Capturing Computer Display

[Cinka]

Tonight I shot a series of hand-model shots for a friend. I had him holding various objects including my iPhone.

I realize I could have caught some shine on the bottom chrome by bouncing some light up, but I'm wondering about the display itself. Couldn't seem to get it no matter what I tried. I later used a piece of shiny metal to reflect light up.

Is it possible to catch computer display accurately or should it be left to Photoshop? Since my friend paid me, I'm fixing up the shine and adding in a cut/paste of the display

 

[Bifurcator]

It's almost always a post process. Either a CG generated screen is created or a second photograph is taken and then pasted in place.


PS: you need to rotate that image about 0.5º clockwise.

 

[Cinka]

It's almost always a post process. Either a CG generated screen is created or a second photograph is taken and then pasted in place.


PS: you need to rotate that image about 0.5º clockwise.

haha. I can tell you're a perfectionist! The final image is being rotated Good eye.

 

[Bifurcator]

Yeah. That's the kinda stuff I actually get paid to do. I'm not a photographer like most people here. I (primarily) do CG for cinema, TV commercials, and print ads. Well, I did... I'm kinda retired right now - mostly. :scratch: Cameras are a tool in my trade but not the trade itself or the main tool like it would be for wedding photographers and etc.

Are you building a portfolio or just practicing?

 

[K_Pugh]

The only way i know how to capture TV's (CRT's) etc is by using a lot less ambient light and filling the other objects/subjects with flash. That was you can use a slower shutter speed to allow enough ambient from the displays and get a complete screen (scan rates etc) and use flash to control the light surrounding it.

 

[Bifurcator]

Well if it's really a TV you need 1/60, 1/30, or 1/15 if you're in an NTSC region. 1/50, or 1/25 if you live in a PAL area and etc. If you don't shoot at a multiple or an even fraction of the scan rate you end up with overlapping scan bars in the image.

LCDs like she is shooting present a completely different range of troubles depending on the type, rate, camera angle, resolution, and etc. You can fool around and get it kinda OK-ish but it's never as good as the professional alternative of using CG or photographing it separately and cutting it in during post.

If all she wants is a little better exposure of the screen then just a selection and some level adjustments will do.

Very rough quicky.
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[Bifurcator]

This difference can be seen here: http://images.apple.com/iphone/guidedtour/images/iphone3g_hero20080701.jpg

I'm relatively certain that the still images of the iPhones and etc. on the Apple site are 100% CG.

 

[TamiyaGuy]

I would suggest, if you have plenty of time and are a complete perfectionist, to take the original photo trying to get the main subject, and not the screen, exposed correctly. Use flash, really slow/fast shutter speeds, whatever. Then take a non-flash photograph of the screen in controlled conditions (set the camera up on a tripod, don't handhold the phone, etc), then in Photoshop you can copy-paste the screen onto the main photograph.

Or, if the Iphone has a "Capture Screen" option (like PrintScreen on your keyboard), you can do that, load the image onto your PC, then copy-paste as normal. The resolution might be quite low compared to the rest of the image at full size, but it'll look good. Hopefully.

 

[janetm1000]

dont know about the screen, but since this is a handmodel shot, you should clean up that bit of dirt under/on the thumb nail in PP. just something i noticed!

 

[keith204]

you dont have a polarizer attached to that lens, do you?

 

[Joves]

If you want a dirty fingernail model let me know I always have dirt under mine.
Nice quicky there Bifurcator. I was going to suggest a little post work would fix that after seeing the initial image.

 

[Bifurcator]

Thanks Joves. It really was just a rough quicky though. It's still very unacceptable imho.

 

[Garbz]

Hand holding is difficult but certainly if the iPhone was otherwise supported you could just use slow sync. To get the flash lighting + the screen's own backlight.

 

[chrisburke]

if that is a 3g iPhone, hold down on the home button and quickly hit the power button, this will take a to scale picture of your screen... it will get stored in your photo applicatin and you download it just like you would with any camera.. plug it in and it'll pop up.... then take that image and paste it on there.. it'll look great. heres a poor attempt by me using my screen.. .