Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/10/02
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Small shiny objects are indeed difficult to light well. First, does she want them in some environment or can they be on a bland background? If a bland background is acceptable find some dark velvet, a piece of slate, or some black turtle beans. All of those work well at absorbing light and also let you position your subject where you want it. If your friend has an environment in mind then some wax or some such is in order to hold the beads where you want them. If you are in a large city then find the pro house in town and find out who carries all the odds and ends that food stylists and catalogue houses use. There is a wax that works great and doesn't stay on your subject. Assuming you have the lens, bellows, close up lens, extension tubes, and etc to get past life-size then you next need to determine what your client expects, specifically what in the way of highlights are acceptable. If no highlight is wanted then you will need to make a tent of white fabric to place over the beads. If you have a sturdy tripod and access to a window then a flash isn't needed. Just rotate until the light looks good, stop well down to maybe F11 or perhaps F16 and count as many seconds as you need. Alternatively, use a flash well away from the tent to give a broad swath of light, just like the window. If you are not TTL then be aware of light loss through the lens and to the tent. If a highlight is OK then rig a softbox out of foamcore and Roscoe diffusion material to provide the kind of highlight you client wants. Your box doesn't have to be big, just the size of the set. To accent the highlight use pieces of black paper or blackened foamcore in select locations to hold back reflections on the off side of the object. Easy as pie, and this is one occasion where a digital of a camera that can pull Polaroid's is invaluable. If you have any questions don't be afraid to email Don dorysrus@mindspring.com - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html