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Ms Pamela's Photography Tutorial

Ms Pamela's Design Room

Introduction

Hello, my name is Pamela Splettstoesser.

I am a graphic designer and fotographer in the Netherlands and my hobby is collecting Baby Face dolls! I work with the members of the Baby Face Workshop in teaching them how to do great fotos which they enjoy entering in photo challenges, Fashion Shows and Pageants, or using to illustrate their wonderful stories and poetry.

Baby Face is the most posable and full of life doll I have ever fotographed! She just radiates in front of the camera. So when Francine asked if I would do a tutorial for her new website it was easy to say yes. A chance to put my girls in front of the camera is always fun.

Set Up and Lighting

I have seen some people spend hundreds of dollars for equipment to do product fotography. It simply is not necessary! A large piece of black velour or soft wrinkle resistant material, a tripod, a lamp and a window with natural light and a digital camera is all you need! Here is a foto of my little space

Pamela's photo shooting set upI have a little fold up TV tray with my black material thumb tacked to the wall over the window on one side and to the door of my closet on the other side. Total space used, 2 feet. And if I need to get in the closet, I just fold up the table, and open the closet door… since the material is tacked to the door it moves with the door!

The most important thing for product fotography is a tripod. No matter how steady you think you are, you will never be steadier than the tripod. Next important is the lighting and Detail. Attention to detail is essential! Make sure you have no lint, or dirt on your foto table or backdrop! Natural light is always better but your lighting needs to come from all different directions.

 

 

If your lighting only comes from one way, you will have shadows and the dreaded GHOSTIES! When you have too little light, your fotos will come out with a yellow tint to them, as you see with Laura on the left. Notice the lint and threads on the foto table? Ewwwww! She says! And Suzy is aghast at the looming shadows behind her brought on by the light being in front of her! Never point your light at your foto table. Bounce the light off the wall in front or to the side of it or open the shades and use natural light.

Example 1