How and where do I start learning product photography?
Assuming I have zero knowledge of product photography, how and where should I start learning about it?
I understand that I need to learn and internalise the theory before I can even remotely hope to achieve any semblance of good results in practice. Is there a tutorial or course I can follow to get started?
Samples of my current questions:
How do I determine the correct aperture for keeping the entire subject in focus? And how do I determine when simply stopping down is not enough and I need to implement focus stacking?
Since different products will require distinctly different approaches to photographing them correctly, would it be better to first decide on a niche and focus on learning how to photograph only that specific category of products?
Are techniques such as compositing, light painting, frequency separation, etc absolutely indispensable for professional-grade product photography? Or can I implement alternative techniques to circumvent the complexities of these techniques?
Equipment: I have a camera, a few lenses, two strobes with two soft boxes and a remote trigger, but no macro lens. Would it be better to get a macro lens before I even get started? Or is it not a necessity?
Experience: I’ve never shot products other than for Instagram stories on my phone, and I’ve never shot artificial or controlled lighting other than occasionally bouncing a speedlight off the ceiling (admittedly with extremely poor results). I’ve only ever used Lightroom for processing and thus have zero knowledge of the advanced techniques pertinent to Photoshop.
By now, my lack of knowledge in this particular genre of photography should be abundantly evident. Please provide your advice and recommendations accordingly.
Thank you very much.