Produce "Stock" - Would like C&C Please

[mjhoward]

So the subject matter probably isn't the most interesting but I mainly wanted to play around a bit tonight with multiple OCF and experiment a bit with the style of stock photos/catalog type photos with some things I have sitting in the fridge. I'm mainly looking for some feedback about the lighting, WB, and overall look of the photos (good AND bad). I already realize that my white BG isn't exactly white, but for the purpose of these photos I'm ok with that. Thanks very much in advance!

1. Peppers

2. Garlic

3. Brocolli

 

[Derrel]

The orange pepper needs a bit more depth of field. This is where a camera/lens with a bit of tilt would be super-handy. I LIKE the feel of the lighting on the peppers--very light, airy, and clean! The shadows are very open and have super-soft edges.

The garlic is not quite as pleasing...something is not quite as good on the garlic; it seems like, maybe, the main head of garlic is a tad bit too hot on the back, eight-hand side, perhaps overexposed by 3 to 4 tenths of a stop at the back edge of the head of garlic--seems like the light from the BKGD is influencing the garlic on the back side.

The broccoli florets look good enough to eat. The one on the left seems to be "floating", since it has no anchor shadow, and that does not visually read quite right to me. The "quality of the light" itself looks good though....soft...clean, "modern", "soothing" light.

What kind of modifiers are you using? As to white balance...seems quite acceptable to me--no complaints whatsoever....looks damned good to me on WB.

 

[Dao]

I wonder if a slight water spray on the subject especially the pepper will help the image. (without spraying on the plate)

 

[mjhoward]

Derrel, thank you very much. I've always respected your opinions and expertise and I appreciate you taking time out of your day give me some, clearly, thought out feedback. I've had a hard time getting C&C in the past for some reason but like others, I'm mostly a beginner trying to apply what I've learned. This is probably the first time I've really attempted (with effort) to use the multiple OCF. I've mainly only used a single light source off camera with a DIY modifier for macro shots.

For these shots I used the Tokina 100mm, 2 SB-28's, and 2 33" (I think) shoot-through umbrellas sitting on a couple of Lynco stands. The product was placed on my end table with some white cloth over it. You could see the weaves in the fabric pretty easy in my first test shot, so I placed everything on a sheet of printer paper afterwards. WB I had set to I think 5000K in camera, which, once I got the photos downloaded and on my good screen I noticed had a very slight blue cast. This, along with a little touch up of the shadows to try and make the background a little more uniform is about all that was done in post.

For the garlic, you are almost spot on with your positioning of my lights. For this shot, my main light was, well, pretty obvious, but my second light was behind the product and just slightly camera left and up a little higher than my main light. I was trying to use this light to bring out some detail in the ridges of garlic and I thought setting it higher might soften some of the shadows a bit. About the floating broccoli... I agree with you there. That is the way it looked SOOC too, I think the shadow from it was so soft that the fill light camera left just absorbed it.

Thanks again for the C&C!

 

[mjhoward]

I wonder if a slight water spray on the subject especially the pepper will help the image. (without spraying on the plate)

Dao, I think we had almost the exact same thought. I almost pulled out a spray bottle. I also though that some small beads of water on the brocolli might have looked nice too. I might give that a go next time!

 

[KmH]

I would strive for better separation of the peppers from each other, better separation of the head of garlic from the background, and deeper DoF for all.