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Jac@stafford.net
29-Jul-2017, 15:13
I retired to a tiny home. I can make photos outside when it is not raining, but there is no natural background that is acceptable to remove the background which is a chaotic garden.

The largest items I have to sell are within the dimensions of 8x10 cameras (Century 1, Deardorff, Calumet). I guess I need a tent-like affair with translucent sides. I watch the big auction site and I'll bet our members do, to. Any hints and recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance,
Jac Stafford

xkaes
29-Jul-2017, 15:30
If you have a bed sheet you can hang it over a clothes line or drape it over a table or fence. That's basically what my mini-studio is!!

AtlantaTerry
29-Jul-2017, 17:51
I retired to a tiny home. I can make photos outside when it is not raining, but there is no natural background that is acceptable to remove the background which is a chaotic garden.

The largest items I have to sell are within the dimensions of 8x10 cameras (Century 1, Deardorff, Calumet). I guess I need a tent-like affair with translucent sides. I watch the big auction site and I'll bet our members do, to. Any hints and recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance,
Jac Stafford

Jac,

Do you have any Kroger grocery stores in your area? (Kroger has related grocery stores under their corporate ownership.)

The reason I ask is because my local Kroger has some 10x10 foot canopies on end of season sale for US $18. It has a white top (not a colored one) which should be great for a light source that won't contaminate the colors of the subject. The four sides are open.

Camping and outdoor stores such as REI might also have end of season sales.

For a long time, I have been a fan of Irving Penn's large format photographs of people. He and his crew transported a black flat-sided tent around in which to photograph his subjects:
167683
As you can see from the above photo, Irving's tent top could be opened to the sky.

I plan to start to create some similar work starting with writers at a book fair this autumn.

Since the 10x10 foot canopy I bought has four open sides, I plan to affix a dark background to one side and possibly diffusers on one or both sides when I am photographing my subjects. That way I can control the source of light. My total budget should be about US $50.

A website about an exhibit of Irving Penn's Ethnographic Studies:
http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/exhibitions/IrvingPennArchives/ethnographic

Jody_S
29-Jul-2017, 17:56
What's wrong with the commercially available (and cheap) pop-up photo studios? Mine is 30x30x30 and came with 3 colors of background. Bare bulb or flash through the sides and/or top, folds down to the size of one of those lighting discs.

AtlantaTerry
29-Jul-2017, 19:45
What's wrong with the commercially available (and cheap) pop-up photo studios? Mine is 30x30x30 and came with 3 colors of background. Bare bulb or flash through the sides and/or top, folds down to the size of one of those lighting discs.

LOL! I totally missed what Jac was asking about! PRODUCT shots, not people shots. DUH on my part!

xkaes
30-Jul-2017, 04:31
I'm a lover of Irving Penn's work myself. Now I know how he did it!! Thanks.

For my mini-studio, a have an old, white, rough, bed spread that I got for $2 at Goodwill. Any sheet would work just as well. It is nailed to a wall, and the bottom is draped over an adjustable drafting table -- but any table would work.

For lighting, since it is indoors, I have flashes for the front, top and sides that I can move, remove, or diffuse -- as needed (through white rip-stop nylon, but a white sheet would work) and white & silver umbrellas. It can be pretty elaborate, but it could be completely simple, especially with available light.

My biggest problem is all the black cat hair that mysteriously shows up. So before shooting, I need to run over the bed spread with a lint roller! THAT'S the BIGGEST expense!

Goldman
30-Jul-2017, 06:41
Hi,
Where did you buy the pop-up studio? 30x30x30 inches?

Thanks
Bill

mdarnton
30-Jul-2017, 07:05
When I shoot small things for Ebay, I put a sheet of paper on my table, bending up in back, taped to the wall, and bounce flash off the ceiling. For most things, a piece of large drawing paper is large enough. For instance: https://1drv.ms/i/s!Aq4avJ8BfiuY-xD18WYteE776Mvh It doesn't meet the best commercial standards, but as my wife reminds me, it's for selling on Ebay, not for a spread in House and Garden.

Two23
30-Jul-2017, 07:14
I use a 4x4 or 2x2 sheet of white foam core laid on my dining room table, with one of the 3-sided white foam core "project boards" as background. The foam core comes from Walmart office supply for less than $5. I use two flash mounted on small lightstands with small softboxes for light.
https://www.staples.com/Elmer-s-White-Corrugated-Display-Board/product_302919

http://www.ebay.com/itm/COWEEN-Photo-Tent-with-Lights-Portable-Small-Backdrop-Folding-Photo-Booth-/282408977028?hash=item41c0e30284:g:ArMAAOSwzgBY1k66

http://www.ebay.com/itm/24-Photo-Studio-Photography-Light-Tent-Backdrop-Kit-Lighting-in-a-Box-60cm-Cube-/311644589015?hash=item488f770bd7:g:1YMAAOSwmgJY4-1r

I also have a sheet of black foam core--some objects show up better on black.

Jody_S
30-Jul-2017, 21:48
Hi,
Where did you buy the pop-up studio? 30x30x30 inches?

Thanks
Bill

This (http://www.ebay.com/itm/StudioPRO-Product-Photography-Lighting-30-Light-Tent-Softbox-Cube-/232409021037)looks like a newer version of what I bought. Mine is a square.

stawastawa
30-Jul-2017, 22:07
+1 for sheets.
or black blankets.

Natural wood works nice, a sheet or two of birch ply for example.

An open door for light and a tripod for greater depth of field. ;)

Fred L
31-Jul-2017, 07:21
if there's photo store in your area, a roll of white seamless goes a long way and what I use. often times it's window light. otherwise a large white sheet will work. you can press the wrinkles out or bunch it up for that look ;)

DrTang
31-Jul-2017, 07:48
LOL! I totally missed what Jac was asking about! PRODUCT shots, not people shots. DUH on my part!

I thought he was trying to sell his cameras at a backyard auction

scm
31-Jul-2017, 09:54
I use a folding table that has a white plastic top with a sheet (32x40") of foamcore for the backdrop. The table is 30 inches wide, plenty for most of what I need to photograph, serves a number of other purposes and stows behind a bookcase when not in use.

http://www.stevemidgleyphotography.com/Untitled-1.PNG

The lighting is just natural window light, there is a window behind me and one to the right in the room I use. I control the light with the horizontal blinds, the light from behind (main light, if you will) is bounced off of the ceiling. The camera I use is a Canon Rebel, the lens is a 15-85mm. There isn't a lot of light, the exposures are usually from 3 to 15 seconds at ISO 800 and f/22, a tripod is always used, obviously.

http://www.stevemidgleyphotography.com/IMG_0099x.JPG

After final cropping and some cleanup in PhotoShop, I have an image that is as good as 99% of what you will see on eBay, etc. I've used this setup several thousand times (sometimes with some modifications) for cameras, computers, motorcycle parts and guitars.

http://www.stevemidgleyphotography.com/IMG_0099.JPG

Peter De Smidt
31-Jul-2017, 10:14
I agree with the 53" roll of white seamless paper, 2-stands, crossbar (maybe a 2x2), and a table. You can use sheets and other stuff, of course, but then you'll be cutting the product out in Photoshop. It's not hard, but it does add time.

I have a light tent, and it works great from smaller objects, but would be a bit of a pain with studio cameras, and you don't need a white tent for that kind of thing.

neil poulsen
31-Jul-2017, 14:09
Mines pretty simple and straight forward. Photos are a little rough.

This basic design can be made to any reasonable size. The base in the photos is 3/4" particle supported on two saw horses.

What makes for excellent cloth material is artists canvas. It's inexpensive, durable, and it's relatively heavy. The piece shown is 60" wide and cost me about $5 or $6 several years ago. If it gets dirty, turn it over.

Two Lowel lights work well for lighting.

Years ago, we purchased a Canon G12. With its articulated screen, it works very well for photographing items for sale.

All of this was very easy to construct and can be torn down when not in use.

Jim Galli
10-Sep-2018, 11:57
I use the tailgate on the Model A station wagon. Lay the black side of a dark cloth down and let the late evening light do it's work. Try not to over complicate. Not sure a perfect seamless background adds any$thing to the bottom line. Your stuff is ecclectic enough without it.

Jac@stafford.net
10-Sep-2018, 12:47
I use the tailgate on the Model A station wagon.

Ah! Now why didn't I think of that? I suppose I can place the items on the Lamborgini's rear wing!

docw
10-Sep-2018, 15:43
I use the tailgate on the Model A station wagon. Lay the black side of a dark cloth down and let the late evening light do it's work. Try not to over complicate. Not sure a perfect seamless background adds any$thing to the bottom line. Your stuff is ecclectic enough without it.

Jim, I tried this as soon as I saw your post. The dark cloth was cheap, and evening light is free, but I couldn't find a Model A wagon in decent condition for under 20K. :(

neil poulsen
10-Sep-2018, 19:02
A setup like this doesn't need to be elaborate. Acceptable, versus professional quality photos are sufficient.

I purchased about a 60" wide, 6ft long (or whatever length) of canvas from an art store. It's ideal: minimal cost and a nice off-white color. It's connected to a dowel that spans between two, vertical support pieces of 1x2's at about 4 ft high. The cloth drapes down, gradually going from vertical (at the dowel) to horizontal on a table. I nailed horizontal feet to each of these vertical 1x2's so that it stands up. When not in use, I roll the cloth up on the dowel.

I use two Lowel DP lights on either side of the camera that have fiberglass, gauze diffusers placed in front of each. (Lowel has special holders for this purpose. You can get the diffusers inexpensively from Rosco filters.) DP's are professional quality lights; but, something simpler would probably work just as well.

I have a nice 35mm camera with lenses, etc. But, I've found the most convenient camera to use is a point and shoot. Simple and easy; my wife has a Canon G12 that works great. (And, a light weight tripod.)

Good luck with your marketing endeavor.

jim10219
28-Sep-2018, 07:03
I made a light box out of PVC pipe, some semitransparent white cloth, and a few large sheets of paper. The PVC is cut to size to build a box using the appropriate fittings to connect everything. The paper goes on the bottom, and I can draw it up the back for the infinite background look. It's also replaceable, which is good because I once did a catalogue of car parts. The PVC is easily disassembled and stored in a closet, wrapped in the fabric. I sewed channels into the fabric to run the PVC through. Though you could just as easily tape it (I did that the first few times I used it). Then it's just a matter of lighting the top and sides. I've used lamps, speed lights, and studio strobes to light it. They all work. Sometimes I'll throw something reflective behind the light to channel more light onto the fabric. I have it set up so I can either shoot top down, or from one side. It probably cost me around $40 to build, but it's paid for itself with as many times as I've used it. It's probably around 3 cubic feet. Every once in a while I wish it were bigger. But then again, every once in a while, I wish it were smaller too. So it's probably about the right size. It would definitely do a good job with 8X10 cameras.

faberryman
28-Sep-2018, 07:14
These are images for eBay and you think you need a studio? You can get a folding sheet of white foamcore for about $3.00 and use a table lamp. As long as the shots show enough detail, nobody is going to care what they look like.

David Karp
28-Sep-2018, 10:08
I do pretty much the same as SCM. I use old mat board. I use one for the base, one behind the item, and add another one on the opposite side of the window to bounce the light back toward the item. I use the dining room light above, which is on a dimmer. Seems to work fine. Sometimes the seams where the mat boards meet is visible. I just clean that up in Photoshop.