Product, or illustrative, photography is used to show and explain an object more completely and concisely than is possible with words alone. By using the photographic medium, it is possible to illustrate a variety of items to show size, shape, location, and condition. In the Navy, product, or illustrative, photography is used to show new equipment-from ships to pencil sharpeners and from buildings under construction to damaged

aircraft. It is used extensively to show damaged, defective, and unsatisfactory equipment-from aircraft engines to zippers.

The discussion on illustrative photography in this chapter is limited to those aspects that apply to studio work. In this sense, illustrative photography should be considered as product photography. The techniques given here are not necessarily locked up in the studio. They can be taken outside the confines of the studio and put to good use in the field.

Product photography, then, is the making of photographs for the purpose of illustrating or explaining something about a product, either in whole or in part.

EQUIPMENT

The three types of format cameras and the lighting units used to accomplish product photography are discussed in this section.

Camera

The variety of subjects encountered in product photography requires a camera with a long bellows extension, vertical and horizontal swing adjustments, tilt, rising front, and lateral shift and both long- and short-focal-length lenses. All of these features exist on a view camera.

The view camera is the primary tool of professional

product photographers. An 8x10 view camera is usually the largest size in use today. Photographers that want to produce the highest quality photography use it. Its large film format and adjustments help to produce clear, sharp, nearly distortion-free photographs that are in complete focus.

Large film-format cameras provide high-quality images because the negatives or transparencies do not have to be enlarged as much as smaller negatives. A large film format in and of itself does not necessarily ensure high-quality product photography. Long tonal range, from highlights to shadow detail, is required. Lighting ratios must be calculated and adjusted with care, and exposure calculations must be precise. Lenses of the highest quality, which are spotlessly clean, enhance the photographic quality of any size format.

VIEW CAMERAS. Most Navy photo labs do not have an 8x10 view camera; but most of them do have a

4x5 view camera, and you should use it for most product photography. Whatever view camera you use, it must be supported on a steady tripod.

MEDIUM-FORMAT CAMERAS. If for some reason, such as a need for speed or limited working space (such as inside the cockpit of an aircraft), a view camera cannot be used for product photography, then a medium-format camera should be your next choice.

Some photographers choose other than a large format camera simply because they are willing to sacrifice quality for convenience, rather than use a view camera. They probably have the attitude of it's good enough for government work. Do not fall into this trap. Instead, always strive to produce photography of the highest professional quality. As we have said before, you will be known by the quality of your photography more than anything else. Maintain the attitude that nothing is too good for the Navy.

Medium-format cameras can be hand-held, focused rapidly, and many images can be produced in a relatively short time. The film size, however, is not as conducive

to high-quality photography as the 8x10 or 4x5 formats. The main disadvantage of a medium-format camera for product photography is its lack of adjustments to correct distortion.

35MM CAMERAS. Finally, we have the small format, 35mm camera. Because of its small film size, many photographers do not even consider it for use in product photography, particularly in the studio. It does, however, have its place in product photography, particularly when a large number of exposures must be made in rapid succession or when working space is very limited; for example, inside the intake ducts of a jet aircraft.

Which of the three format cameras-large, medium, or small format-should you use for product photography? There is no best camera to use; there is, however, only one best camera to use for each assignment, and you must be able to choose the one that best meets the needs of the photographic assignment at hand.

Lights

The lighting equipment most commonly used for product photography is incandescent lamps and electronic flash or strobes. All lighting units have one or several of the following means of controlling light: reflectors, lenses, barn doors, diffusers, snoots, umbrellas, or reflector boards.

SPOTLIGHTS. Spotlights are one of the most important lights in small product photography. They produce light with a relatively high intensity and a well-defined, sharp quality. The rays of light produced by the Fresnel lens of the spotlight sharply separates the highlights from the shadow areas. A spotlight can create a visual sense of subject shape and bulk. When used in a skimming or crosslighting fashion, it renders sharp, crisp texture. Because the light rays are collimated, or parallel, with little flare or spillover, a spotlight produces high contrast. One great asset of spotlights in product photography is the controllability of the lights. The light can be controlled to highlight or isolate an area of the subject. Unwanted spillover into other areas can easily be avoided. Through proper use of accessories, such as snoots and barn doors, the control can be greatly extended. A disadvantage of spotlights is the harsh quality of highlights produced on some subjects. Bright spots on the subject may be pinpointed and hard to avoid. Nonetheless, a spotlight is a most effective main light for product photography.

FLOODLIGHTS. In product photography, floodlights are used to cover a large area with relatively even illumination. The quality of light from a floodlight is very much dependent on the reflector surface. Polished, metallic reflectors produce a specular, sparkling quality, while matte-surface reflectors produce a softer quality of illumination. The quality of illumination from a floodlight is also dependent on its distance from the subject. At a given distance, the spread pattern for a given light unit is almost even. Some units may produce hot spots when used too close or too far from the subject. The larger the reflector and the closer it is to the subject, the more diffused the light becomes.

BOUNCE LIGHT AND UMBRELLAS. The use of bounce light for product photography produces a pleasant quality. The light, because it is coming from one general direction, not an obvious source, surrounds the subject with soft illumination, gently enhancing curves and shapes while producing soft but distinct shadows. Bounce light can be used for either overall illumination or as fill illumination.

Umbrellas, being large and somewhat parabolic in shape, are more efficient than plane or board reflectors.