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Thread: Suggestions?

  1. #16
    Registered Member rickztahone's Avatar
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    Default Re: Suggestions?

    Quote Originally Posted by SMB2 View Post
    Set the pen as you want it to show. With your camera on a tripod, you can auto focus with the lights on. Then turn the focus to manual. This will hold the focus so you can then turn out the lights and take the shot without the camera trying to adjust the focus. Then you just take your shots and play with exposure to get what you want.

    That box is really funny. It has it's own Youtube video on how to get it to fold back up to fit in the carry case. You need six arms and at least one foot.


    Ardan, do as Stan says and pre-focus on the subject with the lights on. Then, turn off lights after you have switched the camera/lens to manual mode.

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  2. #17
    Registered Member Ardan's Avatar
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    Default Re: Suggestions?

    Quote Originally Posted by rickztahone View Post


    Ardan, do as Stan says and pre-focus on the subject with the lights on. Then, turn off lights after you ha
    ve switched the camera/lens to manual mode.
    Will do, as soon as I get a chance. I am working on the other one now.

    OK
    With Tripod
    F8
    iso 100
    shutter speed 0.6" ?? That's what it says to get 0 on the exposure meter.
    WB Shade (it's daylight, inside near window, not direct sun)
    https://img0.etsystatic.com/100/0/10...98422_5ek9.jpg

    Now it looks better to me
    What do you think?
    or should I do some post processing? lighten it up?
    Ardan

  3. #18
    Registered Member Ardan's Avatar
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    Default Re: Suggestions?


  4. #19
    Photo Guru SMB2's Avatar
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    Default Re: Suggestions?

    It does indeed look better as far as exposure is concerned.
    With F8 the wood grain is distracting and takes the eye from the product. I would try a solid soft non reflective material.
    Also your product is clipped at the top and bottom. Either try a true vertical (portrait) composition or place the subject tangentially.

    Yes it will take a slow shutter speed to get the aperture you want, hence the tripod and shutter release cable. If you don't have a cable use the delay (Find the setting in your menu where you push the shutter release and there is a delay of 5 or 10 seconds before the picture is taken.) With the delay, you push the shutter button and the camera has time for any micro shake to go away , the picture is then taken.

    Try some lighter exposures: +1/3, +2/3, +1 to see if you like that better. Also as you change the background, exposure may change some.

    Screen Shot 2015-09-14 at 5.34.10 PM.jpg
    Last edited by SMB2; 09-14-2015 at 05:35 PM.
    Stan

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  5. #20
    Registered Member rickztahone's Avatar
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    Default Re: Suggestions?

    That does indeed look better exposed, however, I think I would slow down the shutter just a tad bit more. Remember, your exposure scale is merely a guide, not a rule. When it is at 0, it is giving you a good reading of what is in front of it, but in a large scale. Your subject in this instance is the key subject, and your exposure scale is taking your background in to consideration when giving you your exposure reading. Again, if you take a shot, and it looks dark to you, make it lighter to your eye. Product photography in many ways is easier than run and gun photography because you have the option to take your time to adjust your settings.

    I believe you are on the right track here. Personally, I think it would look great standing up somehow, or in a bottle as mentioned previously. However, I am getting this weird feeling of a fish eye look for some reason and I am not sure why. It may just be because of the way the wood behind the subject is grained, or something along those lines. Either way, this one is much better than the first, but you are focusing more on the bottom part of the subject (closest to you), rather than the top, the most important part. When you take a shot like this, always give the priority to the main subject. For this, you'd either have to be right over the subject shooting down, or placing the subject at an angle so that you have a better view of the subject.

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    http://i3.cpcache.com/product/162117...ht=75&width=75
    Want to look like Al did at his ACA talk with his white Simply Polo shirt?(You can catch Al's awesome Discus talk HERE)
    You can get this and many more items such as T-shirts/Polos/hoodies/cups from our merchandise shop:
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  6. #21
    Registered Member Ardan's Avatar
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    Default Re: Suggestions?

    Thanks Stan,
    I agree the background now takes away from the product.
    Is this one as good as the pop up one you recommend?
    http://www.amazon.com/CowboyStudio-2...p+up+photo+box

    It has it's own Youtube video on how to get it to fold back up to fit in the carry case. You need six arms and at least one foot.


    Thanks!!

    Ardan

  7. #22
    Registered Member Ardan's Avatar
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    Default Re: Suggestions?

    Quote Originally Posted by rickztahone View Post
    That does indeed look better exposed, however, I think I would slow down the shutter just a tad bit more. Remember, your exposure scale is merely a guide, not a rule. When it is at 0, it is giving you a good reading of what is in front of it, but in a large scale. Your subject in this instance is the key subject, and your exposure scale is taking your background in to consideration when giving you your exposure reading. Again, if you take a shot, and it looks dark to you, make it lighter to your eye. Product photography in many ways is easier than run and gun photography because you have the option to take your time to adjust your settings.

    I believe you are on the right track here. Personally, I think it would look great standing up somehow, or in a bottle as mentioned previously. However, I am getting this weird feeling of a fish eye look for some reason and I am not sure why. It may just be because of the way the wood behind the subject is grained, or something along those lines. Either way, this one is much better than the first, but you are focusing more on the bottom part of the subject (closest to you), rather than the top, the most important part. When you take a shot like this, always give the priority to the main subject. For this, you'd either have to be right over the subject shooting down, or placing the subject at an angle so that you have a better view of the subject.
    HMM I did buy a fish eye lens a while back, haven't had time to play with it
    Oh boy, too many toys

    I think I will try placing it at the angle and change the backround.... looking at those pop up boxes. I have been having trouble with light reflection on my acrylic products and those pics I have not been using....
    I can see where diffused light would be a great plus here. That flash may come in handy then!

    Ardan

  8. #23
    Photo Guru SMB2's Avatar
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    Default Re: Suggestions?

    All the boxes are about the same. You aren't going to give them rough use so I would just pick one.
    As Ricardo says, don't be afraid to try other exposures.
    Stan

    SIMPLY DISCUS IS AN OXYMORON

  9. #24
    Registered Member Ardan's Avatar
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    Default Re: Suggestions?

    Quote Originally Posted by SMB2 View Post
    All the boxes are about the same. You aren't going to give them rough use so I would just pick one.
    As Ricardo says, don't be afraid to try other exposures.
    Thank you Stan!
    I ordered that box and the remote shutter cable. (the remote I have is with the flash)
    When those items come in (I think they will be a great help, and they weren't too costly either), then I will try some more pictures and post them here. Looks like it could be within the week that I get them. Should be fun to play with and I think a great help, I really appreciate the advice!!!
    Thanks for taking the time here. I really mean that!

    Ardan

  10. #25
    Registered Member rickztahone's Avatar
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    Default Re: Suggestions?

    Let us know how it goes when they come in . This is the main reason we started this section Ardan, to help others better their photography skills

    Click here to view my 75g Acrylic Tank w/ Bean Animal Overflow with 40g Sump Thread

    Also, click here for my 25 group of discus grow out thread


    http://i3.cpcache.com/product/162117...ht=75&width=75
    Want to look like Al did at his ACA talk with his white Simply Polo shirt?(You can catch Al's awesome Discus talk HERE)
    You can get this and many more items such as T-shirts/Polos/hoodies/cups from our merchandise shop:
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  11. #26
    Photo Guru SMB2's Avatar
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    Default Re: Suggestions?

    Hey no problem.
    We enjoy photography and if we can pass on something helpful all the better.
    Can't wait to see what you come up with.

    This was an image using the "box" with a black cloth background. The box was mostly to confine the frog. If you look in the eye you can see the three flashes used to light the scene, even though they were outside the box. It was a project for the Nat. Zoo. These little guys don't sit still for very long...
    Dendrobates terribilis

    20141118_Z00_145329_2770-Edit.jpg
    Stan

    SIMPLY DISCUS IS AN OXYMORON

  12. #27
    Registered Member Ardan's Avatar
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    Default Re: Suggestions?

    Fantastic Stan!! Really amazing what you folks can do
    Thanks for sharing the pic and the tips. Both of you

    I look forward to improving and learning and will get on this as soon as my stuff gets here

    Ardan

  13. #28
    Registered Member Ardan's Avatar
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    Default Re: Suggestions?

    https://img1.etsystatic.com/103/0/10...61903_fgf0.jpg

    Much Better!

    50 mm f2.8 set at f8
    on tripod
    using remote
    using photo tent
    using flash pointed at top of photo tent, flash set to auto (I tried different %, but auto seemed best, pointing flash to top seemed best also)
    shutter speed 0.6"
    iso 100
    WB Shade


    The results are night and day! I spent a lot of time photographing new items and redoing old items on my etsy site.

    I think the items really POP now!

    Thanks for the help and suggestions. I am open to more tips if you have them.

    Ardan

    Last edited by rickztahone; 09-22-2015 at 12:07 PM.

  14. #29
    Registered Member rickztahone's Avatar
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    Default Re: Suggestions?

    Quote Originally Posted by Ardan View Post
    https://img1.etsystatic.com/103/0/10...61903_fgf0.jpg

    Much Better!

    50 mm f2.8 set at f8
    on tripod
    using remote
    using photo tent
    using flash pointed at top of photo tent, flash set to auto (I tried different %, but auto seemed best, pointing flash to top seemed best also)
    shutter speed 0.6"
    iso 100
    WB Shade


    The results are night and day! I spent a lot of time photographing new items and redoing old items on my etsy site.

    I think the items really POP now!

    Thanks for the help and suggestions. I am open to more tips if you have them.

    Ardan
    That does look much better! Here are a couple more suggestions:

    You can leave the flash on "auto" or rather TTL, which means Through The Lens setting. This means that the camera body is determining the correct exposure for the capture. You can still change the "gain" in the flash. If I remember this correctly, on that body, you would hit the fn button, once on the function screen, if you do not see anything, cycle through your different display settings on the LCD and you will see a screen where on the right hand side you will see a "flash" adjustment of some kind. I forgot the actual words it says, but it says flash something. You can simply go up or down on the flash directly from your camera

    Additionally, while the product looks much better in my opinion, you are still getting what we call vignetting. Vignetting is the black areas you see around the product here. Typically you see vignetting when you shoot your lens at wider apertures, however, in this shot, from your EXIF data, you did not. This means, that another flash would serve you will in your product photography. I know it sounds like a lot of money, but at this point, a second flash speedlight would do wonders for filling it those dark spots which in all honesty hinder a product shot.

    Do you remember me mentioning fluidity throughout a gallery? When you have vignetting on a product shot, and then you place them next to each other in a set, it disrupts the natural fluidity of the set. Again, a flash will help with this vignetting significantly.

    Furthermore, one thing to remember about flash photography, and I do not want to get too technical here, is that the closer the flash is to a subject, the more "feathered" or rather, the more diffused the shadows will be. I know it sounds backwards, but it is the case. So, if you have a flash that is super close to your subject, and it is shot through a modifier (softbox, diffusion sheet, etc.), the shadows will not be as harsh as it would if it were further away. The flash "wraps" itself around a subject more when it is closer than further away. This is analogous to the relationship with our sun and long shadows in the evening.

    Lastly, there is a small bit of glare on the main subject. You want to avoid these types of glares as much as possible, especially when the glare lands directly on the main part of your subject, in this case the rock. Avoiding glare is ONE of the most difficult things to avoid in product photography. Diffusion helps greatly here. Remind me, do you have some kind of diffuser, or are you relying solely on the white tent as your diffuser? If you are only relying on the tent as diffusion, try the following, go get some wax paper, hang it in front of the flash somehow, not directly touching the flash, mind you because it does get hot, and shoot through the wax paper, through the tent, and to your subject. Keep in mind that you will have to raise the gain on your flash in order to compensate for lost lighting by way of the wax paper.

    I will not flood you with more info for now, but just know, you are definitely on the right track here, and that shot itself can be displayed as is on a site. I just want you to get even better shots at this point. A secondary flash will do that.

    P.S., how are you firing the flash? Direct line of sight via IR sensor? If so, check out some cheap "trigger sets" off ebay for remote triggering where they do not need line of sight. This way, you can have 2 flashes on triggers and they do not have to be too close to each other in order to fire. I made the picture viewable on your post, rather than going to another tab. Hope you don't mind.

    Click here to view my 75g Acrylic Tank w/ Bean Animal Overflow with 40g Sump Thread

    Also, click here for my 25 group of discus grow out thread


    http://i3.cpcache.com/product/162117...ht=75&width=75
    Want to look like Al did at his ACA talk with his white Simply Polo shirt?(You can catch Al's awesome Discus talk HERE)
    You can get this and many more items such as T-shirts/Polos/hoodies/cups from our merchandise shop:
    Cafepress.com

  15. #30
    Administrator and MVP Dec.2015 Second Hand Pat's Avatar
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    Default Re: Suggestions?

    Very nice improvement Ardan
    Pat
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