Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/09/21

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Subject: [Leica] More flash questions!
From: Martin Howard <howard.390@osu.edu>
Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2000 14:08:33 -0400

I need to take pictures of a few things to put up on eBay.  I'm using two
flash units for this: relatively small, hot-shoe mounted thingies.  Both are
on stands, one is connected to the camera via a PC-sync cord, the other is
on a slave-trigger shoe on another stand.

I use a separate lightmeter to measure the aperture I need to expose
properly.  So far, so good.  I get correctly exposed pictures, with
correctly balanced light (I have one provide one f-stop less light than the
other: key light and fill-in).

But, the problem I have is that there is too much 'glare' on chrome surfaces
and in highlights.  One way around this is, I guess, to move the lights
further away, but I have a whole bunch of different objects, some shot from
15cm, some from 70cm (all with a macro lens), so how do I calculate how far
away the lights should be?

I have a Photo Techniques article about macro flash, but it doesn't offer
any useful advice on light-to-subject distance.  However, they have pictures
in the article of highly reflective metal objects with beautiful detailing,
correct exposure, and no 'glare' in the highlights.

Any advice?

M.

- -- 
Martin Howard                     | "I am Pentium of Borg.  Division is
Visiting Scholar, CSEL, OSU       | futile.  You will be approximated."
email: howard.390@osu.edu         |                            -- Unknown
www: http://mvhoward.i.am/        +---------------------------------------

Replies: Reply from "Mike Durling" <durling@widomaker.com> (Re: [Leica] More flash questions!)