# Picture-taking Tips



## MF-Alpines (Mar 29, 2010)

Any hints on picture-taking of your soaps? I have GOT to get a website up and running as well as a FB page. I suck at picture taking. My first stab at it was using a black background, stacking a few unpackaged bars up with a packaged bar in front of the stack which shows the "title" of the soap. Not so good.

Some of you have really nice pics. Any tips?


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## happy vagabonds (Jun 24, 2012)

Good light is important. Natural light is usually better than flash. Can you work with a window behind you? (If so, mind your shadow!) If you MUST use a flash, figure out if you can diffuse it somehow. (What kind of camera are you using? I am assuming a little point & shoot. If you're using a DSLR, then an external flash with a light sphere is AMAZING!) Most of the flash units on these little point and shoots are just terribad... too close and they throw too much light and just blow out the image... or... the subject is too far away and they don't actually throw out enough light! Natural light is beautiful. 

A tripod or some other thing to keep the camera still is important. A lot of amateur photographers discount the importance of a good tripod. 

Keep your backgrounds simple. You can use a piece of matte posterboard in a variety of colors or get creative and use something like one of my favorite quick backgrounds... a bamboo sushi mat. 

Black is probably one of the fussiset background colors to work with because if there is any lint on it, it just looks bad. 

Go do a google image search and look for "creative soap packaging" or something... then look at the images. What appeals to YOU? Pinterest is also a wealth of creative ideas. 

Set up your shot and look at it from many angles. Move around. Squat low... tiptoes... etc... how does a change of angle and perspective change your shot? 

Generally for product shots, tho, you don't want to be too fussy. Simple, simple, simple.


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## Kalne (Oct 25, 2007)

I made a sort of light box using a large clear tote. I attached a piece of white poster board along the wide side that was long enough to go down and back up the other side. With the tote on it's side I positioned 2 small desk lamps on either side of it. The plastic was enough to diffuse the light. There was a good light coming from overhead as well (from the ceiling). I had to play with positioning everything to keep any shadows to a minimum but it worked very well and the lighting was enough that I did not have to use a flash. 

I did use a tripod and I put a piece of tape at the spot where the soap was so I could repeat the same angle/shot for every bar. 

Now if I could just find the time to actually put them on my website. LOL Outdoor pictures are still better but between nosy cats, dogs, ducks and whatever else is hanging around it's nearly impossible for me to get more than a couple shots of anything undisturbed. LOL


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## tmfinley (Feb 21, 2008)

My best advice is to wait for a semi overcast day and take them outside.


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## lambs (Sep 6, 2012)

*pictures*

Use either befunky or picmonkey picture editor. It helped my pictures so much. You can lighten, sharpen and crop your pictures.

I also agree with the white background. It does not detract from your subject.


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## Anita Martin (Dec 26, 2007)

Outside light is best. You can use a sheet or plain fabric over a turned-over box and under the soap. I set my stuff outside on the car or somewhere on an overcast day or in the morning before the sun comes out. Very few props. Keep it simple. Don't try and use a flash. A lightbox did not work for me. Think "spa" setting. Cotton or linen are nice.


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## MF-Alpines (Mar 29, 2010)

Thanks, everyone. Very helpful.


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