Knowledge You Can Build On — Est. 1998
photo tips...help!
Keith Tompkins
>I have to take some slide shots of my newest pieces, since there isn't time to send to the photographer's.(deadline)
I have a Pentax K1000. What is the best aperture setting, etc. for shooting. Also, for close-ups I have 1X, 2X screw-on lenses. Should I use these?
Should I take digital, and have slides produced from digital images? I know, I know, I should have attended John Lucas or Jamie Donaldson's seminars in Orlando!
Re: photo tips...help!
John in VT
>The larger the # f22 the more depth of field you have. Your close-up lenses are OK. If you don't have a flash system just shoot outside or near a window. Place a piece of white cardboard or sheet to bounce light back towards your piece. A cloudy bright day is better than a harsh sunny day. Use daylight film. Film is the cheap part. Shoot a whole roll. Vary your exposure a 1/2 stop over & under from your meter reading. Keep turning your piece & look through the lens until you find the look you want.
Re: photo tips...help!
Joel Hunnicutt
>Keith, can't help you on the technical stuff, but I have emailed files to slides.com and gotten slide back in about 4 days. Quality has been good also. Glad to see I'm not the only one that waits till the last minute :)
Re: photo tips...help!
John Lucas
>Keith
John pretty much nailed it. Use a small aperture like f16 or 22 if possible. use a tripod and a cable release because you will have long exposures. A north facing window or out on the porch with no direct sunlight is optimal. Place the piece close to the window and use white cardboard or possibly cardboard with aluminum foin on it to bounce light back into the piece. As john mentioned, bracket your exposures by over and under exposing what the meter says.
Slides from digital might work if you have 3megs or higher. You can send the image to www.slides.com It's cheap so it wouldn't hurt to try anway.
A trick I use is to use the digital for a preview system. You can't trust the exposure but it will help you see how the reflections and shadows show up on the bowl. it is possible to set up a correlation between the exposure for the digital and the correct exposure for film. Keep good notes so that you might be able to use this information later to help you get a good photo.
I'll be home all weekend and will probably check the computer each time I come in to warm up s if you have a problem e-mail me.
Re: photo tips...help!
JamieDonaldson
>Yes Keith, you should have suffered thru our demos at AAW, and now you know why! You have most of the tips you need already, but I would recommend trying digital so that you can see the results promptly, not an option with slides unless you have an E-6 lab around the corner. Have you checked the lighting set-up in my WOW album?
Re: photo tips...help!
Keith Tompkins
>Wow, great advice! thanks guys!
I think this will be the first serious attempt at shooting my own pieces. I'll take my time and see what happens.
I'm excited about shooting my rose piece, as the whole blossom seems to glow when a light is shown on it just right.
I'll post a photo if all works out, Keith
Re: photo tips...help!
jim happe
>All of the tips you recieved were good ones with the exception of the use of your screw on magnifiers. I would'nt do that at all as it will greatly reduce the depth of field. Also, set the piece on some soft, non-reflective cloth that has no patterns in it. Of course photo grey is best, but green does seem to enhance the look of wood.
Re: photo tips...help!
Keith Tompkins
>Last minute? yep, story of my life. Thanks, Joel
Re: photo tips...help!
Keith Tompkins
>Well, I took my time , and spent all morning shooting my pieces. The sunny window was a great idea! I'll post a few for critique when I get them developed....thanks again, everyone, Keith
Re: photo tips...help!
john Lucas
>Jim
Diopters don't reduce depth of field. If you shoot 2 pieces magnified the same. One with diopters and one with a macro lens or other lens that lets you get that close you will have the same depth of field. It's magnification that or distance from the object that changes depth of field at any given aperture.
This is also true with wide ange vs telephoto. If you shoot 2 objects so the fill the frame they will have the same depth of field whether you shoot them with a 20mm or 200mm lens.
To prove this to one of my classes I shot a ring. One was shot with the macro lens and the other was shot with a normal 50mm lens with a +4 diopter on the lens. We sized the image so the rings were the same size. We had exactly the same depth of field.
