A Cheap And Do-it-yourself Product Photography

Hi Everyone! 

I know I'm not an expert to this type of photography but I just want to share how I do it without the need of fancy equipment. All you need is something you can find in your home.

To make a cheap alternative for a product studio:

• First, you'll need to find a natural source of light - your window. A window with a sheer white curtain works best if the sun is directly facing your window to avoid harsh light. But make sure the weather isn't rainy or else the light looks dull when you take a picture. I also used a white bounce reflector to lighten the shadows, or you can use a silver bounce or any white cardboard, or even an aluminum foil.
• Find a clean, light background. A white wall works best, but if your wall isn't white, try to find a plain white blanket or any fabric. Any light color will do as long as it's not printed or else it will obstruct your subject. Also make sure the background is free from clutter.
• Add some props if you like. At the image "Lenspen" above, I didn't add any props on it because I just want it to be simple, but I could've add some glass at the base of the subject to add some reflection to look more professional. But unfortunately I couldn't find anything glass base in our house. So I just left it like that anyway. :( 

But I have some photo here about adding props, like this one:

A friend of mine requested me to take a photo of their product so I just said yes. But the truth was I don't have any idea what my props would be. She only said it has to be something that looks like it's in a spa environment, but we don't have any of that in our house. So I decided to take something "green" outside, a plant or something I can find in an abandoned lot where tall grasses and unknown plants sprouting everywhere. I picked some tall grass and white flowers, I don't even know what flower that is, but it sure looks okay as a prop for the subject. I also brought the scented candle set with pebbles I saw in our living room, and a white towel I rolled to make it looked like it's from the spa. It took me a while to position the props in the right places for styling, as I said I'm not an expert, so I had many trial errors until I get the final shots that I'm satisfied with, like the image above. Although it's a little bit out of focus right there on one of the soaps as you can see at the middle. Still have to practice more with correct exposures and focusing. :D

I used Canon 600D and a 50mm f1.4 lens for a shallow depth of field for the product.
 You can use any camera or even a phone as long as it looks great for your taste. :)

So basically, I didn't spend anything! That's it, thanks for taking the time to read. :)

Have a wonderful day!

-Riza