How to achieve consistency for product photos?

[Spegelhjarta]

Hi everyone, new to this forum and very new to GIMP too! 

I started using it to edit my product photos for my Etsy shop but am having trouble achieving a good, professional looking consistency between the pictures. I use my phone to take photos and use only natural light(I have an inkling this may be part of the problem as the lighting switches so much from moment to moment). I want my product photos lighting and colour balance etc to look consistent but it seems that no matter how much I play around with the controls(Colour- Levels, Colour- Colour Balance and cropping a segment of the target image and layering it over the other to try and get colours the same) but I cant get it close enough.

For example, I want this picture...



to have the same sort of lighting etc as this image...



Any help very much appreciated!

[PixLab]

(08-28-2021, 04:34 PM)Spegelhjarta Wrote: For example, I want this picture...



to have the same sort of lighting etc as this image...



Any help very much appreciated!

Please, next time once you've posted => check your post to see if images are showing properly...

(08-28-2021, 04:34 PM)Spegelhjarta Wrote: I started using it to edit my product photos for my Etsy shop but am having trouble achieving a good, professional looking consistency between the pictures. I use my phone to take photos and use only natural light(I have an inkling this may be part of the problem as the lighting switches so much from moment to moment). I want my product photos lighting and colour balance etc to look consistent

It's not an an inkling, it's a fact, you won't be able to have consistent color balance if you don't use consistent light (especially with a phone not on a tripod to get the same angle of view).

My recommendation, buy a light and use it ALWAYS at the same distance and use only that light or even better buy a simple light-box (~$3) https://shopee.ph/Mini-Photo-Studio-Ligh...4200871623 = consistency warranty!

Now if you cannot invest in a light box > I found a DIY https://expertphotography.com/diy-light-box/ which will improve your photo product
hope this help

[denzjos]

A way to match photos is to choose a reference photo and change other photos using the black, grey and white color pickers from the 'Colour / Levels'. First pick a dark area with the black picker, the white with te white picker and then go around on the photo with the grey picker until you find a place to click where you are satisfied with the result. Example and information (gimp item)
https://photo.stackexchange.com/question...3185#13185

[Ofnuts]

If you want a consistent colour balance then include a color chart (or something that you know to be neutral gray) somewhere in your shots, then use the color balance tool to make sure this is true gray and then crop it out the final picture.

But "professional" and "using my phone" are rather opposite concepts. A professional knows what settings s/he want to use while the phone is going to run on all-automatic and mercilessly post-process the image to "look good" whatever that means.