Shooting Industrial Products - Seeking Advice

[Yi-P]

Hi all,

I'm currently working for my internship and as you all know, interns get treated on the lowest (both pay and work). Im asked by the boss to help him get a few picture of some of the products/services to be placed on the new website.

I dont really expect to be charging him for the pics, I just want to do a good job and get a good reference for future career use...

Ok, back on track now... These 'products' are specially large machinery that sits into plant rooms of large buildings. Their dimension sizes exceed over 2m in its dimensions. I dont have any lighting nor 'shooting table' for such big toys, so Im not sure how should I get the shots.

To be specific, these are mostly industrial UPS systems, Power Factor Correction banks, and Air Conditioning controllers. If you know what I'm talking about, you may know roughly their physical sizes.

I'm also to take one or two with "engineers at work", so what I have thought is a pic of two engineers holding plans and 'pointing here and there'... then another one of the service truck with company logo on it.

Any suggestion or ideas will be much appreciated

[Reschsmooth]

The only thing I can suggest is ask your boss to spring one of these:

http://www.hasselblad.com/promotions/h3d.aspx

Sorry, can't really be any help.

P

[Hudo]

Hi Yip,

If you like to E-mail me any idea's I am happy to share my experiences with you. I spent close to 20 years in National and International postions in Sales, Marketing and Product Manager roles with the likes of York, Airtemp, Alcair and Sanyo to name a few. Infact McQuay was founded in Australia in my lounge room. So I know what you are reffering too.

I'm now out of the Mechanical Services field but happy to pass on my experiences....

Mark

[PiroStitch]

Sorry no idea about the machinery but I'm going to assume they're not easily moveable and will be shot in whatever location they've been stored in. If that's the case, then tripod and long exposures will be the go. You might want to take some close up shots of the dials, control panels, etc as well.

With that, use the SB800 and direct the light into a white card and reflect the light onto the subject. It will create a nice soft light.

As for taking pics of the engineers, just take them into a room with a low ceiling and bounce the flash off the walls and ceiling.

Take all photos from different angles and not just front on. Composition will help bring a dull subject to life.

[Matt. K]

SB-800 will easily handle machines of that size. If possible...use bounce flash. Also...go in the day before and shoot some test shots. Work out what you can and can't do beforehand. Good luck!

[beetleboy]

Another option is to either hire some 1 or 2k (1-2000 watt) lights or buy some 500 watters from Bunnings ($20 each on a workmans stand) and set em up around your machinery. A few behind to backlight (hidden by the machine) and a couple up front to fill would look pretty cool.

Then for your engineers you could gel an SB800 to match your workman's lights and blip some flash on them during your longish exposure!

Search on the web for the machines and see if you can find something you like that you think you can duplicate.

[seeto.centric]

definitely go in beforehand and inspect conditions and fire off a few test shots.

then you'll know what kind of lenses to use, but i assume if the machinery is already installed then a WA lens would be useful.
and you'll also have a better idea of what kind of lighting would be needed- or even better, maybe post some shots of the situation so we could pass on some suggestions?


-julz