It's cold.....I hate the cold....I'm suffering from the I want to shoot but it's cold outside blues......so today I took pictures of a fork and spoon. Heh! Kept me busy for a little while at least.... I've been meaning to pick up some of those really cool/weird looking squash thingies at the market to photograph.....haven't done that yet.... anyway...photojournalism it ain't...isn't quite art either, just something totally meaningless......but I had fun doing it.... I should mention I'm reading my Zone System book, and I tried using my grey card for the exposure reading...I adjusted my shutter speed by 2 stops. This was all done on the digital....

I am, therefore I create.......
--- michelleamarante.com

One more.........

I am, therefore I create.......
--- michelleamarante.com

Not totally meaningless, dinner is ready. And uh er when do we eat?

Not totally meaningless. You had fun. You learned some about Zone, (white and metal are difficult). And you must have eaten the pears, as this was the plate they were on. I know what you mean about this time of year. Must be the weather here in the North. Haven't had my camera out for two-three weeks.[Know what I want to do for Point of View, but need to do it on Thanksgiving, so may not be done.]

Good project for building a tent to put the objects in for lighting.

It is definitely cold out right now -- but here's something to warm everybody up.

ok you have the cutlery and the plate sorted, you also have a main course in here, so thought i would add a totally meaning less picture of my own . lol

Ok....now that the plates are all diry....who's going to clean them?...LOL!

I am, therefore I create.......
--- michelleamarante.com

Im not sure where your from Michelle A and sure as hell im not trecking half way across the world with me rubber gloves and me wahing up liquid. lol

This is to announce that while you weren't looking I did the dishes, so let's get on with more food.

Yes, like said above. Metallics and whites are hard "targets". I think you've done well. And, though not mushrooms (LOL), the subject matter is somewhat interesting.

There are several ways to eliminate the the speculars and reflections for this type of work. The question is... Do you know how? And if that isn't a leading question, I don't know what is. Heh ;-)

Ok the first thing that comes to mind would be to use a polarizer....of course I was indoors so that is the last thing I was thinking of when doing this..... I know it works for glass and water....but metallic surfaces too? Hmmm......not sure..... Am I even close?...........

I am, therefore I create.......
--- michelleamarante.com

I wouldcertainly like to know the method(s) for elimionating reflections, etc. in this kind of photo. All I know anything about is composition -- and maybe I don't know much about that. Technically, I am inept.

hehehe... A few more guesses and will provide some answers :-)

Ain't I a #!*%@!&^

BTW... There is more than one way, and while a polorizing filter would help, it would not work nearly as well as what I am thinking about. Also (just as an FYI) I had to shoot a large silver platter today with glasses of wine in front of it and used a variation of this method. I don't have the photo here at home, but will post it tomorrow.

Got me.

..don't you even start with coldness, it's -15 celsius here and getting colder. Damn you warmblooded wailing people. Beautiful work, and I disagree removing reflections, it just adds more to images like this. The first one rocks, but second one doesn't somehow work. ..Michelle with zone systems, sounds dangerous.. .n

LOL...funny how images strike people. I like the second one better. The first is more true to the actual tones, I think, but their is just a hint of surrealness to the second what I like.

...I think hairspray?

I have a feeling I am going to learn a great deal from you folks.

hmmmm, no polarizer... Maybe you'll have to bounce the flash around some (using that white umbrella or a neutral grey card...) I'm not really at home in the studio, but I would like to learn as much as possible. Please tell us, alpha....

Ain't I a #!%@!&^* Now that I feel totally stupid....I'll say yes you are...heh! So please tell me, because I'm racking my brains trying to think of something else and can't come up with anything.

I am, therefore I create.......
--- michelleamarante.com

OK here's the skinny...

When shooting highly reflective items such as silver, glass, polished metal, etc. the best way to eliminate unwanted reflections and even out the the light to avoid blown out specular highlights is to create a light tent.

This will work in natural light and studio light situations. Basicaly all you need to do is surround the area of your subject with a white translucent material. This can range from nylon, to muslin to white bed sheets. The key is to completely surround the subject so that no other objects can be reflected. Once the basic tent is in place, cut a small hole that is just big enough for your lens.

Of course using a tripod to support the camera is almost a must, but I can assure you that using this technique will eliminate any unwanted reflections and give you a smooth even light.

The photo above used a sheet in front of the platter, but I did not have enough material on hand to completely surround it. Subsequently there are some unwanted reflection, but not bad for a limited set-up.

Doh!!!.......LOL......ya know I was wondering what the hell billglaw meant when he said something about a tent....I thought he was talking about going camping. Hehe! Sounds like a good project to try sometime....and you know I will have to try it.

I am, therefore I create.......
--- michelleamarante.com

Alpha, that tent set-up works mostly for tight shots and those that don't require a background, right? I had a DOP project before and I have had major problems with unwanted reflections, specially with shooting entire rooms with mirror and metal walls, and dining rooms with elaborate table settings. A shot slipped past me where the reflection of the photographer (who I was working with) showed up on a spoon. (It was small and hardly noticeable, but I pointed it out to my boss who by then already ran the image on a local paper.) :-P Matte spray can only help a little (and sometimes not at all because the sheen is far too gone to look realistic). So how do you solve that problem? (*

I would really have to see the rooms you are talking about Jovan, but in general I would say limited, or no artificail light if possible and camera angle are the best place to start. Every situation has it own unique set of challenges, and every set of problems have a solution. The trick is in identifying them.

Hmmm... dang, I left them transparencies in the agency... Will try to see if I swiped some of them. Hehe... ;-) (*