I try to shoot some pictures of apparel, lingerie, cometics on a white fluffy rag or a white paper board with a Canon EOS Rebel T2i + a Canon - Speedlite 270EX II External Flash on a tripod in day light in a mostly white room. I want not shadow-less pictures but with little shadows, natural colors similar to
from http://www.photigy.com/how-to-photograph-textured-subject-like-shoes/
or
Time to laugh: I spent 3 days taking hundreds of pictures, my back and legs hurt of continuous folding/unfolding. My photos - worthless piece of crap, the camera - crap.
First, with the flash. If it's pointed directly at the object, there no shadows at all, all of them are eliminated, ugly crap. If it is cosmetic bottles, they have disgusting illuminated spots. If the flash is pointed at a ceiling, it is still crap, it doesn't help much. Colors are not natural but very grey, the focus is blurry. Cheap work.
Second, without the flash. Holly molly, absolute crap. I would draw by hand better than taking pictures like that. Colors - dull, no focus at all like in a cheap camera for $100. Only Photoshop helps, and I can resurrect photos.
I tried to make a diffuser of white paper for the flash - didn't help, a 5% improvement.
I tried to shoot under a fluorescent bulb - crap. I bought another $40 bulb of the 3M brand with 1000 lums - it didn't help, yellowish pictures, dull, grey, poor focus.
The camera's settings are auto, I tried manual, set all properties 100 times - the same result like in auto. The manual focus doesn't help, works the same like in auto focus.
Please help.
My masterpieces (not edited):