Recommended shooting setup for ZenFotomatic
Hi everyone!
Now, we have had a lot of people have trouble with the lighting technique when they shoot their photos to upload to ZenFotomatic.
Too often do we see that people upload photos like this:
Either the white background that they try to create is very disjointed; There's dark lines going through the background and the surface is rough.
Or; The background is full of objects, and photo subject is blurred.
Unfortunately for ZenFotomatic, this does not work.
So what I will write about today is our recommended way to set up your shot for ZenFotomatic.
What you'll need:
● Clean, smooth and monochromatic backdrop.
● White lighting (LED)
● Camera
What I recommend:
● Photo table with non-reflective acrylic board (For sale on Amazon HERE)
● LED Lights (One floor light to sit below the stand, one standing light to place adjacent, example below...)
If you don't have access or the budget to get these items:
● White card can be used, taped to the wall and surface in a similar way like the photo table recommended above. DO NOT fold the card, this will create a harsh line and we do not want this! Just bend it enough for a gentle curve.
● Even, white lighting. Natural light is also good as long as it evenly covers the product.
What is NOT recommended:
✖️ Messy background. Why? ZenFotomatic processes photos with a background. If the background is messy or has irrelevant objects, ZenFotomatic will assume that it will be part of your photo.
✖️ Low contrast lighting. Why? ZenFotomatic won't be able to differentiate the photo subject from the background. Make sure you create enough contrast between the backdrop and item. This is very important for white product photos.
✖️ Photo cube tent. Why? The stitching of the photo cube tent is caught by ZenFotomatic, and creates an unwanted line in the photo.
✖️ Reflective surface. Why? ZenFotomatic will pick up the reflection as a part of the product.
Let's shoot!
(Notice the LED light placement?)
Results...
Using paper:
Photo table set up:
As you can see you can get a similar result whether you have budget limitations or not. Of course if this is something you wish to do in the long run, I suggest the more professional setup.
Thanks for reading!