Okay, I'll admit it. I'm a nu-be with using a camera, especially for anything nearing professional. Have a Canon PS GS-2 and RealViz's ImageModeler (converts a set of photos of an object into a textured 3D object). Want to set up a proper 'stage' for taking photos of objects from as many angles as possible with good lighting. This will be for small to medium sized objects (approx. 1" to 3'). The ImageModeler manual gives some good information: Use the same camera, same lens, same focal length, same zoom for all photos of object. Don't use a flash. Use diffuse lighting (?). The object and lighting should not move during photographing. I'm interested in knowing what kind and how many lights to evenly light an object, covering a full sphere. A glass or plexiglass platform may be used to get shots below the object. Could I "get away with" five or six lights (set to the faces of a cube for coverage)? The idea here is to reduce shadows while not saturating the object to fade the texture and surface details. Your expertise in these matters is highly appreciated. - BeatYourSoul

It's difficult to believe the website of the software didn't have suggestions. Alpha may have to jump in here...grin. Until then, if it were me, I think I'd find (or build) something round like a barstool...something that spins. Cover it in dull white paper (not a glossy side...dull diffuses light better). Get a box big enough to fit comfortably around the "barstool". Again, using dull poster board, line the insides of the box. Curve the paper in the corners a bit. Make sure the box is stationary and sturdy forming a wall around the "barstool". Now, all you need is a lightsource on top of the box (cut out what you need for the light to shine through. It could be easy enough as a florescent light (be sure to adjust for color). Otherwise, perhaps getting some of those translucent pieces of plastic (used with florescent bulbs mostly) and lay across the top of the box and shine a few lamps through it. Of course, cut a hole in the box for your camera lens and position your camera on a tripod. Now all you need to do is rotate the "barstool". As to the bottom being photographed, I would think you could just get away with turning it over. But not sure.

Well, even if it did, I cannot access it yet because of some stupid difficulty with online registration limiting my access to their support resources. You'd think that for $750, they'd have an online registration that doesn't come up with "Bad customer ID" - ya know, the one that they sent me with the software. The turntable idea is not recommended by them especially since it will change the light source in relation to the object. As I said above, "The object and lighting should not move during photographing." That means that I have to move my camera/tripod around the object and take the shots or rotate everything (the object, turntable, lights). I need more than one lightsource. The idea is to reduce shadows so that the texture extracted from the object is flat for import and use in a 3D modelling application. Texture shadows/highlights will remove realism from the 3D rendered shadows/highlights.

"The turntable idea is not recommended by them especially since it will change the light source in relation to the object. As I said above, "The object and lighting should not move during photographing." " Well, I suppose they have their reason. Actually, I don't really see much of a difference in moving the camera or the item. IF, and I say IF, your lighting is "flat" everywhere with no shadows (I'm thinking of a Matchbox/Hotwheels car) except for directly underneath, I don't see how rotating the item could hurt. It's that "devil" or the "devil" of moving the tripod and making sure you are exactly the same distance from it each time. And, as I said, unless the lighting is perfect all the way around the object, moving the camera might still find a different lighting situation. If you copied the suggestion from the manual, I might say the sentence is ambiguous. Meaning don't try to take these kinds of pictures when the opject is in motion (or the light). But, it could also mean just what you said. See an earlier message here where Alpha explained how to get rid of sparkle and reflections. That's why I said he may have a better idea. To further address your question...diffused lighting is lighting that has been "scattered"...so to speak. Imagine a flashlight with it's beam focused from the reflector straight ahead. Focus it on a wall 10 feet away and you get a nice round spotlight. Now, hold a simple window curtain (or similar item) between the wall and the flashlight...you'll see the crisp spotlight on the wall change to a blurry one. That's because the light is being diffuesd (some) as it passes through the sheer curtain. Anyway, good luck with the project. Sorry I wasn't much help. On thing for sure, though...if you can set up something simple, it won't hurt to see what the results are. It may give you an idea of just how strictly you should adhere to the guidlines.

BTW, a guy named Robert Templeton has just asked the same quesiton on the website forum you are interested in. Maybe he'll get an answer for you.

That's quite a coincidence! ;) I figure that as long as the lights can be attached to the turntable, it shouldn't be a problem. But then, diffusion of the light could be. I think that what they are looking for, akin to what you mean by diffuse lighting, is good ambient lighting - nothing direct or sharp. Distance isn't quite an issue - it doesn't have to be exact, the object should just fill most of the frame without being cutoff. What can you recommend for lighting, especially to get a good diffuse lighting with good color coverage (I read a thread here where someone said some lights are too orange to capture full spectrum color). Thanks and I'm going to keep designing and then start prototyping something to see what results.

How much work are you willing to commit to this set-up? I think I have a soluton, but it is rather long winded and would require some work in building it. However it is a cool challenge...

By keeping the back of your camera tight to the hoop, you can shoot all the way around horizontally and vertically. If you are really motivated, you could even make a bracket to attach the camera to the hoop via the tripod mount on your camera.

As far as the lighting goes, you will need to construct a light tent and have at least 4 lights. Unless you are planning on shooting highly reflective objects the camera can be inside the tent.

If any of this is confussing, say so, and I will elaborate more.

Well, it's sort of confusing. I take it that the entire structure shown rotates (acts as the turntable). What purpose does the hoop serve? And how can I get diffuse lighting as, yes, some of the objects will be highly reflective and want to avoid not only reflections but also specular highlights? What is a "light tent" in reference to camera shoots? I want this to be as inexpensive as possible (in enough debt and the holidays fast approach). I have some plexiglass, camera, tripod, and enough wood (and tools) to do any structure that I need. No good lights though. I'll sketch out my general idea and see how it can be improved and complimented by yours.

Actually, the table remains stationary. Because the hoop can be rotated, it serves as a guide on both the horizontal an verticle planes. I am very tied up with a project right now, so I will have to write more on this later.

[Deleted last post to add some more] So, you are talking about mounting the camera on the hoop and keeping the acrylic stand stationary. Ah, a light tent is for diffusing the light source. I didn't understand if the light would be inside and just causing ambient light on solid surfaces or outside filtered through a sheer surface. There's alot to consider and this will be something else to digest (blurp, pardon me) over Turkey day. :) Thanks Alpha for your input so far. I do appreciate it! Happy Thanksgiving!!

Hmmm, I think that hoop thingy is some sort of improvised camera dolly. The lighting is fixed, and so is your subject. All you have to do is mount your camera on that hoop, and you can take photos of the subject all around by rotating the hoop. Did I get that right, Alpha? (*

Maybe this image will illustrate the concept better. BTW... To switch from veticle to horizontal one leg would have to be unscrewed from the top in order to rotate the hoop.