I made a light box out of an Amazon box and some printer paper. Trying to work on making better pictures particularly of smaller things. Main thing I need now is to find something that will hold it safely in different positions. Any ideas?

I should have took a little more time to make sure all the pet hair was out of the way but oh well.

Watch details:
145.022-69
DON
1116/575 bracelet/endlinks (original to the watch)
Does have service crystal/pushers/crown (but I still have the originals)

 

Lighting and staging are tricky. I usually just use a couple pieces of printer paper to reflect light when taking photos. Maybe I should build a light box. What I really need to figure out is staging a background other than a black microfiber. Not sure about holding the watch but a nice watch book or piece of wood seem to be popular props. It’s been awhile since I’ve messed with any watch photography.

 

A week or so ago, got a collapsible photo box (exactly like this one, but bought in a local shop). ~€45 for a 40cm box, with dimmable LED lighting on both sides and on top, and 4 different plastic (or vinyl) backdrops. Wasn't expecting much, but it works great and if you pair it with a decent camera (and lens), photos look straight out of the studio.

As for holding the watch, I would try a clear plastic watch display/stand. Those are cheap and almost not visible in photos. Haven't tried one myself though.

Some test shots done recently, with an assortment of watches.

 

Wow this looks great! And you don't have to worry about the shadows where the paper comes together.

 

Yeah, the backdrop creates a smooth, seamless gradient. As @Aroxx mentioned above, staging is tricky. I'm also experimenting with props to make shots interesting: old cameras, fountain pens, knives, the usual stuff. Also thinking of investing in a macro lens (on Nikon dslr, so a 105mm 2.8 would be a safe bet and cheap enough), for candid shots on dials and movements.