasonic GH3 Has Impressive Specs, See It In Action With Philip Bloom

Amidst all of the hype over the new DSLRs from Canon and Nikon (the 6D, 5DMIII, D800) Panasonic seems to have slipped under the radar with some still shooters, and I don't think this is one that us video people should simply brush off. This new camera body comes equipped with wifi, a weather sealed body, and In this video, see Philip Bloom using preproduction GH3 on a short film shoot...

Fstoppers Reviews the Lowepro Rover Pro AW Series Bags

This past week we have seen a lot of gear come out, including a brand new outdoorsman-style bag in the Lowepro Rover Pro series. We got our hands on both versions of the bag, the 35L and the larger 45L and sent Mike Kelley and Mike Wilkinson off on separate excursions to put the bag to the test. Mike Kelley reviewed the 45L, while Mike Wilkinson reviewed the 35L.

Informative Canon 24-70mm f/2.8 L II Sharpness Test

BorrowLenses recently published a test they did looking at the sharpness between Canon's latest 24-70mm f/2.8 L II lens and the original, and were pleased to note several distinct reasons you might want to pick up the new one. The new version two has less chromatic aberrations, less vignetting, and is also sharper than the original. Though we are still testing this lens and haven't yet reached a verdict, their test might help you decide one way or the other.

The First Review Of Canon 24-70mm F/2.8L II

The new Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L II is supposed to be in stock on September 13th, but YouTube user ThatNikonGuy (kind of ironic) already got his hands on one and did a comparison review between the new 24-70 and the old 24-70. 

Nokia Busted Faking Mobile Phone Footage With A Stabilized Camera System

Earlier today news broke out about Nokia and their Lumia 920 simulation video not being exactly forthright. The video before the shameful reveal had no indication that it wasn't filmed with the actual product that it was marketing. When reddit.com  users got their hands on the video they quickly noticed that the reflection in the video is not of a person filming with a mobile phone on a bicycle, but of a man in a van with what looks to be at least a DSLR sized camera with what seems to be some type of Gyro-stabilization system.

Product Photography In The Garage, Capture One Has You Covered

Hey guys, Paul here. Today is a busy day of packing for me. I'm shooting 41 shows for New York Fashion week and my plane leaves bright and early. I will share my experience with all of you as soon as I get back. For now, I wanted to share a quick down and dirty solution to shooting product shots, or any subject for that matter, especially when you have the client present in the studio... or garage in my case.

Fstoppers Reviews the Sigma 180mm f/2.8 Macro Lens

Specialized lenses are tricky things. Since they are built for a set of specific purposes in mind, they really need to follow through on that small list of tasks lest they be discarded as an unnecessary expenditure. That is a lot of pressure to make an outstanding lens, so how did Sigma fare with their new 180mm f/2.8 macro? Is it a good addition to your lens collection?

Real or Fake? Image of Canon 135mm f/1.8

An image has surfaced of a Canon 135mm f/1.8 L IS lens, and it is a gorgeous creature. Though there is supposedly a patent placed by Canon for a 135mm, is this the lens or just an excellent rendering?

Fstoppers Reviews the Canon 40mm f/2.8 Pancake Lens

When the Canon 40mm f/2.8 pancake lens was announced a couple weeks ago, Canon fans all over were squealing with joy- myself included. This tiny lens would be great for life on the go, had a brand new AF engine called the Stepping Motor (or STM), and looked to be extremely versatile. But does it live up to the expectations?

How To Photograph An Exploded View Of A Motorbike

I've always been fascinated by technical photographs showing every single part of complex machines. And shockingly enough, most of those images are created with a lot less Photoshop than one would imagine. "Explode" photographer Adam Voorhees shows us a quick timelapse of his latest Kawasaki Moto photograph shot for ESPN. Click the full post to view the final image.

Learn Product Photography For Free From June 21-25 On creativeLIVE

Product photography can be one of the most difficult facets of photography. Everyone expects organic objects (like a human) to have imperfections but clients want their products to look flawless in the finished image. Your choice of lens, angle, lighting, color, composition, and retouching must all work together or your shot won't hold up. In the past photographers would have to assist for years to learn the tricks of the trade but today, you can learn them for free from your laptop.

The Sexy Bottle Shoot- How to Photograph Glass

Alex Koloskov has had a few of his behind the scenes videos featured here on fstoppers. In this charismatic behind the scenes video, Alex takes the photography assignment of shooting some liqueur bottles in an attractive way and walks us through his set up. His in depth explanation of the lighting and staging process gives you a great understanding of how he got his final "sexy" shot.

Coppertone Commercial Shot Almost Exclusively With DSLR's

Besides getting a great glimpse into the filming of a well put together sunscreen commercial, Gary Lankford offers some great perspective on the usefulness of DSLR's as opposed to using some of the bigger and more expensive rigs that might be out there. The versatility of having several cameras and being able to take them anywhere can outweigh some of the higher quality option cameras.  Check out the final commercial below.

[Review] SpectraCal CalPC and a C1 colorimeter for your monitor's health

If you have ever been involved in imaging, you know that the final product is a direct result of what is seen when you process. If what appears on a monitor is misrepresented, the final product will be skewed as well. I think we can all agree the factory settings that monitors come with don't always give you the results hope for. This is because a monitor's display is affected by the brightness and color temperature of the room it's in. That's why it's so important for anyone involved in photography or video to keep their monitors correctly calibrated.

[Fstoppers Original] What Is Lens Diffraction And When Does Diffraction Happen?

If you are like me then you might not always get caught up in some of the super technical aspects of photography. One aspect of photography I recently investigated was the loss of sharpness caused by Diffraction. Last night while playing with the new Nikon D800 camera I examined lens diffraction and how diffraction can seriously affect the sharpness of your photography.

[News] Adobe CS6 Software Suite Available for Pre-Order!

Adobe just announced the availability of its new CS6 software suite. Of course, Adobe's software solutions are absolutely necessary for just about every storyteller out there. Patrick gave us a quick look at Photoshop CS6's most awesome features a little while ago if you want to check it out (the new content-aware support is unbelievable!). While we're most excited about Premiere Pro and Photoshop CS6, read on for links to pre-order whatever you've been looking forward to!

[Fail] You Won't Believe This Enormous Photoshop Failure

A user on the popular social website Reddit was the first to bring our attention to this enormous Photoshop fail. A recent Target advertisement left one of the models sporting a little something extra. You won't believe your eyes when you see this, nor will you believe that somehow, nobody caught the mistake.

[Video] Sony NEX-FS700 Hands on Video Overview

This week the Fstop Academy released some BTS footage and a short film shot with the new Sony NEX-FS700. On their site they also have a great write up as well as a complete video overview reviewing Sony's new 4k Super 35mm toy for the video boys. Enjoy!

[Editorial] Can Sony's Digital Imaging Division Restore Profits?

As many of you have probably already read, Sony Corp announced that it is cutting 10,000 jobs, which translates to 6% of its global workforce. Sony has been struggling with negative profits for four straight years, mainly due to its floundering television division. But what does this mean for Sony’s camera division? With the television sector likely getting the main force of the cuts, will Sony rely on growth in their digital imaging division to make up for the numbers?

[Review] An In-Depth Look At The Brand New Wacom Intuos5

The next evolution on the Intuos line is here with the Intuos5. After our initial first impressions, we decided to take a closer look at this tablet, along with a comparative look at what changes Wacom has made from the Intuos4. With this review, you'll be able to get a full undisclosed look at one of the best tablets to date.

[Video] The 5d Mark III and The Jaw-Dropping, Head-Scratching Sport of Radball

Canon France has just released what has got to be the most interesting promo video for a new camera in some time. Not only do we get a sneak peek at the video quality and capabilities of the 5d Mark III, but we also get a look into the sport of Radball: something I can only describe as "soccer meeting BMX meeting Urban Outfitters."

[Gear] Wacom Announces the New Intuos5 Tablet

Big fan of tablets? Today, Wacom announced the release of the newest addition to the Intuos family, the Intuos5. With the addition of multi-touch options (recognizing both Windows and Macintosh gestures), a heads-up display system called Express View, an upgraded ergonomic pen (although all Wacom pens will work with the Intuos5), and optional wireless connectivity, the Intuos5 looks to offer everything current tablet users have been clamoring for.

[Video] Joe McNally Tests The New PW3's Range

Last week Pocket Wizard released all the specs for their new PocketWizard Plus III Transceivers. Along with the specs being released, so have a bunch of BTS videos and reviews. Our friends over at the McNally camp did their own testing on many of the features on the new PW3 as well. [Pre-order your PW3 here]. Enjoy!

[Video] D800 HD Video "Through The Lens"

Here is another video that shows the HDSLR capabilities of Nikon's recently announced D800. Although the plot may be quite corny, this short film shows some incredible examples of the D800's HD image quality. Need more D800 info? Then click here for everything else D800 on Fstoppers. Enjoy!

[iPhoneography] Schneider Optics Will Soon Offer The "iPro Lens System"

Sources are reporting that Schneider Optics, a division of Schneider Kreuznach, has launched a new interchangeable lens system built specifically for the iPhone 4 and 4S. The new system is available now with two lenses: a wide angle and a fisheye lens. Schneider has said that they are also crafting a 2x telephoto lens in the near future, but it is still in the pre-production state.

[Production Trick] How To Create Smoke For Photography Out Of Liquid

Every photographer needs a few things in their bag of tricks. An easy trick is to add some smoke to your images for effect. You can always create photo smoke on a budget if you want to MacGyver it but there is another solution - two solutions in fact.

[Video] The WVIL: Incredible Camera Or A Great Fake?

31 megapixel? with a wireless interchangeable lens (yes, a wireless lens!)? and all of that inside a phone? at least that's what the guys from WVIL claim. Watch this video from CES 2011 (world's largest consumer technology tradeshow in Las Vegas) and tell us - is it real or is it fake?

[BTS Video] Light Painting Product Shoot Of A Volvo Big Rig

Product photography can get pretty tedious at times, but this shoot for the new Volvo FH 540 is on another level. Photographer Tim Bjorn shows us how to shoot a massive, shiny vehicle all while having an incredible workflow and paying much attention to detail.

[Video] Nikon D4 Video Features Demonstration (Updated)

The new Nikon D4 has some amazing capabilities on paper, and by now most people have seen the amazing video by Corey Rich. The video below demonstrates many of the D4's new video features, including using an iPhone or iPad to control the camera, clean HDMI out onto an external recorder, and selecting the crop modes.

[DIY Video] How To Build And Light A Set For A Product Campaign

Yesterday we got an interesting email from our friend Pye Jirsa over at SLRLounge.com. Pye recently helped film a video campaign for a friend's Kickstarter product launch called One and he decided to film a quick behind the scenes video on how he lit and filmed the different scenes. Pye is a big DIY guy and many of the lights he used on this production can be found for super cheap.

[Contest Entry] Behind The Scenes Of A Mitsubishi 311RS Commercial

We just received a very interesting contest entry from Viet Q. Mac, a recent graduate from the University of California, Santa Cruz. His buddy from Film Matters contacted him about an upcoming video production involving the 311RS and a couple Red Epics. Viet decided that this would be the perfect opportunity to create something for our BTS Contest.

[Video] How To Shoot Fashion Quickly In Any Location

Columbus, Ohio based photographer Nick Fancher is the lifestyle photographer for the website JackThreads.com. JackThreads is constantly receiving large shipments of totally different types of apparel that need to be shot as quickly as possible. Nick takes us through a normal day of shooting that may involve multiple, totally different looking photoshoots.

Jeremy Cowart Is Going On Tour!

Following the aftermath of the tremendously successful Flash Bus Tour with Joe McNally and David Hobby last year, I can only assume that we will now be seeing many of our other favorite photogs going out on tour in the near future. First on the list is Jeremy Cowart.

Sick Trailer for the New GoPro HD Hero2

So I am going through some of the slow-mo HD camera options that are on the market right now for an adventure I will be taking soon, and I stumbled upon the new GoPro HD Hero2. On their site they have one of the illest trailers I have ever seen for a camera, and I had to watch it several times.

How To Light And Photograph A Glass Bottle

In this weeks episode of The Slanted Lens, Jay P. Morgan shows us how to light and photograph a glass bottle. This video is also about superimposing products into real scenes so that the product looks it's best. Tutorials like this are priceless for anyone who is interested in product photography. Glass can be extremely tricky but Jay makes things super simple for us.

Demon Cam: The Most Complicated Iphone App Video Ever

If you are a fan of iphone photo apps, huge CGI production movies, and sexy girls fighting with mystical powers then you will probably love this behind the scenes video. The Demon Cam is an iphone app that allows you to turn your face into a demon zombie.

Product Photography: How To Photograph A Beer Advertisement

Photographer Scott Bourke gives us a complete overview of how he took a fantastic product shot of a few bottles of beer. Scott uses a single flash and 4 reflectors to create a very professional looking image that any photographer (no matter how little gear they have) is capable of creating.