When there are no drawings and the sample can't be shipped, the model is built from photos. Good photos save days of back-and-forth: the 3D artist doesn't have to guess what's around the corner or how big a part is. Here is how to shoot so the photos can be used to build a model, not just to look at.
Which angles to shoot
The main rule: the lens points straight at a side of the product, at the height of its middle. That shot is the closest thing to a drawing, and proportions can be measured from it.
- Four sides: front, back, left, right.
- Four corners at three-quarter angles. They show how one side turns into the next.
- Above and below, if there are details there: feet, connectors, vents, markings.
- Moving parts: a shot in every position, open and closed, folded and unfolded.
There is no such thing as too many shots: dropping a photo is easy, reshooting after the product has gone is not.
How to show scale
A photo doesn't tell size unless there is something to compare against. Place a tape measure or ruler in the same plane as the side you're shooting, right against it. If the tape lies closer to the camera, it comes out larger in the frame and every dimension read from it drifts.
Also write down the overall dimensions — length, width and height — and a couple of key measurements: a hole diameter, a wall thickness, the distance between the feet. Three numbers measured with a tape beat any estimate from a photo.
Why you should step back and zoom in
The closer the camera, the stronger the perspective: the near part of the product swells, the far part shrinks, verticals lean. On a phone this is most visible with the ultra-wide lens (0.5×).
Step back 2–3 meters and zoom in on the product — 2× or 3× on a phone. In the frame the product will look almost like a drawing, and its proportions will be right.
Light and background
- Soft light: an overcast day by a window, a room with even overhead light, a softbox. Direct sun and flash create glare that hides texture and hard shadows that are easy to mistake for details.
- A plain background that contrasts with the product: a light product on dark, a dark product on light. That keeps the outline visible.
- Gloss reflects everything around it. To make clear what is a reflection and what is a pattern, take two shots from slightly different angles.
Close-ups
The wide shot shows the shape; close-ups show what makes a model look real: how the product is put together and what it is made of.
- Fasteners: screws, rivets, latches — the head shape, whether it is recessed.
- Joints and seams: where parts meet and how wide the gap is.
- Markings: logos, lettering, stickers, nameplates. Better to send the logo separately as a vector file.
- Texture: textured plastic, brushed metal, woven fabric. Shoot with light from the side so the relief casts a shadow.
What about color?
A photo is an unreliable source of color: a phone camera adjusts white balance and contrast on its own, and the same product looks different in two shots. For color you need a RAL or Pantone code, or better, a physical sample of the finish. The photos are still useful: they show where each color goes. More in How to specify color and material.
How to send the photos
- Originals, no editing or filters.
- In Telegram, as a file, not as a photo, or the messenger compresses the images and wipes out small details. Or use a cloud folder.
- Labeled: sort into folders or name the files — "front", "back", "fasteners". Nobody will make sense of a hundred IMG_4021 files a month later.
What it looks like in practice
In the HouseGuru and Alphatent projects the models were built from physical product samples rather than drawings: proportions and details were taken from the product itself. Which other source materials help, and what to do if you have drawings, is covered in What materials a 3D artist needs.
Common mistakes
- Sending only marketing photos from the website: they are retouched, shot in perspective and show one flattering side.
- Shooting handheld, up close, with the ultra-wide lens.
- Putting the tape measure in front of the product, closer to the camera.
- Using head-on flash: the glare covers half the front panel.
- Sending the shots as compressed images in a messenger.
Checklist
- Four sides, straight on, at the height of the product's middle.
- Four corners at three-quarter angles; above and below if there are details there.
- A tape measure right against the product, in the plane of the side being shot; overall dimensions as numbers.
- Step back 2–3 meters and zoom in.
- Soft light without flash, a plain contrasting background.
- Close-ups: fasteners, joints, markings, texture.
- A color code or finish sample, separately from the photos.
- Original files, labeled by angle.
