Product Photo Shoot Made Easy – Wood Bowls

Product Photo Shoot Before After Wood Bowl

The idea of a “professional” product photo shoot might sound intimidating and expensive. I can assure you it is neither.

Let me walk you through the way I photograph my wood bowls, and you will see it’s very straightforward and simple. And to make this process even easier, I’ve put together a complete product photo shoot set-up equipment list for under $100.

In this article, I’ll walk you through the process of how to construct the product photo shoot set-up, adjust lighting, position your product (in this case wood bowls), make the photos, and how to process those photos to end up with great final product shots.

Why A Product Photo Shoot

Let’s face it, we live in a world that wants to see the goods and they have standards. We’re simply used to seeing stuff, products, displayed in nice clean environments.

Making clean, crisp product shots isn’t all about conforming, however. There are significant advantages for us as woodturners when we take the time to create great images of our work.

Shooting on a plain neutral background allows our art to take center stage. A beautiful wood bowl, well lit on a white backdrop forces the viewer to pause and see just that creation. With no other distractions, the bowl’s features are free to shine.

Candid shots of a wooden bowl on the lathe or in a home setting are nice, but the control and detail available when doing a product photo shoot is rarely matched for quality.

Product Photo Shoot Sycamore Wood Bowl
Product Photo Shoot Sycamore Wood Bowl

Posterity

Wood-turned bowls are each one-of-a-kind. When we send a wood bowl out into the world as a gift or a sale, we may never see it again.

Producing quality images of the art you’ve created is vital for your records, tracking creative progress, and for general posterity. Who knows what you might be creating 10 or 20 years from now. Wouldn’t it be nice to compare images of works side by side?

Affordable Set Up

Product Photography Shoot Setup Gear Guide

Like most of us, I didn’t start my career in woodturning, however, I am an artist. I’m a graphic designer and photographer.

Yes, I use professional photo gear to make most of my images. As a professional photographer, I can tell you great photos are not about owning an expensive camera. The best pictures are made first and foremost with great light. After all, photography literally means drawing with light.

So, I’m going to throw a whole bunch of ideas out the window right now. The phrase product photo shoot might seem intimidating, but you do not need an expensive camera, elaborate photography lighting, and a huge budget to make beautiful product images.

If you haven’t had a chance to read my article about setting up a product photograph set-up for under $100, please do so now. Here’s a link to the list of recommended products as well. We will be using this equipment from here on out, with your smartphone.

Yes, your smartphone is a great option to make fantastic product images, and the best thing is, you already have it. There’s no need to purchase an expensive camera and watch it collect dust most of the time.

Now, if you do have pro camera gear, that’s great, and you should use that equipment. The only point I want to get across is that you can make stunningly good photos without much money or hassle. You can even make mind-blowing images with a beer can, if you’re so inclined…seriously!

Set Up Options

Let’s start by finding a good location to set up our product photo shoot. If you’re fortunate enough to have a luxuriously large workspace, perhaps you can even set up a dedicated area to make your product shots. For the rest of us, a cleared kitchen table top with some space to move around will do.

We will be setting up and working around the table area, and we will also be adjusting the camera and lights up and down. So, cleared space around and above the table will make this process work smoothly.

Also, we will be getting down flush with the table surface so a regular height or even taller table will work better than a short table. Unless you’re twelve and very flexible, I will discourage using the floor as your shooting surface, unless you have no other options and enjoy yoga.

Backdrop

The backdrop is pretty basic but critically important. Here are a few things to keep in mind when setting up the backdrop.

To prevent shadow lines and to make smooth light transitions, the backdrop needs to gracefully curved from the horizontal table top up to the vertical back wall. And the backdrop should be large enough to cover the entire area, in the camera’s view, around the wood bowl.

The size of the backdrop depends on the size of your turned objects. If you turn very small bowls that fit in the palm of your hand, you might be able to use just one sheet of poster board. However, if you turn “ten-gallon” bowls, a seamless roll of background paper will work much better.

If your bowls are small to medium-sized and you’d prefer to not purchase a roll of seamless paper, you can use a couple sheets of poster board. Place one sheet on the table surface and the other on the back wall, but allow the bottom edge to gently curve forward on the table top. Slip the flat poster board on the table under the one taped or tacked to the wall.

Product Photo Shoot Paper Backdrop

The backdrop paper roll or poster board can be attached to the wall with tape, staples, or tacks. If you don’t have a set up with a convenient wall, a backdrop support system works excellent. This system isn’t as cheap as taping the paper to the wall but it can straddle the table and will allow the backdrop paper roll to be set up almost anywhere. And, when you’re done shooting, you can save paper by just rolling it back up on the tube to be reused again later.

Wood Bowl Position

Another factor regarding the backdrop is the distance behind the wood bowl. The wood bowl should be forward of the backdrop enough that the background fades off and is not even considered. We don’t want the back edge of the bowl touching or even close to touching the back vertical portion of the curve of the backdrop.

Most of the time the wood bowl will be positioned at the middle of the table. A small amount of white paper needs to be in front of the bowl to fill the frame in the camera.

Product Photo Shoot Backdrop Positions
Product Photo Shoot Product and Backdrop Positions

Lighting Adjustments

For this product photography set-up, we’re going to use two regular LED lights with basic clamping shop fixtures, that’s it. See the recommended photography set-up list for product details.

The two lights work best when they are movable and easily adjustable. I shoot with the light fixtures clamped to light stands. The light stands allow quick, easy adjustments to the lights location.

If you don’t have light stands, you can clamp the lights to the back of a chair. Or, you can make a wood frame that goes over the product shoot area where the lights can be attached.

Moving the lights around is essential in determining where they will work best. Typically the lights are positioned on opposite sides of each other. One of the two lights should appear brighter than the other. This light is considered the main or “key” light.

The second light is considered the “fill” light. The secondary light is used to offset the shadow areas from the primary light and does not need to appear as bright.

Because we are using fixed 100-watt equivalent bulbs with a simple on/off switch, you may be wondering how to reduce the light. Just move the light back and away from the wood bowl a bit, and the light will be reduced. Yes, it is that simple.

Experiment with the position of the lights. You may find that the lights illuminate the bowl well when they are evenly balanced on each side of the bowl.

Product Photo Shoot Lights
Product Photo Shoot Lights

Light Diffusion

Direct and Diffused Light Sources
Direct and Diffused Light Sources

Your first thought might be that the lights look good all on their own, why would I need diffusion? Well, diffusion is one of the major ingredients in the quality product photo shoot secret sauce.

Raw light bulb rays are direct and intense. While they light an object or scene well, they do so very harshly. The downside of this harsh light is literally the dark side. The shadow area of our wood bowl will appear very dark under this harsh direct light. See the with and without diffusion images below for a comparison of the light qualities.

Diffusion takes those harsh rays and scatters them in various directions. When the light is distributed throughout the area, it will soften on the highlights and illuminate the shadow areas just a bit more. This is precisely what we need for our product photo shoot.

You can use commercial light diffusers. I have several, and most of them are very portable. However, you can also use a frosted shower curtain. Yes, I just said a frosted shower curtain.

Open up the curtain and attach two corners to the top back edges of the backdrop. Let the material drape down over the set and rig the front to corners of the lights stands, chairs, or some other area to hold them secure.

With the diffuser in place, we’ve mostly created a sandwiched space, or tunnel with a backdrop on the bottom and back and a diffuser above. Our wood bowl will be the main subject or the meat of this sandwich.

Play with the position of the diffuser as well as the lights. The diffuser can be lowered so that it is barely out of the camera’s view. This will assure that light is scattered throughout the scene.

Product Photo Shoot Diffused Lights
Product Photo Shoot Diffused Lights

Wood Bowl Angles

The best way to position and photograph a product is to think through the potential viewers’ eyes. Think about what they will want to see. This is best done by asking yourself, what do you want to see in a wood bowl? Shape, color, detail, curves, different views, etc.

When doing a product photo shoot, I like to start with an average shot looking down on the wood bowl at about a 30 to 45-degree angle, much like you would if standing next to the table. This is the angle that most people will initially approach a wood bowl on a tabletop.

Centering up the bowl in the camera frame works well, but adding a small amount of extra white space on the bottom of the image is also visually pleasing.

Product Photo Shoot Image Cropping
Product Photo Shoot Image Cropping

I may rotate the bowl and shoot a few different shots of the bowl and rim. This is very important if you have an irregular rimmed bowl like a natural or live edge bowl. It will appear much different from various angles.

Product Photo Shoot Multiple Angles
Product Photo Shoot Multiple Angles

Once the “normal” angle shots are done, I will look for different less ordinary angles. Raising or lowering the camera will help to find these different views.

Always use a tripod or support system to hold your camera or smartphone. The stability of a supported camera will make sharper images, but the process of adjusting and framing your subject is slowed down and most precisely controlled with a tripod or support system compared to hand-holding a camera.

Product Photo Shoot Smartphone Support System
Product Photo Shoot Smartphone Support System

Straight On

An all-important shot to capture is the straight on shot or the flush with the tabletop shot. This low angle shot, with the camera lens down to the table top looking straight on, will show in precise detail the curve profile of the wood bowl and the shape of the foot of the wood bowl and its relationship to the table.

Product Photo Shoot Front View
Product Photo Shoot Front View

Texture and Details

Once you have shot a variety of images of the product, move in closer and make some detail shots. These can be tight shots of the wood grain, patterns, details, accents, natural flaws, etc.

Lens Angle And Camera Location

The objective is to show the wood bowl the way it truly appears, as best as possible. Various camera lens focal lengths can be fun to play with, but might not make an accurate representation of the product on hand.

If you’re shooting with a DSLR and a fisheye lens, the images are going to be interesting but not really look much like the wood bowl being photographed.

When shooting with a DSLR, a 55mm to 85mm focal length lens will work great. This range of focal length most closely matches the way our eyes see.

If you’re shooting with your smartphone, it’s better to position the camera back a bit and zoom in just a touch. If the camera is placed too close to the wood bowl, the small smartphone lens might stretch and distort the bowl’s appearance.

Moving the Wood Bowl

Most of the wood bowl product shots can be made by having the wood bowl just sit still like a wood bowl does. However, it is nice to have a few shots that require the bowl being tilted or even positioned completely upright.

Using Blocks

Small blocks of wood can be used to lift one side, usually the backside, of the bowl to better show off the bowl’s interior. If the tilting process causes the bowl to slide forward, cut off a small piece of non-slip pad material and position it under the area of the bowl that is sliding. Another option is to ball up a small piece of a kneadable eraser and place it under the front area that is slipping.

Larger blocks, with a bit of weight to them, are needed to keep a wood bowl upright and vertical. I use a chunk of scrap wood that is about 3” wide by 8” high and 6” deep. Utilizing this chunk of wood behind the bowl, you can balance the bowl with the interior facing forward, or the bowl bottom facing forward. Again, use a small piece of non-slip material or a bit of the kneaded eraser to keep the bottom edge of the bowl from sliding out.

Product Photo Shoot Processing

Once the photos have been made, the product photo shoot isn’t over quite yet, it’s time to process the photos. Not to worry, this step to is simple and straightforward.

If you are using a DSLR or other digital camera and can capture images in a RAW format, I’d recommend using Adobe Lightroom to process the final images.

If you are using a smartphone that captures .jpg images, I use the Google Snapseed app to process my images. Here are the steps I use to put the final touches on my product photography images using the Snapseed app:

  1. Open the photo to be edited
  2. Click Tools > Tune Image
  3. Touch, hold and drag up and down on the screen to access options.
  4. Select Warmth
  5. Touch, hold, and drag left and right to adjust the setting
  6. Adjust until the white background looks white and not warm or cool
  7. Select > Ambiance and add a small amount
  8. Select > Saturation and add a small amount
  9. Select > Shadows and increase (drag to the right) until detail is evident in shadows. Might not need much.
  10. Touch Checkmark in the lower right corner
  11. Select Tools > Details
  12. Select > Structure and add a small amount
  13. Select > Sharpen and add enough to make the bowl detail look sharp
  14. Touch Checkmark in the lower right corner
  15. In the bottom right corner select Export
  16. Choose to Save a copy, and the final image is now in with your photos.
Product Photo Shoot Image Process Snapseed Steps
Product Photo Shoot Image Process Snapseed Steps
Product Photo Shoot Pintrest

Whether you’re preparing images of your wood bowls to make sales or share them with friends via email, taking quality professional product shots, don’t need to be overwhelming or expensive.

Please let me know if you try shooting product shots of your wood bowls this way. Leave a comment below. And send me an image of your set up.


Interested in selling your bowls? Read these articles too:
HOW TO SELL ON ETSY – WOODEN BOWLS AND MORE
PRO PHOTO SETUP CHEAP – SHOOT WOOD BOWLS
11 ETSY SELLING HACKS, TRICKS, AND TIPS


Happy Turning (and Shooting),
Kent

16 Responses

  1. Hi Kent,
    Any tips on using remote flashes vs the always on LED lights? I’m a Nikon DSLR user but am not having much success. I have two SB-700 remotes. Should one be mounted on camera or both remote? Thank you in advance.
    Darren

    1. Darren,
      Thank you for writing and sharing!
      I too use Nikon but I’ve moved away from the speedlights and usually use continous or video lights now. I did have speedlights and they could be triggered by the built-in flash on your camera. There is a camera menu setting to adjustment the intensity of the flashes and you can eliminate the camera’s built in flash. So in other words, the built-in flash becomes the signaling device for the other flashes but the light from that flash is not in your image. I’m not sure if that will work with your equipment, but worth exploring. I hope that helps a bit.
      All the best to you and Happy Turning!
      Kent

  2. Hi Kent,

    I am trying to click pictures for bowls with my dslr the issue I am facing is very strange I am not able to focus on full object. some times it focus front part of bowl and make back side blurry and when focus on back part it make front part blury. I am so confused what to do? Do you have any suggestion for it?

    thanks
    Asif

    1. Asif,
      It sounds like you have an aperture issue. Simply adjust the aperture to a higher number, like f/11, f/16, or f/22. You can switch the camera to Aperture Priority or full Manual mode and keep the aperture set to a higher number. Then adjust the shutter speed to make the right exposure. You will need to have the camera on a tripod, as the shutter speed will probably get pretty slow.
      All the best to you,
      Kent

  3. Hi Kent, I have a 2′ square lightroom with 3 halogen lights, a DSLR camera with a tripod and a remote shutter. So I have all the proper tools, my big problem is remembering all the settings for my camera. Its always so long between using it and I don’t like using auto. Now that I am starting to turn enough products I am hoping that problem will go away. Your article did help me with angles and distances and I can’t wait until I get a chance to play with them. I have a problem of always zooming in trying to get the most detail.

    1. Hello Tim,

      Thanks for writing.

      It sounds like you have everything you need.

      As far as setting your camera in manual mode, here’s what to do. The camera should be mounted to a tripod, this will help with composition and hold the camera steady for longer shutter speeds. Use a low ISO for best detail, like ISO 200. Then set an aperture setting that will be wide enough to have a sharp depth of field throughout the bowl in the image, try f/11 or maybe f/16. Now all that is left is the shutter speed. Slow down the shutter speed until the images look bright and the background (if white) appears very white and bright. That’s all there is to it.

      Let me know if that helps.

      Happy Turning,
      Kent

  4. I very much appreciate the detailed and nuanced approach you take with your article. If you give half as much attention to detail with your woodturning, the pieces must be magnificent. Thank you for your insights and the benefit of your experience.

    1. Hello Louise,

      Thank you for writing and for all your kind words.

      If you’d like to see some of my current work checkout some of these links:

      • Etsy Shop
      Instagram
      • YouTube

      Thanks again and all the best to you!

      Happy Turning,
      Kent

  5. This is great for light colored wood. My problem is with darker woods like Walnut, and Mahogany where the iPhone wants to blow out the darker tones to make everything look equal. I’ve tried light color backgrounds, dark backgrounds, neutral wood backgrounds, gray backgrounds. And the bowl still doesn’t look right. The closest I have come is by holding my hand next to the bowl to get the phone camera to balance off my skin tone then hope all of the bowl is in focus, and I can crop my hand out of the picture.

    1. Kevin,

      Thanks for writing.

      You bring up a good point. To get the image to expose brighter when shooting darker colored woods you can adjust the image on the screen.

      On the iPhone when you touch the screen and it will focus on that area and make a square highlight. Right next to the square focus highlight you’ll see a small dot (sun icon) touch and hold that dot and slide it up or down to brighten or darken the image. This should make it easy to brighten the darker wood color.

      Let me know if that helps.

      Thanks,
      Kent

  6. Thank you for putting together the most precise and information article on taking photos of wood bowls. I look forward to experimenting and coming up with some gorgeous photos!

  7. Hi Kent, I read most of your articles and I must say great and very informative content. Intelligently constructed 😉 … Keep up the good work. Cheers

    1. Hello Adrian, Thanks for the kind words. Stay tuned, I have plenty more to share. Thanks and Happy Turning!!!

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Kent Weakley-Turn A Wood Bowl-About
Hi, I’m Kent

Hi! I’m Kent, a husband, dad, papa, graphic designer, photographer, artist, traveler, birder, dark chocolate lover and I’m addicted to turning wood bowls! Learn more about me, see the online courses I made for you, and join our group on Facebook. Ready for your wood bowl adventure? Click here to Get Started

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