How To Take Pictures Of Computers

Once you finally land that big photography career shooting electronics product photos or whether you just want to learn how to take pictures of computers for that winning art installation you've been cooking up, you've doubtlessly confronted the lack of information on the subject online.

Taking pictures of computers can be fun and rewarding, as computer architecture has many visually interesting parts, shapes and facets to capture in photographs. Additionally, digital cameras make it easier to focus close in, something I wish they had been around to help with back in the day when I was trying to figure out how to get those tricky depth-of field circuit shots down.

The first thing you'll want to address when you learn how to take pictures of computers is what part of the computer you'll be focusing on capturing. Do you want to take close up shots of the internal components, and if so what will you do with the resulting photos? Some computer parts and internal angles can make for great shots to be used in making digital composites or for other photo-art projects. A quick search of any design blog or stock photography brokerage site will reveal many such shots, and can serve as vital inspiration for computer pictures. Maybe you'd be better suited to taking pictures of whole computers or you need some of these shots for a client who manufactures them. In this case, I would recommend learning a little bit about placement, backdrops, and lighting.

For product placement computer shots, it is best to make sure that the lighting of the scene will present the computer in such a way that it is the focal object in the resulting composition. This means that any glow from the monitor should be minimized by washing the scene out with some soft back lighting, and that you may have to take the shot against a neutral background. This is less of a worry with modern digital cameras and flat panel LCD monitors.

Another important consideration is whether or not there needs to be a person in the photo. For most product placement shots, the computer itself will suffice, but in the odd case where the client wants to have a picture of someone actually using that computer, you'll need to consider where to place the person. You'll want to do it so that you can still get a full head-on view of the computer being used, but also so that whatever part of the person you show isn't talking away from the focus. If anything, the model should be clean looking, yet plain enough in dress and appearance to almost be a background element in most cases.

For more dynamic shots of computers, think about juxtaposing them with things that they aren't commonly associated with. A picture of a bear working on a computer in a forest may seem like an odd thing to do at first, but may be the perfect shot for that odd PC advertisement on a back page of an outdoor magazine. Remember, don't limit yourself and happy shooting!