Building a studio + posing subject questions

[Digital Matt]

I've never read Light: Science and Magic, but I know that Master Lighting Guide has all of the classic types of lighting detailed, from Rembrandt to loop, to short, etc.. This is an invaluable resource, and something every portrait photographer should commit to memory.

From looking "inside the book" at Amazon, Light: Science and Magic seems to have a different focus, more on the science, and the "why" of it. I think the two of them would be a smart combo to read.

 

[elsaspet]

Another vote for the stobist site. Also, Planet Neil is great too.

 

[jteknet]

Uh-uh! that was NOT the intent of anyone here, I promise you. What we meant was just to tell you that you have a little ways to go in terms of knowledge before you do something that will frustrate the heck out of you and make you loose interest real fast (or hurt you more than help you!).

If you want to set up a small studio at home for PERSONAL play, go for it! I will be as well sometime in the near future too, because I'd love to have one. Matter of fact, I plan on making a tiny "studio" for learning the effects and results and I am following through on re-doing the Strobist 101 and 102 courses/blogs as we exhcange right now.

How small is my studio going to be? Small enough that I can pick it up completely in one hand... lol.

I am talking a setup that is big enough to take pics of toys, statuettes dolls, things like that... and learn and practice from that, and then once my base knowledge is good, grow it to a full sized portrait setup in my garage or basement and play from there. I don't have any intentions of ever turning pro. My personal feelings are that on the day I ever turned pro, I would to lose all the fun and pleasure I get from it. Besides, the average salary of a starting 'Tog is nowhere near what I am making already in my current business anyways.

To me, this is very much a hobby and always will be. That doesn't mean that I do not want to get pretty serious with it, though.

Ah. You didn't steer me away from the studio. You just enlightened me and made me realize that it really would be pointless at this point and time. I'm getting a lot of good advice and actually re-reading it over and over to make sure I get 110% out of it. Every time I post, I post to learn, not to troll or be a pain in anybody's hindquarters.

Thanks for the advice on a small studio. I'm thinking about getting the mini-studio from Ritz. I photograph marbles and small items for her. I have been for about 3 years now. We were using a Sony Cybershot, now I'm using my camera. I'm wanting to learn more about Depth of Field because with that, I can focus on something that is inside the marble and not EVERYTHING in the marble. It could really make the pictures killer. I took a series of photos of three weeds with MF and learned how I could actually make EACH weed stand out while the other two are blurred. I'm going to get some stuff up on a Flickr SOON so next time you check this I may have a Flickr in my signature. I already have the account, just nothing uploaded yet.

Thanks again for all your help, and EVERYBODY's for that matter. It's greatly appreciated.

One huge question pertaining to shooting marbles. These marbles are less than an inch around, sometimes they are less than 1mm around. Therefore, I was thinking it's time to look into macro lenses. That will give me a nice DoF for shooting the small ones I'm sure. Anybody wanna take a stab at telling me a good deal or maybe offering to sell an old one in good shape? I don't know much about them, I need to research them a little myself, just thought I'd go ahead and ask here before I step into that adventure looking and see if someone has one cheap. Also, is it worth buying an adapter for my kit 55-200 lens and mounting it backwards or is that the stupid way of macro photography? Let me know! =)

 

[jteknet]

What mode do you all shoot in most often? I read a BUNCH about DoF and it seems as if you will get the most tacksharp photos if you use Aperture Priority most of the time so that only your subject will be in focus? I suppose you'd have to kinda memorize what f-setting has what DoF at what range though. Seems a little too complicated, or am I just beginning to learn something finally? lol

 

[Sideburns]

What mode do you all shoot in most often? I read a BUNCH about DoF and it seems as if you will get the most tacksharp photos if you use Aperture Priority most of the time so that only your subject will be in focus? I suppose you'd have to kinda memorize what f-setting has what DoF at what range though. Seems a little too complicated, or am I just beginning to learn something finally? lol

You're thinking about it too much. I shoot in manual almost always now...but you could use aperture priority if you like.

Anyhow...if you want more DOF, you use a bigger number...less, you use a smaller number. If you want to see the effect of the aperture on DOF you press the DOF preview button on the camera (on canon's it's right on the left side of the lens mount.)

Just experiment. You'll get it.

The sharpest photos are usually at f8 or f11...

 

[jteknet]

You're thinking about it too much. I shoot in manual almost always now...but you could use aperture priority if you like.

Anyhow...if you want more DOF, you use a bigger number...less, you use a smaller number. If you want to see the effect of the aperture on DOF you press the DOF preview button on the camera (on canon's it's right on the left side of the lens mount.)

Just experiment. You'll get it.

The sharpest photos are usually at f8 or f11...

Hmm, that DOF preview button is neat.

SOMEBODY DIDN'T READ THE MANUAL and is telling on them-self. Whoops.

 

[Sideburns]

Hmm, that DOF preview button is neat.

SOMEBODY DIDN'T READ THE MANUAL and is telling on them-self. Whoops.

ahaha.
It's ok man. The manual is pretty useless unless you know what you're looking for anyways. I keep it in my camera bag. If there's something I wanna try and I don't know how...I can find it.