How to photograph your collection?
Taking pictures is a crucial step in order to showcase your collection. Today it is within everyone's reach to become an amateur photographer. Yet, there are a few basic rules to remember to sublime your beloved collectibles. This article will help you become a good photographer even with a simple smartphone.
The three basic rules that will allow you to make successful photos are: background, lighting and framing.
I'm going to show you this through my own experiments, made with simple equipment.
The Background
First of all, the background is essential to properly show your valuable. Neutral colours or even a simple white background are preferable. This will highlight the details of your object.
Also avoid placing other objects in the background as one should not be focused on anything else.
In the test, I used a simple roll of paper to make my background. You can easily hang it on the wall and leave it on the floor to have something plain. If you have a white wall, you can simply pass the white paper on the floor.
You can already see that the object looks good with the background. But another important point is missing: The lighting.
The Lighting
Lighting is the most important point to highlight your collectible. You can use two types of lighting: artificial lighting and natural light.
Both will give completely different atmospheres.
For my experiments, I used artificial light with the three-point lighting technique. It consists, as the name suggests, of three lights: the key light, the fill light and the rim light. Let me explain in a few words:
- - Key light is a main light source. Use a simple desk lamp and place it slightly to the left.
- Fill light is used to soften the shadow of the key light. Place it on the right. For my tests I used a flashlight.
- Rim light is usually located behind the subject and allows the object to stand out from the background.
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| Day light | Artifical light |
If you are indoor it might be better to close your curtains as this allows for better light management.
If you want to use with daylight: avoid, of course, the window in the background. Light coming from the side will show the object much better than if it comes from the front.
Here are some daytime tests. You can see that the objects stand out much less. But some modifications with software or applications can change the lighting and enhance the contrast (examples of software: lightroom (which is free on smartphone), application: aviary).
The Framing / Composition
Once you have set up your background and lighting, all you have to do is take a picture of the object. There are several tricks to capture it well:
-Do not center the object
-Place it slightly on side
-Avoid angles
The framing can vary according to the effect, the atmosphere you want to create.
For the tests, I have not used a tripod. If you wish, you can find some with very affordable prices on online shopping sites. This will allow you to make sharper photos and manage your composition better.
Without a tripod, you can also take pictures using a timer to avoid movement when you take the picture.
Feel free to experiment by rotating the object or position the camera differently. In this way you will find a dynamic that will bring out the object and its details.
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| Move the object | Get closer | Try different angles |
Now you can better understand photography and its little secrets. Since it is the first thing you see, take your time to take a good photograph. You will notice that you will attract more people to your collections.
If you want to know more, here are some interesting videos found on YouTube which resume these tricks (sometimes more in depth):
Avec la technique en trois points: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iy7-I4StMh4&t=635s
Astuce d’un photographe pro: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sU9k9_7pKhg
