My Fave Bag Making Tools - Photography

Thanks for being interested in the gadgets and wing-dings that I like to use in my bag making endeavours.  Rather than replying to your emails about my recommendations I'll post them on here instead - should have done it ages ago!

So today it's what tools I use for photography.  I don't claim to be very good at photography, but I do have a sexy camera (that I'm still having fun learning how to use) and knowledge of Photoshop is sooooo useful.  Anyways, here's my photography kit list:

1. My camera is a Nikon D80. If you have a compact digi camera (like I did recently) set the camera to a high ISO (look it up in your manual).  This will help your pics look a lot brighter (in terms of light).
2. The lens I always use for product shots is a fixed 50mm.  This wonderful lens is very crisp and lets in heaps of light.
3. The sun.  Nothing beats the sun when is comes to lighting.  Taking shots in the gloom makes pics look muddy and I don't know how to fix this in Photoshop without the result looking fake. 
4. I like to take product shots on a white background because I think this makes the items the main focus of attention.  I use a huge white propleyne sheet as a fore and background.
5. A tripod or some books or a shoe box or any ledge to steady your camera.  Even breathing can de-stabilise your camera.
6. Blue tack, pins and padding.  Use these items to pin up, stand up and pad out (if necessary) your items.
7. Image well (for mac)  - so handy for quick re-sizing of images.
8. Flickr because it's the daddy of online photo storage) and Photobucket because you can link to your images as standalones.
9. Photoshop CS3 - really helps with the crappy UK sunlight (or lack of it).  Get yourself a free 30 day trial of Photoshop CS4.
10. Please check out a post I wrote on How to take and edit professional looking photos of the craft products. For some reason most of the pics have disappeared from that post.  If enough of you folks want, I will re-write that tutorial with pics (please comment on this post).

 

BEFORE - This was taken on a sunny-ish day.  The camera lens really does make a difference. My lens lets in a lot of light so that means I have hardly any touching up work to do in Photoshop.  See how the white background looks grey?  Methinks it all needs brightening up...

AFTER Photoshop.  I have lightened up the white balance and added just a touch of yellow for a little bit of warmth.

Tomorrow:  My Fave Bag Making Tools - Sewing Machines Etc.