I need HELP......

[Gadget-UK]

Ok, before the puns start NOT that kind of help (I have very strong medication for that )

As you can all tell my photography skills are worse than useless
Does anyone live near(ish) to Poole that could give me some help, tips, show me what I am doing wrong (apart from everything )

I have a decent Camera, I have a Light Box, I have watched YouTube Tutorials and have done my utmost to get things right... BUT still fail miserably

Happy to supply Coffee / Tea / Sandwiches etc for someone to come and teach me how to take a Half decent Photo

Looking at some of the pictures of pens and other items people make the photos are amazing, clear, bright, the item stands out and it just highlights the item so nicely.... Mine are just PANTS & are letting me down badly

Anyone out there fancy teaching me

 

[Dalboy]

Yes we all need help and like you I keep taking the tablets.

Try pointing the camera the right way

All I use is a white backdrop and a simple camera. Check your white balance on mine I have a custom setting which when selected asks me to point it at say for example the back ground and press the shutter button. That seems to work for me. Once set just take the photos. Sometimes stand back and zoom in to fill the frame with what you want getting too close can make it harder

This is my set up and as you can see only use daylight to take mone and get the results as in the photo of the halftrack picture

 

[Gadget-UK]

Fantastic Photo... If Only

 

[Bammer]

Editing software to adjust the light ... I use Photoshop

 

[Gadget-UK]

But you have to start with a decent photo in the first place Brad


Lovely photo & Pen by the way

 

[alpha1]

That is a beautiful pen. Love the wood.

 

[Bammer]

But you have to start with a decent photo in the first place Brad


Lovely photo & Pen by the way

Just looked at your 4 pens post.

Get rid of the plastic stand.
Look like your lights are behind the camera causing shadows.
You say you are using a light box but I can see in some photos the table in the corner.
The light need to be diffused so you won't see the glare.

Take a photo of your set up ... might be able to advise

Brad

 

[Steve68]

That reminds me, I must give Vic a ring....

 

[Gadget-UK]

Just looked at your 4 pens post.

Get rid of the plastic stand.
Look like your lights are behind the camera causing shadows.
You say you are using a light box but I can see in some photos the table in the corner.
The light need to be diffused so you won't see the glare.

Take a photo of your set up ... might be able to advise

Brad

I will do tomorrow Brad
Some of the photos are what I call “Quick” and I didn’t get the photo stuff out hence the crap photos but they are just as bad WITH the photo box

I will post a photo tomorrow of my “Proper Set Up” and await your advice

 

[silver]

Get rid of the plastic stand.
Brad

 

[Penpal]

I use an open conduit frame,a sheet of 11inch by 14 inch copy paper and three lights,one each side a little to the rear and shaded by cardboard to keep light out of the lens. the top light sits on the conduit frame. Yesterday it took but 5 mins to photograph my Conkerberry Pen and show it on the site.I have no knowledge of fancy software at all.

Peter.

 

[wm460]

I have a decent Camera, I have a Light Box, I have watched YouTube Tutorials and have done my utmost to get things right... BUT still fail miserably

I feel your pain,

 

[Phil Dart]

I would say you're nearly there in fact Colin. You have all the right stuff, you just need to set it up slightly differently.

You have 3 lights, a light box and a camera. A tripod or some other method of holding the camera other than by hand would be useful too by the way, if you don't already have one.

Your main problem I think is the positioning of your lighting though.

There are other ways of doing it, but perceived wisdom for a three light system is that one of the light shines down from above, often slightly behind the subject. The tent will diffuse it, which as Brad says, will help to eliminate glare. The other two, in general terms should shine in at the floor level of the tent, or near to it, from the front corners of the tent, or maybe from the sides - a bit of experimenting will help you work out which is best, and depending on the subject you may find that the two are not necessarily positioned symmetrically.

You may already be doing that, but the thing is that you consistently have a harsh shadow created by the top light, which implies that the two side lights are either not strong enough or are too far away.

The purpose of the lighting positions is to illuminate the front, sides and top of the subject AND the area behind it, thereby softening the shadow from the one above. You need to know though, that a light 1 foot away will cast twice the light of one that is 2 feet away. If you double the distance, you halve the light, or conversely, if you halve the distance you double the light. Therefore bring the side lights nearer, or move the top light further away until by either method you get a balance. In fact you may find that a combination may be helpful, as increasing the top distance a little may help you reduce the high spots you are getting.

White balance has been mentioned already, which is also important, as has the ability to tweak in some sort of photo editor, which is also a benefit, but your main issue, as I see it, is the position and distance of your lights.

 

[21William]

One thing I found out is if you have a light tent you don’t need any lighting, just take it outside. You can’t get better lighting than the sun especially on a bright but overcast day. In my old house I used to take pictures in the conservatory and the light was excellent on an overcast day even without a light tent. If you must take pictures indoors you can get some good LED light panels quite cheap but you will need two or three.

Do a google or YouTube search on using a light tent and you’ll get all the info you need.

 

[Penpal]

If in Australia you were to depend on sunlight it is far too bright, then there is the wind and your shadow taking pics is inconsistent. Indoors fixed is heaven when you get your white balance. What I did was ring a guy in Sth Australia who said send mre an image he then told me the correction needed so I fixed two filter sheets one in front of each side light,magic. My top light is only a strip fluro of 8watts but tricolour or the nearest to true daylight. I fitted a bar about a third higher than the pen sits,made a 1/4 inch whitworth stem fitted half way along the bar to hold the camera latest version sits on a smallish 4 drawer cabinet that holds camera and odds and sods. It is in a corner of our dining room,unobtrusive and ready to go 24/7,takes but 5 minutes. Be wary of strip lights that hold many lights they can create a dotted line appearance on the pen etc. Also what I consider a pain is the small camera I use for pens has its memory card under the base that sits on the bar.

Bear in mind mine is a open box I found using diffusers required searchlights to make up for the loss of light when diffused. My side lights are a separated pair as used by tradies on a tripod on building sites. Around each one I cut and fitted thin foam cardboard shields to keep the light in the picture not showing or reflecting into the camera. I photograph manual focus even in my old age,I have a folded large print lettering I place in front of the pen to focus on.So I have done away with three tripods ie for the two side lights and the camera also a stand for the pen and use an 11 inch by 14 inch photocopy paper that ream is thirty years old now sat on a slow curve to give an endless back ground.

Another hobby of mine is Carnivorous Plants just setting up in the Lounge this terrarium that will house Albany Pitcher plants from Western Australia. the Larger stand (When I was welding the frame I went out front of the house and had an involuntary fall onto the 4 wheel drive mirror that buried deep as the spleen, I came back through the house simply said to Wilma I think I busted a couple of ribs and went out and finished the frame welding,next day ambulance to hospital could not move) outside next to my workshop has the taller Saracenia Carnivorous plants so I get my kicks as I go to my workshop,when we settle inside in the evening with my plants and pens amongst other passions. The deafening silence and lack of pics of successful picture takers should cease and be revealed,as for me from now on I will refer to this and other posts.

Kind regards Peter.