When I have the time I like to test ideas or new lighting. Last week I had a chance to photograph two pairs of shoes. Before I wore my new kicks out and about I prepped them for photos. I carefully laced them and stuffed them with leftover plastic grocery bags and used a wooden skewer to prop the tongue of the shoe up. The day's leading up to the test shoot I covered some cardboard in drywall paste to create a textured background. I used an old box and roll of white seamless paper to create an environment for the shoes to float in. I purchased a white piece of styrofoam to use a base for the shoes. That with wooden skewers I could elevate the shoes for a floating effect. I used a bare Profoto B1 to light the shoes. You do not need a lot of space to create small still life images like these.
I am set up In my kitchen, I pushed the table against the wall to create an open space to shoot in. I like shooting tethered. It gives me a large screen to work with and the ability to use live view while I style. This might not be the most impressive studio on the planet but it was enough room to make the ideas in my head come to life.
After shooting I adjusted levels and did a little color correction due to the color contamination created by the colors of the shoes. The red puma created a red color cast on the white paper. A few quick brushes with the desaturation tool made it disappear.