How to get rid of dusts on the subject?

tecboy · Jan 19, 2015

I'm shooting a small object, a close up of a watch. There are a lot of dusts on it. I tried compressed air can to blow the dust away, and soft brush to brush the dust away. Neither doesn't work. Tips?

tirediron · Jan 19, 2015

Clean with iso. alcohol & a lint-free rag like those you get in glasses cleaning kits?

dennybeall · Jan 19, 2015

A small vacuum may help, perhaps a damp cloth. Another option is to just clear them out in post-processing.

Braineack · Jan 20, 2015

filters > noise > dust & scratches.

oh wait...

astroNikon · Jan 20, 2015

In addition to the above solutions for the object itself, If you have lingering dust in the air the best solution to eliminate the floating dust is to add humidity to the air. I have other hobbies where I need humidity, such as woodworking. The humidity essentially makes the wood dust just fall to the ground and not linger in the air. It actually keeps the room clean.

This is easily accomplished by getting a cheap CVS/Vicks warm mist humidifier for under $20 and setting up near where you don't want dust. Also get a small digital humidifier gauge so you can see how low it is. You'll want it above 40% in the area.

and make sure the objects are all clean before hand as mentioned.
Use a small soft paint brush to get things in the cracks.

KmH · Jan 20, 2015

If compressed air and a brush won't remove it, it probably isn't dust.

If compressed air and a brush do remove it but more appears, it is dust and the problem is the environment where you are.

TCampbell · Jan 20, 2015

You can also use tape to pull the dust off an object. Just put the tape on and pull it right back off again... and the dust will come away with the tape.

A blower or brush is just going to move the dust around. I've used brushes before, but usually with a vacuum cleaner hose and I'm basically sweeping the dust into the vacuum so that it doesn't just settle somewhere else.

dxqcanada · Jan 20, 2015

Use a dryer sheet to clean the watch it will repel dust.

HaveCameraWillTravel · Jan 23, 2015

astroNikon said:
In addition to the above solutions for the object itself, If you have lingering dust in the air the best solution to eliminate the floating dust is to add humidity to the air. I have other hobbies where I need humidity, such as woodworking. The humidity essentially makes the wood dust just fall to the ground and not linger in the air. It actually keeps the room clean.

This is easily accomplished by getting a cheap CVS/Vicks warm mist humidifier for under $20 and setting up near where you don't want dust. Also get a small digital humidifier gauge so you can see how low it is. You'll want it above 40% in the area.

and make sure the objects are all clean before hand as mentioned.
Use a small soft paint brush to get things in the cracks.

Living in Houston I would be happy if the humidity was only 40%. :cool-98:

Scatterbrained · Jan 23, 2015

tecboy said:
I'm shooting a small object, a close up of a watch. There are a lot of dusts on it. I tried compressed air can to blow the dust away, and soft brush to brush the dust away. Neither doesn't work. Tips?

For close ups of watches, expect to spend some time removing dust in Ps. It's not uncommon for there to be dust inside the watch too.

Dust repelling screen cleaners, lint free lens cloths, and white "archival" lint free gloves will go a long way to cutting down the amount of dust on the watch. Even then you will have a few bits to remove in post as they will settle on the watch while you're adjusting and shooting.