Hot black on black action

pixmedic

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This one was a little tougher than the others in keeping with the previous theme.
the machine being black and shiny and the background being black made this shoot a little more difficult than the others in keeping the background black, while still maintaining detail in the machine, and dealing with hotspots...
eh, I was reasonably happy with this.
I also decided to try something a little different and backlit the machine.
I dont like it as much as my regular portrait style shots, but i thought it was interesting enough to share. This is a Singer Model 201

Singer 201 by pixmedic, on Flickr

Singer-201 by pixmedic, on Flickr
 
I like both of these! The first one for the mood and the second for the detail...

Just out of curiosity, I wonder what it would have looked like had you put a light source behind it below the surface of the table shooting back "over" the camera? Almost like a rim light? Or would that give some lens flare?
 
The second looks washed out. The first is nice. A little more back light to separate the machine from the background would help. Nice shot.
 
I might prefer the last set but i do really like this, tough call. You are capturing the subject extremely well. you know i would love to put one of your sew machines up for photo of the month but i cant decide which of the photos between the threads i like better. could you choose one for me? oh wait, never mind. we stopped doing photo of the month.. :biggrin-93:
 
The second looks washed out. The first is nice. A little more back light to separate the machine from the background would help. Nice shot.
The second shot wasn't me actually trying to do anything, it was just me messing around and i thought it looked kinda neat.

As for more light on the first. ....that was a real problem area. I tried more light, less light, light in different places...
The machine was already almost 2 feet from the background and I was still having trouble lighting the machine without getting too much light on the backdrop. On the other machines this wasn't a huge problem because I just lower the black and adjust shadows in post and it's done.... but with this machine being black as well, that technique didn't work quite as well as with the others.

I'm sure it's more of a lack of technical expertise on my part than any actual photographical difficulty in the technique itself. Perhaps i will do some research and revisit this one.
 
The second looks washed out. The first is nice. A little more back light to separate the machine from the background would help. Nice shot.
The second shot wasn't me actually trying to do anything, it was just me messing around and i thought it looked kinda neat.

As for more light on the first. ....that was a real problem area. I tried more light, less light, light in different places...
The machine was already almost 2 feet from the background and I was still having trouble lighting the machine without getting too much light on the backdrop. On the other machines this wasn't a huge problem because I just lower the black and adjust shadows in post and it's done.... but with this machine being black as well, that technique didn't work quite as well as with the others.

I'm sure it's more of a lack of technical expertise on my part than any actual photographical difficulty in the technique itself. Perhaps i will do some research and revisit this one.

What were you using as modifiers?
 
Small Softboxes
 
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The sewing room isn't big enough to really break out a ton of equipment and large umbrellas or brollys. Especially with 4 machines in sewing tables, 5 in shelving units, and a few more in cases on the floor. Plus her computer table.
Very limited room. I'm lucky I was able to get some separation between the machine and the backdrop.
 
Snoot! Snoot!

Make 'em out of rolled up newspaper. I'd have tried making a cone, narrow end on a flash. Then flatten the wide end of the cone out, so you can paint a strip of light.

Then experiment with exact position to get a rim light right where you want it.

It still might not be satisfactory, but that's what I would have tried.

Basically because that's my one trick. It's the only thing I ever try.
 
Damn. Didn't even think of a snoot. I have a few rogue flashbenders that convert to snoots. Have to try that next time.
 
Really good stuff. Love #1 with the splash of purple and gold :icon_thumbsup:
 

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