Photo booth

Re: Photo booth

John Lucas

>Marc

Good job. Just a few tips. Try to move one of the lights up. I prefer to either have it above the top panel or at about 45 degrees so it lights both the top and side panel. This will produce a more natural light. Try to make the lower of the two lights less bright. You can do this by either moving the light further away or simply adding more layers of cloth to the lseft side.

Most photographers who shoot wood will agree with me on this. Blue is not the color to go with wood. It tends to make the wood look cool and wood should look warm. Cloth is fine for web sites and Postcards and such but if you want to enter juried shows, nothing screams amatuer worse than a wrinkled or folded cloth background.

You can get a seamless photographic paper background from www.porters.com. It's not that expensive and gives your photos a professional look. If your pieces aren't that large try poster board. Bend it into an arc so there isn't a horizon line. White, medium gray and black are generally the colors used.

Have fun with your booth and feel free to write me if you aren't getting the results you want.

Re: Photo booth

JamieDonaldson

>I'm glad you said it first John-"Oh,no-not another blue backbround!"

Re: Photo booth

JamieDonaldson

>And Marc- I forgot to mention that I often use a cheap white vinyl roll-up window shade- so easy to simply roll it up for storage.

Re: Photo booth

Marc Phillips

>Thanks John... I appreciate the help... and I already ordered the seamless paper as soon as I read the post you did that had the url.... the bad news is I ordered blue .... It's called Gulf Blue, and I hope it's lighter... if not, oh well until I gather a few more funds....

One more question (I will have several I'm sure)... the actual bowl is a little paler than the pic... the bowl is not as orange looking in real life... Do I add light?.. or ?? Keep using the flash or not?

OOps... that was 2 questions :)

Marc

Trying again...

Marc Phillips

>different bowl... light on right side higher and farther away... and angled a little more upward... took some of the "too cherry" look away with the photo software and it looks pretty close to what the bowl looks like....

Can ya post a pic, or point me to a url that shows your booth so I can see the placement of the lights and such?.... that would really help...

Same deal as before... one shot with flash, the other without...

... and I shouldn't shoot so close should I?....

Marc

Re: Trying again...

John Lucas

>Marc

I'll try to assemble my booth and shoot a shot of it. I mostly use my pro gear at work to shoot my stuff but play occasionally at home to try and find easier ways to teach people to shoot thier work. I won't be able to do this until late saturday or sunday. I have too much work going on. I hate it when work gets in the way of play.

I think your color problem is using flash and tungsten lights. Turn off your flash and set the camera to the tungsten setting. As you noticed turning off the flash also got rid of the highlight on the back side of the bowl.

As far as light position. There isn't any one position that works. you must be willing to move the lights and then look carefully at what happens. It changes mostly the highlights and shadow placement. sometimes just moving it inches one way or the other will make a big difference in how it looks and sometimes you can move it 2 feet either way and not change the look of the piece. It depends mostly on the shape and reflectivity of the piece.

Re: Photo booth

JoeQ

>Here is another booth of similar style, different construction materials. I replaced the screening in three window screen frames with white translucent fabric. The black velvet background does not show wrinkles and is supported by two mini paper clamps fastened to the back wall. The side panels are held upright by two pieces of aluminum "u" channel attached to the wall. I am still experimenting with the lighting but was finally able to get a decent shot of a very glossy maple piece (next post) by bouncing the light off the inside of the walls rather than shining through. I picked up some good tips from the earlier posts. Hope someone benefits from this one. Joe

Maple photo 

JoeQ

>

Very nice... thanks!

Marc Phillips

>Appreciate the response... it all helps!

Marc

Re: Maple photo

Chuck Hargenrader

>That is a wonderful piece and pic.

chuck from Maine

Need to light the background.

Pete Lamberty

>In this photo the background is so dark that it is difficult to tell where the bowl ends and the background begins. I see this problem in some of the other photos in this string. In order to see the shape of the object that you are shooting, you need to put some light on the background. This particular shot needs light all around the objects backgound. In some of the other shots light is needed only in some small spots behind the bowls. Mirrors can be used to direct light onto spots of the backgound that are right behind the edges of the bowl, as you look thru the viewfinder. Also small spot lights can place light where you need it. It may help you to get a book on commercial photography to see how this is done. Hope this helps, Pete

Re: Need to light the background.

JoeQ

>That's a good point Pete. It's 10degress here right now and I don't feel like firing up the shop stove tonight. If I can warm the place up a bit tomorrow I may see if I bring out the background a little better. Thanks for your input. Joe