White Backgrounds Looking Grey?

Try Bracketing Your Exposures!

Cameras with built in metering systems are designed to give the best over all color and exposure. To do this the camera is programmed to read all the light areas and all the dark areas and meters the exposure to a happy medium; technically, this is the same tone as an 18% grey. For items with all white backgrounds, automatic camera meters tend to under expose the image. In the old days of film, product photographers learned to compensate for this problem by using a technique called "bracketing the exposure" - and this technique can still be used with digital cameras.

The photographer takes three (or more) shots of the subject, with slightly different exposures to see which one looks best.

Below is a series of photos to demonstrate bracketing. Only the exposure has been changed. The tiger was positioned against a white background.



Above is the 'Normal' suggested exposure by the in-camera meter. The background has a clearly visible grayish-blue tint. While it isn't terrible it isn't the look we want to achieve. However, everything else looks normal in this shot.



Above 1 - Stop Under the in-camera meter suggestion

Both the tiger and the background are darker. This is obviously not a correctly exposed shot.

Now, let's look at a series of slightly over-exposed shots:



Above: 2/3 of a stop over exposed. The background has dropped down to a very light tone and the tiger stands out more.



Above: 1 Full Stop over exposed. The background is dropping away, but the tiger is also starting to loose some saturation. Still a better shot, this is the one I would use.



Above: 1.3 Stops over exposed and the tiger is starting to loose a lot of its saturation, and the whole picture over all is starting to look flat. Some of the detail is starting to get lost on the white paws, and if I try to punch the contrast up with photo editing software the details will be lost.

Experiment with the over and under exposure controls on your camera. You will probably find that slightly over and under exposing images will produce better product shots.

Good Luck!

Choosing The Right Light Bulb For Continuous Light Set-Ups

Choosing a light bulb for your continuous lighting set-upThe light holder/adapters sold in the CloverCity Sells Store will accept a medium (or standard) base. The socket will accept up to a 150 Watt bulb.

Using a continuous light set-up has many advantages. One of its main features is the ability to 'Model' or watch as the light falls on a subject while you position the lights. Another benefit of a continuous light set-up is that it allows you a professional set-up on a budget. The continuous set-ups offered today are normally a fraction of the price of strobe set-ups. And finally they are simple to set-up and take down, offering the photographer mobility to go on location easily.

Once you decide on a continuous light set-up the next consideration is what type of bulb does the set need? Of course, there is no simple answer to what will work best for your needs. I've put together this guide to help you understand your choices and help you make a more informed decision.So, let's get started!

Choosing The Right Light For Your Set
Digital Camera or Film Camera?

Digital Camera
The range of choices available to you is wide if you are using a digital camera.
Most digital cameras come with a 'white balance' feature. The white balance allows you to adjust (or toggle) a setting that will compensate for different light types. Or, if your digital camera doesn't have the feature, you will be able to adjust most color changes with your photo editing software.

On the digital camera look for the symbol that looks like a little bulb. When you find it, and turn your camera setting to it, you will be able to shoot using any tungsten (or standard everyday) light bulb.

Your digital camera will also have a setting that allows you to shoot using overhead florescent tubes as well, it normally looks like a little cigar. However, don't confuse overhead fluorescents with the new compact fluorescent bulbs purchased for tungsten bulb replacements, they emit a slightly different color (temperature).

Film Camera
If you are shooting with a film camera your choices are more limited. There are films that compensate for minor color differences but film can not compensate for all the different color temperatures that different light types emit.

When you shoot with a film camera it's time to learn about color temperature and how it affects the finial image. Every light source has a different hue or color, depending on it's 'temperature'. This temperature is measured in (or referred to as) Kelvin.Here are some examples:

• Daylight - 5000 K to 7,000
• Home light bulbs (tungsten) 2700 K
• Fluorescent tubes 3500 K

As you can see the lower the number on the Kelvin scale the warmer - or more yellow/red the color light will be. In the middle range it tends to be greenish until you get to about 5,000K. At 5,000 K it becomes white and moves from white to blue as it moves up the scale. (The actual color temperature during the day depends on time of day, overcast, time of year etc. But that's a different topic.)

Most studio photographers want their product and portrait shots to look natural, as if taken on a normal sunny day so a Kelvin Temperature of around 5000 to 6400 is desired. When you see bulbs with a Kelvin number of 5000 to 6400 they are often referred to as "Daylight Balanced." These daylight balanced bulbs are the perfect solution for a film photograph. As you may understand film doesn't change what it sees, our eyes may - but film does not. If the light temperature is 2700, then film will render it as such. Our eyes, on the other hand, will send the message to our brains which automatically adjusts it during processing the message. We see that warm light as natural.

You will see bulbs sold in the hardware store referred to as 'daylight.' Check the Kelvin rating on them before purchase. If they are lower than 5000 K chances are you will get a yellowish or greenish cast to your photo. Many professional photographers choose the higher quality and slightly whiter "Super Daylight Balanced" bulbs. They render a nice clean white color. These are especially desirable with product photographers who are creating that all white "high key" look.

So, the first decision as to which bulb you need must be made on which type of camera you are using: film or digital. If it's a film camera look for a daylight balanced bulb around 5000 to 6400K. If it's digital you may use any light available. Of course, you can always use a daylight balanced bulbs so you don't need to worry about the white balance setting or correcting the image in photo editing software.

The next decision is what actual style of bulb to use. There are several considerations when choosing the style/type of bulb used. Essentially for the sets sold in the CloverCity Sells Store there are two choices: Standard Photo Flood Bulbs and Compact Fluorescent Bulbs (or CFL).

The Photo Flood bulbs look similar to regular light bulbs. These bulbs are generally cheaper than CFL's. Their drawback is that they only maintain color balance for a few hours. They may still light up, but they start to darken and move toward the yellow end of the Kelvin scale. Another drawback is that they are very hot to work under. This is not very good for small objects that may melt or for clients who are sitting for a portrait. As a result photographers are quickly embracing CFL's. They are physically cooler to work with and they last for thousands of hours, all the while holding their color temperature.

CFL's are great for close-up or product photography as well. They stay cool so you have fewer chances of burning or melting the items. The CFL's are rated at lower Watts than the Photo Flood Bulbs because they are much more energy efficient. The lower watt still emits the equivalent amount of brightness. The benefits of this are many. First your electric bill will be lower. Another problem many photographers face when using continuous lights is the electric capacity of their space. This shouldn't be taken lightly, I recommend checking with an electrician before burning your house down! However, because the CFL's are drawing fewer watts you are decreasing the risk of electrical fire.

There are many benefits to using the new CFL's on the market today, whether you are a digital or a film photographer. Should you decide you want to use them you can buy Daylight Balanced Compact Fluorescent Bulbs from the store. If you purchase them at the same time as you purchase your light kit or set we will combine shipping.

Buy CFL'sHere

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Host Your Own Photos

Buyers really appreciate lots of photographs, so don't try to save on listing fees by not including as many as needed to display your item properly. At the same time, however, take care not to overwhelm your buyers with unnecessary images. Too many photos can be as distracting as too much text.
If you want to include multiple photographs in your listings without driving your listing fees sky high, host the pictures on your own web site, rather than on the listing service. That way you can include as many as needed for a good representation of the product. Reliable web hosting services are relatively inexpensive. If you plan to sell a lot of items, and use a lot of photos to do it, the listing fees will quickly outstrip the monthly charge of a reputable hosting service. My current web hosting service costs less than $10.00 a month and gives me gigabytes of storage and bandwidth. I save money, include as many photos as needed to tell the buyer a story, and still have room for a web site to compliment my auction listings.