Try at studio lightning!

LizardKing

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Hello there!

So, haven't been posting pictures for a while now, but thought about sharing this one. A couple of days ago I decided to play a little bit with studio lighting with one of the guitars, although I didn't have any equipment but a couple of home lights/spots to work and a couple of sheets and blankets for background.

Anyway, still have lots of things in mind I want to try with this one, which by the way is my first studio subject ever, but I would like to know what you think about these 2 shots.

Is it too dark? Took it a while to start getting the metal parts looking good while not losing much on the wood, and was kinda looking for a dark composition with room on one side. Just for fun though! :thumbup:
Any pointers would be much appreciated, but mostly on lightning, exposure and process. I know I can get way better compositions than this one, and will most definitely keep playing with it tomorrow :)

@ f/4
$Fender-Greenlow-1.jpg

@ f/2
$Fender-Greenlow-2.jpg

Edit: New version
View attachment 15555

Thank you very much in advance and have a nice day!

Regards,
Martin
 
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I personally don't like the wavy background. Unless that is the look you are going for. If you don't have the option I think you have too much light spill to the background so you see shadows on the background from the wavy background.
 
I like it, but I think the color on the wood looks too green. If that's what you were going for (it has an eerie/surreal look, so it may have been), excellent.

The guitar is your subject though and I think it was consumed by the background.
 
I have trouble determining what you were after here? Were you attempting to show off that beautiful wood grain, and the detail on the guitar? If so, a bit dark... and there may be a color cast from the background.

If you were going for a moody, somewhat low key shot... then you got it, but I am not sure it says anything with this subject.

Tell us more what you were after.... I do like the shot, but I can't figure it out... lol!
 
I prefer the overall sharpness and overall, total "feel" of the first photo. I like the way it has just a bit more-complete depth of field. The background of the second shot is smoother, and more defocused, and yet, I prefer the first. I like the green background against the blonde wood!
 
Hello guys! Thank you very much for all your answers, really helpful!

Let's tackle this one by one:

I like it, nice composition. It is very a very cool colour, where you going for that wb?

Thanks! Yes, started out as a mistake, but I liked the look so started trying a different approach. Have some more 'conventional' shots, but liked this green look a lot :)


I personally don't like the wavy background. Unless that is the look you are going for. If you don't have the option I think you have too much light spill to the background so you see shadows on the background from the wavy background.

Get what you're saying and still have to work a little on the background. But in this one in particular, I wanted to create that and have some kind of shadows. Basically, I didn't want a flat background.


I like it, but I think the color on the wood looks too green. If that's what you were going for (it has an eerie/surreal look, so it may have been), excellent.


The guitar is your subject though and I think it was consumed by the background.

Yes, it has an overall green tint, but that was what I was after. Although it's still a little too dark and yes, I agree that the background consumed the subject. I'll try to add some extra light(s) to brighten up it a little bit, or maybe reduce the amount of lighting reaching the background. Thanks!

I'll probably post a couple more versions during the following days. :thumbup:
 
I have trouble determining what you were after here? Were you attempting to show off that beautiful wood grain, and the detail on the guitar? If so, a bit dark... and there may be a color cast from the background.


If you were going for a moody, somewhat low key shot... then you got it, but I am not sure it says anything with this subject.


Tell us more what you were after.... I do like the shot, but I can't figure it out... lol!

Not really going that much for all the details and texture in the guitar, although I do want to keep trying and maybe pop that up a little. It's just that when I tried, then the extra lights killed the whole green-mood I like about this composition. And yes, the idea was some kind of low key.


Are you using continuous lighting?

Yes, this was continuous lighting. Have an SB-700 but need to go downtown buy some batteries and charger and couldn't find the time yet.


I prefer the overall sharpness and overall, total "feel" of the first photo. I like the way it has just a bit more-complete depth of field. The background of the second shot is smoother, and more defocused, and yet, I prefer the first. I like the green background against the blonde wood!

Great! That was the idea of the 2nd shot, to get a smoother background... But not really sure about having so much OOF in the guitar. So I too prefer the 1st shot.

--

Anyway, basically what I was trying to achieve here was to have some kind of low key image with shadows in the background, leaving room on one side and what I cared for most was trying to keep the metal parts looking good... which wasn't easy at all cause most of them are rounded and reflected lots of stuff from the room hahaha...

BTW, the green cast is not only from the background, but probably the light-green walls in the room contributed more to this.
 
Really beautiful.... loved it
meanwhile i was thinking of a vertical triptych that completes the guitar
Regards :D

Thanks! Funny you mention this, I was having the same idea. Maybe have the 2 extra frames of the triptych divided one for the body and a smaller one for some of the details in the knobs and bridge.
 
Here's another version I played a little with today. It has a completely different mood than the previous two.
I'd appreciate any feedback or pointers to improve it :)
Thanks a lot in advance!

$MAR_5497-2low.jpg
 
Here's another version I played a little with today. It has a completely different mood than the previous two.
I'd appreciate any feedback or pointers to improve it :)
Thanks a lot in advance!

View attachment 15398

Much better. for me now the focus is on the guitar. nice job.
 
Much better. for me now the focus is on the guitar. nice job.
Forgot to thank you. I think this one's better, too. It seems to me the metal parts and wood are better lightened and the background less distracting.

I'd love for someone with more experience in studio photography than I have (which is close to nothing actually), to tell me any problems issues you see with the photo and lighting.
 
I kind of like the quality the green lighting gives it. I prefer the second of the two though because the background has less texture.
 

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