Scott, what do you think?

[Beadz Gone Wild]

I read your wonderful tutorial for photo shop and I think I understand what I'm doing. Please take a look at my before and after pictures and tell me what you think. This is my real first attempt at using photoshop with my new camera.





What can I do to make these better?

Thanks
________________________
Roberta

[Tanner Studios]

Hey Roberta, not bad. Now add a white fill card while shooting the photo. Use a clean piece of paper, foam core or poster board. Set it up opposite to the main light to bounce light back into the subject. This will fill the shadow side of the bead with light. It will show so make sure its clean with nice edges. Make it about 12 inches long by 3 to 4 inches high. Notice the white ghost line running along the lower right hand side of my heart. Thats the reflection of the fill card.


Also, watch your shadows. In the first photo the shadow is too big and too dark (fill card will help with the deep tone ). Its creating to much weight. Try bring the light forward and this will tuck the shadow under the bead a little.

The shadow of the second photo is just so wrong. When shooting down on your subject never light from the front. The shadows must always come down and move to the foreground. Notice how your shadow is moving to the background. This creates an unnatural balance producing an awkward tension in the composition.

But way to go. It looks like you've a handle on your levels.
Scott

[Beadz Gone Wild]

Scott,
both pictures were taken in natual sunlight and not a dome or light box. Would it be better to use something along these lines.
Thanks
--------------------
Roberta

[Tanner Studios]

Using the sun Mmm that will make it tricky to move your light

Using the sun is fine. the trick is to defuse the light. A lot of people will tell you to shoot on an over cast day or in the shade. Thats because the direct sun light is defused. How ever the problem with that is color balance. The color hues will be in the blue range. You can correct this two ways. First you can use a 81 series ( Amber ) filter on the lens. 81b with light over cast or a 81c for heavy over cast and deep shade (81 less correction 81ef most correction ). The second way is with levels to correct the color balance. by adding yellow.

Heres another option that will give you the more control. Make a defusing screen. There are products made for this you can find at photography stores. But you can use almost thing that is white that will let light pass through it. Such as fabric, Plexiglas, wax paper or rip stop nylon.

What you will need to do is pick up or make a frame. It will reflect into your bead so make sure it is White or Black and just plain ( no carvings ). The best would be to spay paint it with MAT finish black paint. Stretch the material onto the frame. The size should be 11x14 or larger.

Now position it between the sun and your subject and you now have an instant soft box. And will no longer have to wait for an over cast day. All you have to do now is think about your shadows. Shooting between 11am and 1pm will give you shorter shadows ( noon being the shortest ). Depending on how heavy of defusing material you use you may have shadows so light that they will no longer be a concern.

But the same things that I mention before still apply. Still use a fill card. Still be aware of how the motion of light influences the composition of the photograph.
Scott

P.S Heres a quick shot of a defusing screen ( ie "Flag" photo lingo ). This photo is to only show the screen and does not shown the proper set up. Also if I was using it to light glass I would steam it to remove the wrinkles. They could show up in the reflection in the Beads.

[Beadz Gone Wild]

Thanks Scott...................I'll give it a try this week end. Great information for someone who is photo illiterate. LOL But we all have to start somewhere, right? You are the photography god. I'm not worthy...........I'm not worthy.............I'm not worthy.
_____________________-
Roberta

[Tanner Studios]

Another thing you need to keep in mind. BE CONSTANT ! shoot at the same time of day, use the same set up every time. This will pay off with the learning curve. If your not constant it will be difficult to trouble shoot. Once you have a constant way of shooting then you can make small changes to refine your images.

Learning photography is like any thing else. If you throw mud at the wall, some of it will stick. So throw a lot of mud.
Scott

[Tanner Studios]

Ok here is a cheesy Illustration I knocked out to show how to set up the defusing screen. The white lines are the screen and fill card.

You can also use this inside. Just replace the sun with a lamp i.e. light source.


Now you will need to be aware of reflections ( camera, you, tripod any stands holding the screen ) You may need some black cards or black velvet or felt to subtract any thing unwanted thats showing on the bead.

Basically you are creating controlled shade.
Scott

[ziggys]

Sorry to intrude here but this is really helpful for a total novice like me. But I have to ask, where would you put the black card/velvet/felt? Under the bead? In front of the screen? Around the camera lens? Now I'm really showing my ignorance huh? Blush

[Tanner Studios]

Angela, When shooting outside you have the added problem of everything around the set being lit equally by the same light source. So the Idea with the black felt is to create a reverse light tent to subtract the light. Any thing unwanted that is reflecting into the bead can be hidden by covering it with black. Black velvet or felt are great because they absorb so much light. You can cut a hole just big enough for the lens the shoot through and drape it in a "U" shape from one side to the other. Peek the lens through the hole. This will block out every reflection from the sides and front.

Scott

[ziggys]

Scott, Now I understand! Funny, just when I think I've figured out how to do something I find out I've got a lot further to go! LOL!
Thanks for the detailed explanation,

[Tanner Studios]

Angela, I've spent a life time with photography and still I'm learning something new all the time. Just be open to what works and learn from what doesn't.
Scott

[ziggys]

Great advice Scott. I'll remember that.

[bob]

Hearing your insight on shooting beads is very helpful thanks. What I really wanted to say though is I love you heart pendant, nice work.
Bob Proulx