Lighting for laptop/computer product photos

[Beav]

Hi,

I'm looking for some recommendations for lighting a laptop/desktop computer?

Currently using a Samsung S23 Ultra and do have the Manfrotto mini tripod for it.

I am tied for space and was looking at one of those ring lights as it would fit on the desk next to the laptop / PC for photos. Dont really have the space for large softboxes and it would mean setting them up and taking them down everytime I wanted to photograph. I use photoshop to remove the background as well.

Used to just use the lighting from the window but it's getting a little tricky this time of year.

Thanks in advance

 

[GreenNinja67]

In your situation I#d consider a decent daylight balanced LED panel light (light output adjustable).

Obviously nowhere near as good as a strobe setup but as you say space is limited.

 

[Garry Edwards]

1. You may want to ask the mods to move this to the lighting forum.
2. Will the computer be displaying a lit screen at the time? This makes all the difference.

 

[Beav]

1. You may want to ask the mods to move this to the lighting forum.
2. Will the computer be displaying a lit screen at the time? This makes all the difference.

To be honest i've always done screen off but the majority are matte screens.

I don't mind doing screen on if it makes things better?

 

[ancient_mariner]

I don't mind doing screen on if it makes things better?

That probably depends more on what you want to show the customer, but it will require you to balance screen against product brightness.

 

[Garry Edwards]

OK. . .

Screen off, you can use any kind of lighting.
Screen on, it has to be flash in a darkened room because you will need a flash exposure for the physical product and a fairly long exposure for the transmitted light from the screen.
An alternative is of course two separate exposures, one for the product, one for the illuminated screen, and blend them together in PS.

I am tied for space and was looking at one of those ring lights as it would fit on the desk next to the laptop / PC for photos.

Useless junk, I don't know what they're actually for.

In your situation I#d consider a decent daylight balanced LED panel light (light output adjustable).

Obviously nowhere near as good as a strobe setup but as you say space is limited.

That can't work if the screen is illuminated, may work badly if not, but even a couple of hotshoe flashguns would be much better.

 

[Beav]

Thank you everyone.

Tempted to go with the LED Panel for now and keep the screens off

 

[sk66]

I would use a couple speedlights to turn the room into a lightbox, but not sure how you would trigger them with a phone camera (optical slave maybe). But pretty much any light source can be used to do the same.

 

[Beav]

Tempted to give these ago:

LED Lights

 

[Gary Rawlins]

Tempted to give these ago:

LED Lights

Hi.

I watched a YouTube video by Simon Eardley. He had a list of items he uses and these were on the list:

Click here

His video link is here:

Click here

I hope this helps.

 

[Beav]

Hi.

I watched a YouTube video by Simon Eardley. He had a list of items he uses and these were on the list:

Click here

His video link is here:

Click here

I hope this helps.

Thank you.

Just purchased a similar light but went with the longer tripod legs.

 

[Garry Edwards]

My guess is that if someone has recommended that kit they will have been paid to do so . . .

 

[Beav]

My guess is that if someone has recommended that kit they will have been paid to do so . . .

I use photoshop to remove the background but I find it struggles to do the front of a computer due to shadows

 

[Garry Edwards]

The light source is too small and is wrongly placed, easily rectified. Another reason not to buy those lights.
Also, it's easy to use edit>transform>distort to correct the perspective distortion.

 

[Beav]

The light source is too small and is wrongly placed, easily rectified. Another reason not to buy those lights.
Also, it's easy to use edit>transform>distort to correct the perspective distortion.

I've ordered the LED lights for now but gone with the bigger panel version. The desk I photograph on is near a large window so I may find I only need to use the LED lights on a lower setting

 

[Garry Edwards]

I've ordered the LED lights for now but gone with the bigger panel version

Bigger will be better, but the light source really needs to be bigger than the subject for your purpose.
This very quick edit may be slightly better

 

[wiltw]

I've ordered the LED lights for now but gone with the bigger panel version. The desk I photograph on is near a large window so I may find I only need to use the LED lights on a lower setting

It would be interesting to hear some real-world exposure values after you have your lights...shutter speed, aperture, ISO, distance from light-to-subject. Photographic LED product ads are horrid for giving any data, listing Lux as the light measurement unit which no other photographic lighting products use, so no direct comparison information is available to let the photographer understand how bright the LED source will be, versus other photographic lighting sources!