Thread: Photographing your Woodwork pieces – doing it properly

Haven't read right through this thread so don't know whether this has been covered.

In my old film photography days the rule of thumb we used as far as DOF was concerned was 1/3 to 2/3, ie of the total DOF, 1/3 was in front of the focuss point 2/3 behind it.

So knowing the total DOF (handy little app there Bob) you can determine which point to focus on.

Originally Posted by Big Shed

Haven't read right through this thread so don't know whether this has been covered.

In my old film photography days the rule of thumb we used as far as DOF was concerned was 1/3 to 2/3, ie of the total DOF, 1/3 was in front of the focuss point 2/3 behind it.

So knowing the total DOF (handy little app there Bob) you can determine which point to focus on.

All the app does is display the DOF for a given focus distance - so you would have to do the 1/3 - 2/3 split yourself.

1. Sometimes, lens designers plan for a lens to produce optimum resolution at a particular f/stop. My Rodenstock 210 will close down to maybe f/96. BUT, the very best of the best images are at f/22. And even in a tabletop shot, you can really see it! That means that with Ilford D400 souped in D76, you can't see the grain in a 48 x 96 print. That's 48" x 96".
2. Scheimpflug to correct all the foolish distortions of perspective.

Stop down to f/22 and kill the shot. If I was to come in to photograph a piece of really fine furniture, I'd do it all in 4x5 to get it right. Then scan to digital.

Interesting thread.

My 2 cents - flash is heavily underrated. I was previously in the natural light camp, but now, with the exception of most of my landscape work I use it just about for everything (even then I use it regularly in landscape shots). Take the shot below. This was a rushed shot, set up a flash (off camera) took one shot and packed it up. It wouldn't have nearly the definition of pop without the flash - look at the shadows, lines and angles of light relative to the table.

Nicely controlled shot Elill.

I wouldn't say that flash is underated (as the only light source), but I would say that to get good consistent results you need three flash heads (with modelling lights) and a variety of light shapers, snoots, grids, brolleys, softies etc, and of course a floor-pack.

Let's not forget that flash is only ever trying to replicate natural light (until coloured gels and other fancy stuff are introduced).

Flash falls flat on it's face (literally) when it is on camera, single source, and not controlled. On-camera, and used as fill light is a different story, altogether. Certainly flash has it's place in landscape photography - when required.

Perhaps though, we should track back to the OP and it's intention. Woodies don't have the pro gear, nor do most of them have off-camera flashes, f96 Rodenstocks, 5x4 view cameras and the like. This thread is about getting the best out of the equipment and lighting situations at hand, for the purposes of taking pictures to post on the forum, and that almost invariably means available light, on-camera flash only, and generally no tripod (which is the first thing that should be addressed, btw).

You mean I shouldn't be using the 5x4 view camera for taking pictures of pens

I'll cross it off the wish list then.

Pens, pins, same things to photograph. 5x4, as you call it, is just cumbersome.
The rail camera goes from 1:1 to infinity without even turning the Rodie around.
Having done that for 50+ years, I still tend to think in those terms. But it's the ancillary tricks what work just as well for digital.

If all you have is an on-camera flash, use some sort of white-board reflector, even a sheet of cardboard covered with foil to bounce some light back to fill the shadows a little. Outdoors, I usually had a couple of foils and I can see in the ground glass what they did (same deal as your LED/LC display monitor.)

THE VIRTUES OF A TRIPOD
The main purpose of a tripod is of course to avoid camera shake on longer exposures (say 1/15 second and longer). This, in turn, will allow you to use a much lower ASA/ISO rating for the exposure which eliminates the "noise" or grain that occurs from using very high ISO ratings. A rating of 50 or 100 is generally the best to use. The higher the rating the more the noise (just like grain in film).

However, there is a much more subtle, but equally important function for a tripod - consistency of framing. Having the camera mounted and fixed in position allows you to compose the picture and then makes adjustments to the composition (removing something unnecessary, slight movements of the subject to catch different light etc). The idea is that you can then return to the viewfinder to check what you have just changed compositionally, and the framing will remain constant. This allows you to build up the composition and lighting, working towards the desired result without the need to shoot lots of pics hoping that one will "turn out". No guesswork - just working up the pic until it's ready to be shot.

The heavier your camera is the more robust the tripod will need to be in order to keep the centre of gravity as low as possible. Care must be exercised when extending the neck of the tripod up, as camera shake can still come into play. A cable release or self-timer will allow you to eliminate camera shake as well. If the tripod neck is fully extended up then you may want to use a cable release (if your camera accepts one) as well as self-timer.

Tripods usually come with the classic 3-Way Head, with three different levers to individually control the different movements of the head. Personally, I much prefer a Ball & Socket head as they are much quicker to operate and don't have the various levers sticking out. The down side of a B&S head is that when the lock is released then all of the movements can change at the same time (and if you don't support the camera then it will quickly flop over!). A bit of practice is required to get used to this, but IMO a better way to go.

Originally Posted by Robson Valley

If all you have is an on-camera flash, use some sort of white-board reflector, even a sheet of cardboard covered with foil to bounce some light back to fill the shadows a little. Outdoors, I usually had a couple of foils and I can see in the ground glass what they did (same deal as your LED/LC display monitor.)

Indeed Robson. I have taken this to a peverse level - whenever I have my photo taken for a Driver's Licence I always ask the staff for a sheet of A4 paper which I hold horizontally under my chin to reflect light into my eye sockets etc so they don't appear as Black Holes. This usually attracts quite a deal of mirth from the staff, but I'm kinda used to that.

Originally Posted by FenceFurniture

THE VIRTUES OF A TRIPOD
The main purpose of a tripod is of course to avoid camera shake on longer exposures (say 1/15 second and longer). This, in turn, will allow you to use a much lower ASA/ISO rating for the exposure which eliminates the "noise" or grain that occurs from using very high ISO ratings. A rating of 50 or 100 is generally the best to use. The higher the rating the more the noise (just like grain in film).

Perhaps even more important is being able to use higher F-numbers so that DOF can be increased?

I agree about the ball head system - this is the one I use.

I actually use it flipped over and now have become used to using it with my left hand while I control the camera on the right.
I also use it on a monood - nowhere near as firm as a tripod but a monopod is not as heavy or difficult to cart around as a tripod.

One kind of tripod I do find easy to carry around and is not too intrusive is a mini-tripod - mine is a SLIK. It can be used as a stable base on tables or against walls etc. I also use in on myself with two of the tripod legs braced on my collar bones and the third leg on my chest and this provides me with an extra 1.5 stops. Yes I look like foolish but it really works. Like this


I've also made several tripod heads to to hold my iPhone - very handy for making movies.

Originally Posted by BobL

Perhaps even more important is being able to use higher F-numbers so that DOF can be increased?

Too true Bob - I made the age old mistake of assuming that was implied and obvious - but it wasn't.

Yes, monopods are useful too, but of course don't yield the framing consistency of a tripod. Tripod first purchase, monopod second. However, before I purchased a monopod I'd get one of these Manfrotto Magic Arms that Anorak Bob has been on about - extraordinarily useful things - and not just for photography. Great for holding a worklight or vac hose in place.

SUNLIGHT - THE REAL DEAL, and what a POLARISING FILTER WILL DO FOR YOU

I've been waiting for an opportunity to shoot something in sunlight, and that happened today. It also gave an opportunity to show what a polarising filter will do for you. This pic was purpose-shot (i.e. another application beyond the forum) and it was always envisaged that the background would be removed, hence not a great deal of effort went into that. I had to shoot it at f8 because that is the limit of my camera, but with a big boy's camera I would have used f16. Focal length is short tele (maybe 100-120mm).

The first pic is with a polarising filter. The second is without, and you can see the effect in the left hand face of the box (the shadowed part), and the corresponding face of the insert tray. The filter has removed the reflection of the yellow base, and appears to give it more contrast (and therefore more 3D form) as a result. Single light source, no fill flash, no reflectors.

I must say that I can see the difference in the quality of the sunlight up here (1007 metres), and minus the pollution and humidity of Sydney. This was taken around 3.00, so not late afternoon light in the least - just good clean mountain light.

Bret it could be the screen settings on this one but I feel the yellow is reflecting some what and giving a different tone to the wood. Would not a better choice of colour be either a Blue or Green?

What would the effect of white be in this situation? To much glare, reflection?

Love the box well done Andy

Ray, even though it's Jarrah it's very pale, and that is the colour of it. The ratio of the direct sunlight to reflected light as far enough apart fot this not to be a concern in the fully sunlit areas. The only area where the yellow reflection is apparent is in the shaded are (previously described) where the ratio is much smaller and the polarising filter has knocked that out, which is why I used it. To eliminate any reflection from the backdrop the best colour to use would be black - nothing black available, but it would be my preference. White would have been too difficult on the eyes to work with.

The back wall of the tray is also Jarrah, but with a very minor shift in colour from the box wall (in the timber, that is), but you can see that they are very similar in colour. If you look at the Jarrah in the lid it's the same colour as the box front, and it was relatively much further away from the yellow base. The inverse square law of light drop off applies to reflected light (2x the distance from the light source and the light intensity is 1/4), but in practical terms not to direct sunlight (as we are already 150,000,000 kms away another few metres, kilometres or 1000k makes no difference)