Thread: Photo tips

Your photos are excellent to begin with. Any improvements will come with investment in better lighting. Larger light boxes to soften the highlights as they are quiet distracting.

Your presentation is excellent and so are your backdrops.

I can tell you're using a tripod via your EXIF and the camera settings are mostly ideal for still life.

I would not be using exposure compensation. Instead, make sure to expose properly without it since you have control of the scene.

You can do some research on your lens and make sure you are shooting it in the ideal aperture. What you are using seems to be fine though.

Hi Moby

If you haven't seen this current thread, then you may perhaps get a little something out of it.

Your pics are very good indeed. I have made the point a few times that pics need to be "fit for purpose", that is to say that pics of machinery, general workshop areas etc, don't have to have fabulous lighting. Pics of actual workpieces need to be as good as possible.

The only thing I could say specifically in your case (the first pic), and it's no big deal at all, is to be wary of using white backdrops as more often than not the white will not fit into the dynamic range of the rest of the pic. You can see in your first pic that the backdrop has blown out a bit, and has affected the object at the top (the edges don't appear to be as well defined). Like I say, no big deal in this case because the pic still tells the general story, and that's all that is required of it.

Cheers
Brett

That must be one gigantic sweep table.
Can you light it from underneath to blow out the shadows?
I used sheets of glass, 30-60cm above the sweep.
That way I could drop the shadows out of sight.
Turn the lights down a little to shorten the contrast range.
Or gel the lights. There's a filter called Bastard Amber, which is used in
theatrical productions instead of plain white light. Just warms things off a little.
You know it's there. Nobody else realizes that.

If you get annoying specular reflections off glass and metal, get a block of that children's clay stuff, plasticine. It's just oily enough that you can draw lines, etc., to matte the reflective spots.

One question I always ask students who ask me the same question is; What do you perceive needs improvement?

As far as your photos go the main thing I can see that could be improved is the second pic is not totally in focus (leading edge of front bowl is not sharp). This could be fixed with increasing the DOF. Where DOF cannot be increased it's generally considered better to have the frontmost objects in focus as ones eye is usually drawn to these first. I would also consider adding lighting to that scene so that more of inside of the tilted bowl could be seen.

I with FF agree about using white backgrounds, sometimes neutral or dark backgrounds are better. As well as white I keep a range of fake velvet colours, blue, brown, black to use when I photograph SWMBO bead work.

Originally Posted by two40

Any improvements will come with investment in better lighting. Larger light boxes to soften the highlights as they are quiet distracting. …… I would not be using exposure compensation. Instead, make sure to expose properly without it since you have control of the scene. …… You can do some research on your lens and make sure you are shooting it in the ideal aperture. What you are using seems to be fine though.

See below, I struggle with highlights & I guess the only answer is to experiment more & maybe get better lighting.

Originally Posted by FenceFurniture

If you haven't seen this current thread, then you may perhaps get a little something out of it. ….. You can see in your first pic that the backdrop has blown out a bit, and has affected the object at the top. Cheers Brett

Yes I have read it, very helpful thank you. I thought I had overdone the exposure bias.

Originally Posted by Robson Valley

That must be one gigantic sweep table.
If you get annoying specular reflections off glass and metal, get a block of that children's clay stuff, plasticine. It's just oily enough that you can draw lines, etc., to matte the reflective spots.

See below about backdrop. Handy tip thankyou.

Originally Posted by BobL

One question I always ask students who ask me the same question is; What do you perceive needs improvement?

Guys, thank you for your valued opinions and assistance. It is very reassuring to hear from you that I am getting there. As you would have seen from the EXIF data I have a modest comsumer camera, a Fuji FinePix S6500 (I miss my old Pentax Z20) with fixed lens used mostly in “Program” mode (auto except for Shutter & Aperture). I have been experimenting with Aperture Priority & Manual modes hence the enquiry, as both pics were shot with Aperture Priority, Custom white balance with manipulation in camera of exposure compensation and bracketing. Mostly the mid image in the bracket was chosen..

What do you perceive needs improvement? – My concerns are that I thought I had overdone the exposure bias & that the

First image may be too cluttered in the lower sections, the height of the central workpiece and the overexposure of it due to the expanse of white backdrop & the partial framing of the pic by the lathe parts. The purpose of the image was to display typical holding methods in a typical workshop. I was pleased with the DOF and lack of highlights. White backdrop is the rear of a 3m wide advertising banner (hung to hide clutter & as backdrop), lighting is std fixed O/H domestic 4’ flouros twin to RHS, single to LHS equidistant but perpendicular to image.

Second image the DOF & darkness of the centre front item (though it is naturally much darker than the rest), the shadows from both sides with balanced lighting, and lack of light on the inside of the LF item - even though I like the hint of the lamination showing on the inside (not intentional). Shot in a Phrugal Lightbox / tent made from Foam Core board, with compact daylight Para flouro’s aimed predominately at the roof. Custom white balance with manipulation in camera of exposure compensation.