Lighting advice for dummies

nantucket66

nantucket66

nantucket66

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I hope someone can me offer some advice - I've got a Canon 700D, the stock 18-55 lense, plus a nifty fifty, I take pictures of items on a table which unfortunately sits in front of a window (which faces west), due to the layout of the room I can't change this. The items are electronics, computer components, speakers, gadgets.

Typically I find there is way too much light behind the items, that said on very dull overcast days it can be too dark. On sunny days once the sun has moved around it's too bright (usually around 1pm onwards).

The room is 4.5m x 3.0m

Anything like portable lights, a diffusor or reflector that I can put in the room that will help me take better images?

They couldn't be permanent fixtures, but something on a tripod I could put in place for an hour so and when needed would be ideal.

I'm sure there's a simple solution but I'm clueless as what it is, I don't mind spending some money, but I don't want buy the wrong items and find they make no difference, open to a better body and or lense if necessary, but I've a feeling my issue is light related.
 
You do not need a better (camera) body. A longer lens might make some shots easier but is not essential.
You're right, your problem is lighting. Are you forced to photograph towards the window or can you get to one side?
 
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Snapshot said:
You do not need a better (camera) body. A longer lens might make some shots easier but is not essential.
You're right, your problem is lighting. Are you forced to photograph towards the window or can you get to one side?
Click to expand...

I can come at the table from either side, around 45 degrees from dead straight on which helps a bit, but not enough unfortunately. Quite a few of the items are black which are harder to deal with, lighter coloured items are a little easier.

As a test I took something outside and took some typical shots and they were all great, but not a real world solution.
 
A plain net curtain held up by that white plastic coated wire and a couple of hooks would solve your problems with bright sunshine coming in.

Have you got a camera flash? I have a very affordable one on my LUMIX camera and bounce the light off the ceiling which seems to work well for interior photos.

A proper photographer will be along in shortly, I’m sure.
 
I use a pretty cheap growlight that's normally for germinating seeds, but pointed at a wall/ceiling makes a very bright, diffuse illumination of the room. Various other options. Bog standard light bulb will work.
 
nantucket66 said:
I can come at the table from either side, around 45 degrees from dead straight on which helps a bit, but not enough unfortunately. Quite a few of the items are black which are harder to deal with, lighter coloured items are a little easier.

As a test I took something outside and took some typical shots and they were all great, but not a real world solution.
Click to expand...
As @Terminal_Boy suggests, it should be possibly to diffuse the sunlight. Shooting from one side with a reflector on the other may fill in the light enough. If not then his other suggestion of a flashgun pointed at the ceiling (I'd raise the bounce card for a bit of fill) should work.
 
mid_gen said:
I use a pretty cheap growlight that's normally for germinating seeds, but pointed at a wall/ceiling makes a very bright, diffuse illumination of the room. Various other options. Bog standard light bulb will work.
Click to expand...

Snapshot said:
As @Terminal_Boy suggests, it should be possibly to diffuse the sunlight. Shooting from one side with a reflector on the other may fill in the light enough. If not then his other suggestion of a flashgun pointed at the ceiling (I'd raise the bounce card for a bit of fill) should work.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the posts, much appreciated, makes sense - I'd rather not put a net curtain up, but up for a flashgun and reflector card, hopefully last question - any recommendations for either?
Cheers :)
 
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