The Background, pt 2

When is the best background for your product not white?

I often suggest a different background if the product itself is clear, opaque, white, or silver. I also love when an online shop creates a background that is unique to them, and sets themselves apart by creating something that reflects their brand or personality. So that is another great time to add some color!

While looking to make sure I covered the "hot topics" for doing your own product photography I asked my fellow TSUA-List members for their questions, and the subject of choosing a background other then white came up.  Thank you for those members who brought the topic of backgrounds to my attention! I put a lot of thought into it for my clients... and if your doing your own work... you should put a lot of time into it as well.

So what colors should you use?

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Black: It is easy to find, like white you can use fabric or poster board for your small studio at home easily enough. It is solid, easy to edit and light. If your exposure is off slightly it is easy to edit in post production and it highlights jewelery especially silvers and golds very nicely. From a photography stand point it does not reflect light... so if you find your issue is TOO MUCH light on your image, this will absorb it.  If you have sheer cloth, or opaque stones and beads, or white products... this highlights them very nicely. Over all it is pretty forgiving and easy to work with.

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Grey: I have to say... white, black and grey are the most common. Even when I was shooting families in the studio  - almost every skin tone, color combo and product will look good! For product grey is a solid choice if you want something a little different but not too "out there". Again it is easy to find, and forgiving if your exposures are not consistent. Grey, if you remember used to be how photographers balanced their film cameras! Grey is a neutral - it compliments all colors!

Now... you don't always need to think in solid backgrounds. I have several painted grey backdrops that I use.  Depending on the look for your shop, blog or other product use... these are great ways of adding texture or color, and creating a custom look. Just be careful not to get too over whelming with the amount of color or texture if you still want people looking at your product!

A gift from Colletta's Kitchen Sink during a swap I did!

Product Provided by: Streeter & Co

These are a couple of  custom backgrounds that I have hand painted - if you want to learn more about them you can visit my shop or email me directly!


Plus, Grey is not the only neutral in town!

Browns, tans, creams: Also great neutrals you can use for a variety of products, and colors. The tone of the background does really start stretching the limits of what colors look best on it. So you need to be careful here. Too yellow, red, or orange and your product may start to pick up those tones... especially in the whites. I tend to like something like the stone look below for shops with a more organic feel to them.

Product Provided by: Streeter & Co

While mixing a black with grey and brown provides another solid option for you, if you want something more custom looking but not so dark.

<<missing  new background image / Brice >>>>

Blues: Blues start getting very tricky. You have to use a little restraint and start thinking about your product and photography very seriously. It is easy to use the wrong kind of blue and to have that overwhelm your image like here you see the blue reflecting so much that the white starts to take on that tone like the image shown below.

Now, blue is still a very common color to use in studio photography. Typically you wont find it as a solid background, unless it is being used as the blue alternate to the green chroma key.  Where it is so overwhelming it is easily selected digitally and replaced with a different background. However, you will find it as a dyed background, or commonly paired with greys and whites in a mottled texture much like the tan and black are in  the image of "Brice" above.


There are exceptions to the rules and times when a solid blue can be your friend... say if your shooting something that is stone, or natural in color, seashells, or you want that "sea" look... stick with lighter shades of blues to accomplish this and help prevent the color bleed. Or if you have something that falls in the red, yellow, or orange category where you can use the blue to calm and add balance to the colors of the image, while highlighting the beauty of the product. Often it is best to work with something that has several shades of blue, or even white to help that balance.

Product Provided by: Crafty Gal Creations

Blues are very tricky for product photography, especially home product photography because you are typically not shooting with the best lighting gear. Poor lighting leads to blue images to start with... either from shadows, poor exposure, or the  light temperature of your light source.  My suggestion, stay away from solid blues and look for mottled, or pops of blue. Like this custom painted backdrop I made.

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Or by adding it in as a prop! Like this custom prop I created as part of Sweetsies Prop set. 

Cookies provided by: Sweetsies

Greens, reds, pinks, oranges and yellows: Unless you are a professional, and have the right equipment I would tend to steer you away from these background colors. Again, due to the nature of these colors they tend to bleed over into your product colors... reds and yellows are especially bad. Reds, quite frankly are even bad for you to WEAR during a photo shoot around your face, because it will make your skin appear more red and flush!

Not every item can stand up to such a bright background as well as this super cute guy... This type of bright background works great for kid products... but seriously.. you have to know what your doing or this will go very ---- VERY bad for you!

Plus, these colors will quickly overwhelm the eye.With skill and comprehension of the product and the equipment and lighting you have available, you can create great images with bright backgrounds. However,  if you are trying to create a custom look for your shop and that is a major part of your "branding" color scheme I would seriously consider letting me create a custom background where any of these color can be mixed into a more neutral based background, making it easier for you to work with! Too many images like the one above and potential shoppers could be easily overwhelmed! However, you should be aware of your product as well, below is a great example of a great background choice for yellow.  However, just like the blue we talked about a moment ago, it can bleed into your product... like below, this Smelly Jelly by Streeter &Co should be clear, instead it picks up the background color behind it and becomes more yellow itself! A lot of this can be overcome with proper lighting, and camera settings, but if you are starting out you may want to steer clear of the extra obstacles.

Patterns: Mixing up patterns and textures can be a lot of fun... I suggest being careful with the print and texture you use. I also find that people who don't have good lighting, or camera equipment, or who don't understand how to use it really struggle with making patterned backgrounds look good. Using depth of field and posing techniques to showcase an item becomes very important. Also, I wouldn't suggest posting a product like this lanyard with ONLY this image... make sure your following my other guidelines on using multiple images, posing, details and clarity! This can add interest to your shop... but it doesn't really show you want the item is!  - But seriously... HOW cute are the ladybug and bumble bee beads in there! I mean COME ON!

Product Provided by: Crafty Gal Creations

Golds/Silver or other reflective surfaces. These can look amazing. However, you really have to know what your doing. Since these backgrounds reflect light you want to work with that, instead of against it. Utilize your lighting to create a great effect. Like the patterns, I don't recommend this for your everyday image, or for someone just starting out... there is technique and an investment into time, lighting and camera gear required. However, when done right it can have a dramatic effect rather then just going with a black or grey.

Product Provided by: L.W.Hooks

Product Provided by: L.W.Hooks

Product Provided by: L.W.Hooks

It really makes for amazing detail shots! Much like the pattern, I wouldn't try to shoot all the images on a reflective background... just a standout... look at me, kind of shot. I've used the metal look to highlight the chain in the two crochet necklaces, and to pick up the sparkle in the threads of the crochet hat.


I hope this has gotten some wheels turning and helped you think about what you can use in your home studio! Don't forget to join me for "The Background, the final chapter" where I talk about what makes a good background, and what to look for when making or purchasing one, and how to pair the right colors with your product!

The Product Background

There are many choices available to you for a home studio background. Today were talking all things white... why is it the most common and effective product background? That question, and others will be answered today, plus I will share a couple of great tips that you can use at home!

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Simple white backgrounds are common, effective and an industry standard. I don't know of a professional studio or product photography that doesn't have at least ONE option for a seamless white background!

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Why is it popular? It's clean. It's seamless. It's simple. It doesn't distract. It makes colors appear to "pop" and be brighter, and more vibrant. It's professional. It is easily manipulated and created in Photoshop.

Ah. Bet you didn't know that!

It is often "created" in photoshop, when you look at professional product images, magazine ad's, Pinterest ads, even on TV commercials you find that when they want to make a statement, or really highlight an item - you find it on white. Many times that white background wasn't really there (or it has been digitally altered.) Many times it is shot on a green screen called a chroma key (yes like the weatherman) and then the product is selected and dropped onto a flat white background within a photoshop style program. Interesting, right!? Professionals shoot this way to insure there are no distracting seams, creases or shadows on the background, as well as creating that "floating" image feel. Plus, it is easy to drop the image on to any color of background once it has been selected off the chroma key background, making one image very versatile.

The Bonus of White: You have a solid white to set your WB mode to. If you make your white, white... all the other colors in your digital image fall into place. Plus, they are easy to find, purchase and create yourself.

Different Types of Materials: Professionals use several different kinds of white backgrounds they often have rolled white paper backgrounds this are not every day paper.. but a heavy stock.  Others opt for some sort of fabric like cotton, canvas or white muslin, again typically a heavy stock. For the home studio, I think it is important to judge the size of your product needs and then look at the type that would best fit those needs. 

For small items thick white paper - like foam core, or poster board works well. The poster board can be leaned against a wall or table to create a seamless look... like the set up I did for the phone vs camera post.

You can also get larger rolls of white paper from your craft store if you have larger items, it isn't as heavy as photography rolled paper, but it would work in the home.  If you are using more of a paper over the poster board thickness... a lighter paper stock,  I would suggest picking up a piece of white foam core as well to place under the paper and your product to prevent bleeding from the color of your table or surface (unless it too is white). One of the reasons many photographers use large rolls of thick white background paper ( and it is thick and heavy stock!) is that it can be rolled out over another background,or over a painted wall and nothing will bleed through so it will stay white. Another is because when it gets dirty they simply cut it, roll new paper down and then go to the next shoot. This is really common for family, portrait, and commercial photographers.

©VertePhotography

If you have larger items, hanging items, or want something a little bit different you can purchase a muslin from someplace like Steve Kaesler's Website where he offers 6x9's at a fair price $59 or so. I know many a home photographer that uses a cotton sheet... however I am going to tell you - that may not be your best idea!

You can certainly use any white cotton (or other) fabric and it will "work". However, when looking you want to find one that is thick enough not to let light pass through it, sheets tend to be too thin. If you can hold it to your window on a sunny day and it doesn't block the light... it is not the best to use. If it is simply all you have, then again I suggest you double it up, or place something else white under it - like foam core. (Do you think Foam core is a photographers friend?) The idea is that you want it to bounce light off of the white and around the product, not for the light to pass through the fabric. This will help add light to your image, reduce shadows and create a seamless look. You want your product to pop, not the background.

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Think about what you are shooting, if your shooting people it will get dirty. You may need to bleach, repaint, or replace your background as it gets used so be thoughtful and look at the care instructions of what your using!

You also want to look for something without a texture or weave to the fabric, as these can look distracting on close up images. When you use a fabric, it's very important to iron it flat, and to place it where it will cover your surface area and like the paper curve up like along the wall to give that seamless look. If there are folds or wrinkles this will look distracting and create shadows and highlights that you don't want!

While this image doesn't look "bad" it can easily be so much better by simply placing the product on a smooth background!

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And here is my top tip for a simple, elegant white background that you can recreate at home super affordable.

Product provided by Crafty Gal Creations

See where there is a slight reflection of the product on the background? Super sleek right?
To recreate this look (for small items) and in fact what I used for this shot, head to your local craft store and pick up one "wipe off" poster board... it has a shinny side that works like a wipe board with a dry erase marker! Use this side to catch a reflection of your product! Of course be careful that your product is all that reflects, you don't want your lights, or camera or anything showing up! Also, you have to use your macro function and make sure you have enough light to create the reflection!

Now, white is not the only game in town! It is simply the most common and often the most practical. However, in the next few days I will be covering some alternatives to white, and why you may want to use them!

Tuesday Tip

I thought it would be fun to include a weekly post on something photography related!

To kick it off I thought I would offer a few bits of advice for a small business owner... or crafter who is promoting yourself or your items.

 Nothing grabs someone's attention faster then a solid striking image.

 Product shown is from L.W. Hooks

What makes a striking image? This depends on the buyer, but here are a few product facts that tend to do well for my clients...

Bright Colors, and Detailed Images

Simple, Clean, Unique Perspectives

Multiple Images, Multiple Backgrounds, Showcase the Product! 

  Product shown is from L.W. Hooks

The nitty gritty... it comes down to nice backgrounds, good lighting and a great lens. You need all 3 to have a productive product image. If your images are not clear people simply wont buy them online... they really want to see the front, back, side, buttons, and details!

For my clients, I try to include all angles, a full product view and several detail shots. I don't charge per image, but rather per product so I can always be sure to give you several options! This is also nice so you can update with a new image to refresh your store without paying to have new images shot!

Lastly, don't try to do it all. You can be the best artist in the world, but know your limitations... if you don't understand f-stops, types of lenses, lighting... all things that play into great product images... just let someone who knows do it for you! Do what you do best... and let a professional (or even an experienced friend do it for you) This will save you a huge amount of time and energy!

Disclaimer: of course I offer product images - and I would LOVE your business! However I do live in reality, and I want to see businesses succeed! If you can't or wont send it to me... that's OK! Send it to me, or let someone else do it... just get it done - and done right!