C&C Shooter

[Ryan L]

A few Macros I took tonight, let me know what you think. The honest brutal ones. Like a Bitter C&C, lol


1

2

3

4

 

[burstintoflame81]

I think the lighting and colors look best in the 2nd one. Other than the kinda hot spot towards the top of the frame.

 

[Ryan L]

I had a hard time with that hot spot. I had to keep the flash close or I would get shadows going in every direction. 1, 2, 4 were shot on top of black, with glass on top and a white background so the shadows were bad unless I got right in there, but then I wanted to minimize the reflection of the flash/light on the marbles as well.

 

[Bitter Jeweler]

I suggest you give your camera away to somebody that could actually...no, no. Just kidding.

So, what are you trying to achieve here? Is it just a light study/learning experience?

Try some compositions with the "horizon line" not in the middle.
I like what you're trying. I think you should get your marbles away from the backdrop.
I know, you'll lose your marbles if you do. Solution? You could try table salt to rest the marbles on in position, and carefully blow away the excess. Better would be some sticky wax, like beezwax. Use very small amounts, and work clean. I say this because I am not totally digging the harsh line where the floor meets the back.

There is also a product called jewel gel, or something. I can't find it, but I know it exists, and have used it. It probably has some funky spelling of the name. Anyway, it is crystal clear, clean, and very very sticky. Perfect for what you are doing.

 

[DerekSalem]

I was going to say a lot of the same stuff as Bitters. Honestly probably the only thing I really didn't like is that horizon line so clearly cut and right by the marbles. If it were moved back it could be pushed out of the DoF or just wouldn't be as noticeable (especially since the marbles will be covering most of it). I didn't have any solutions, so I'm glad Bitters came in before me lol

Other than that fantastic pictures! Great composition, the hotspot didn't even bother me but try moving it possibly back, lower, and to one of the sides. It'll push the shadows off at an angle and might actually look pretty cool. Just an idea

 

[Bitter Jeweler]

What is the lighting set up?

 

[Ryan L]

I suggest you give your camera away to somebody that could actually...no, no. Just kidding.

So, what are you trying to achieve here? Is it just a light study/learning experience?

Try some compositions with the "horizon line" not in the middle.
I like what you're trying. I think you should get your marbles away from the backdrop.
I know, you'll lose your marbles if you do. Solution? You could try table salt to rest the marbles on in position, and carefully blow away the excess. Better would be some sticky wax, like beezwax. Use very small amounts, and work clean. I say this because I am not totally digging the harsh line where the floor meets the back.

There is also a product called jewel gel, or something. I can't find it, but I know it exists, and have used it. It probably has some funky spelling of the name. Anyway, it is crystal clear, clean, and very very sticky. Perfect for what you are doing.

Experiece?? No, I am selling these to a large marble manufacturer company for big bucks! No, I am just trying some new things. Nothing special, just experience. I saw the picture of the tennis balls in an earlier thread with a reflection the the horizonal line was non existent. I wanted to try to duplicate that effect.

I really wanted to try to get that horizonal line out as well, but Even when I was able to get the marbles to stay near the front of the glass, the edge of the back of the glass lit up like a christmas tree. I was hoping that the Bokeh would cover it, but it didn't. Thanks for the ideas for holding them in place, they were wanting to go everywhere on me! I will find another picture and post it showing them off the back.

Any idea how to stop the edge of the glass in the back from lighting up?

 

[Ryan L]

What is the lighting set up?

Lighting is just a little getto softbox, that wasn't cutting it, so I used my 380ex with off camera shoe to get the light right overtop or wherever I wanted it. I was at Norman camera yesterday and Almost picked up an inexpensive studio kit, but I thought I better read up a little before splurging on it.

The lens was a 28-135 IS, the ones on the glass I added a hoya +1, +2, close up stacked. The ones on just the black posterboard were without the filters.

Great composition, the hotspot didn't even bother me but try moving it possibly back, lower, and to one of the sides. It'll push the shadows off at an angle and might actually look pretty cool. Just an idea

I did it without the glass too, and I like the shadows, but it was just a little plain. Looking back if I do it again I will shoot the flash more from the side and see if I can draw the shadows out further.

 

[Bitter Jeweler]

Hmmm...I kinda like the shadows of #1 in your last post. But I don't like the cut reflections. Try that again with less empty space at the top, and include more in the bottom. As far as the glass line...Bigger (longer away from camera) glass? Plexi?

 

[Ryan L]

Hmmm...I kinda like the shadows of #1 in your last post. But I don't like the cut reflections. Try that again with less empty space at the top, and include more in the bottom. As far as the glass line...Bigger (longer away from camera) glass? Plexi?

I liked it too, but the shadow and cut line I didn't. It's glass, I had to dismantle a 8x10 frame to steal it. lol Think plexi would yield better results? I will try it again that way tonight. Let me know if you think plexi would work better, would it provide the same reflection??

 

[KmH]

A few Macros I took tonight, let me know what you think. The honest brutal ones. Like a Bitter C&C, lol

The background/foreground is 497 different shades of gray. Bitter mentioned a key problem. They are way to close to the background.

Having more lights would have helped a great deal, particularly one under the glass shooting up.

Light: Science and Magic An Introduction To Photographic Lighting by Fil Hunter cover many lighting basics

A quick and dirty play on a small photo:

 

[Ryan L]

Sorry, I didn't even see this last response. I like the white backing, but it lost a lot of the edges, which I did like. The reflections didn't come out so well either. I do like the wide version of it though.

 

[reznap]

Sorry, I didn't even see this last response. I like the white backing, but it lost a lot of the edges, which I did like. The reflections didn't come out so well either. I do like the wide version of it though.

His edit wasn't meant to fix your photo, he meant it more as an example of what you could have had for a background with some more light. For best results light the background from behind your subject with additional lights.