Suggestion for home studio lighting equipment/set up for ghosting(invisible mannequins) garments/product photography?

Question

I've look around and can't seem to find any specific product photography information on ghost/ghosted/ghosting/invisible garments, so I thought I'd ask! I have some other questions as well so I'll break them down:

A. I have the following equipment a Nikon D800, 50mm f1.8, a tripod max height of 110cm, large roll of white paper for background, mannequin for garments. Work flow will be tethering (cable) the camera to an iMac for constant QC checks.

1. DESIRED EFFECT - Here is the result of what I would like to achieve. I understand the heavy amount of photoshopping involved, however that will all be an exercise in futility if the image is poorly taken.

2. SET UP - Here I've found a Youtube tutorial with a basic run through a set up. However I would like to know why he uses continuous vs strobe lights? As the subject is static surely it doesn't matter which you opt for? Can I get away with using less lights and a different set up? If its to do with hard lighting, then can he not use light modifiers?

3. LIMITATIONS - I'm not a pro photographer so this "studio" shoot also aims to utilise the most flexible equipment for future application. Flexibility here pertains to number of uses/portability. I'd like to do a fashion shoot later on and would rather not rent equipment. Budget of around £400. The room I'll be taking the photos in is only 4 x 5m with an 8ft ceiling.

4. EQUIPMENT - I'm thinking of getting maybe three Yongnou speed lights (one for background, two for subject), an umbrella (saw that softboxes are ridiculously expensive in comparison) for the background? and 2 reflectors. What other brands should I be looking at? Would you recommend something else?

5. IT WILL BE DIFFICULT - The best way I learn is through my own mistakes, however planning is also a crucial element in order to progress and this is why I come to you all. You all have one thing I do not which is real world experience (the thing they ask for when you apply for your first job after uni, and need at least 3 years of for an "entry level" position). Knowing which brands are under/over rated for specific items, getting the best bang for your buck, un-anticipated problems and tips.

Thanks for any one who chips in their two pence! p.s I'll appreciate any tips on structuring the question and info better.

Answer 1

Continuous can be easier to start with as you don't have any issues with triggering and syncing, and you get instant feedback as you can see the effect of the light as you move it. Strobes have the advantage of being able to overpower your ambient light so you don't have to work in the dark. They also don't get as hot as they are only on momentarily.

You only need one light for the subject, you want a soft slightly directional light, so a shoot through umbrella would be best. Two lights for the back ground make it much easier to get an even light as you want it white everywhere, not grey toward the edges. You can get away with one light however, especially if you place it behind your mannequin. Background lights should be hard (no light modifiers).

With only 4x5 meters of space to work with your set up will be very compromised. You wont be able to get your background to go to pure white everywhere without some of that light reflecting back only your subject and giving it glowing edges, so do the best you can but you're probably going to have to do a lot of work refining the edges in Photoshop. It's still work trying to light in layers.

Given that your budget has to include lights and triggers I would start with a 2 light setup (you can always add more). See this question for info on getting a white background with only 2 lights:

How can I inexpensively create the white backdrop look?

Answer 2

Continuous lighting is much easier to get the light and shadow just right because you can clearly see the impact as you are adjusting. Strobes are generally used for the lower power requirement (more portable) and because it is more comfortable for the subject than being constantly drowned in high intensity light. When you need to get light balanced just right though, continuous is far easier to work with. You can use modeling flashes, but it still is less easy.

8ft ceiling is going to be a challenge probably. It doesn't give much room for vertical positioning of lights, particularly if you have an article that is several feet across itself. Keep in mind that light will reflect off the ceiling and floor, so spacing is important. You can probably get ok results for starting out without more space, but be aware that it will be a significant limiting factor for you.

As for brands, you're pretty limited at 400 pounds for the entire setup. I'm not aware of anything better than Yongnou's that will fit in your price range. I'd just want to make sure they have a modeling flash option or you will have a really hard time getting the lighting just right.

It also might be worth it to pick up a light that you can selectively aim to deal with any troublesome spots, though you can probably adjust for that some after the fact in post since you are budget constrained. Lumaquest also makes some pretty cheap softboxes if you wanted something that's a bit better than nothing for any lights you aren't putting an umbrella on.

At the price level you are starting at, expect things to be difficult and expect mixed quality results starting out, but it should still be sufficient to help you learn and probably still get some usable shots out of it. It probably wouldn't be sufficient to be profitable working with that setup since there will probably be a fair bit of difficulty getting really good quality out of it, but it sounds like you are doing this primarily to learn and that you should be able to do. The experience learning to deal with problems in a cramped space with cheap lights will make it all the easier if you have a larger space with good lights.