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Re: [OM] How to take proper product pics outside (WB?)

Subject: Re: [OM] How to take proper product pics outside (WB?)
From: "Jeff Keller" <om-list@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Thu, 28 Oct 2010 19:23:23 -0700
I think Chuck has suggested the right pieces. An alternative arrangement
would be to put the bolly boxes at 45 degrees behind the object with two
white reflectors in front also at 45 degrees. Leave enough gap between the
reflectors to stick your camera through. You would probably also need a
white background and table top (four pieces of white foam core with the
largest for the background). Vary focal length for size of object but keep
the camera pretty much the same position. You could continue shooting in
front rather than above.

If the brolly boxes are out of the field of view you may not have a
perfectly evenly illuminated background, but if there are any gleam lines
positioning the brolly boxes could turn them into the equivalent of a
portrait hair light rather than having white streaks on the front.

Jeff

-----Original Message-----
From: Olaf Greve [mailto:ogreve@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx] 
Subject: Re: [OM] How to take proper product pics outside (WB?)

Hi guys,

 >Exactly!  That's why you need tripod based working procedures.

As per your comments (respectively): I hear you, I hear you, and I  
hear you. ;)

I'll have to see how to go about it. If indeed I make use of a tripod,  
I'd still need to be able to set it up such that the camera would be  
shooting straight from above (with the items, of greatly varying  
sizes) lying on the table top. Previously, when shooting outdoors, I  
found this is often too cumbersome. Also... Remember the Gremlins?  
Well, my only two tripods that are suitable for mounting the camera  
for such shooting conditions, fell victim to them: both are broken and  
cannot steadily support the camera (due to the nature of the way they  
are broken) in all required positions.

In my current set-up I use these two tripods for mounting the flashes  
+ brolly boxes, and simply keep the camera hand held.

I know the right answer is to buy a decent tripod, and I also know  
that they are inexpensive, so I will buy one very soon, probably. My  
main issue, however, is the very limited time I tend to have for such  
things. Often, when doing anything hobby oriented for longer than some  
15-20 minutes I get pulled away by having my agenda re-prioritised as  
"I'm not doing anything anyway", if you catch my drift. ;)

This then makes for short shooting sessions, where in bursts I tend to  
take a few items, and quickly take as many shots as possible.

It will be a matter of experimenting a bit with the new set-up hand- 
held (with a 95% correctness score, as for the approach), vs.  
introducing a tripod for the camera in it and doing it the 100%  
correct way, at the risk that it may result to be too time  
consuming.... Having said all that; a thing I WOULD gain is the  
possibilty of working at night, which is very handy, as the Gremlins  
go to bed way earlier than I do, so I might have some opportunities of  
taking those pictures in the attic at night time, IF at least that  
doesn't disturb them (as I expect the flashes will still be visible  
downstairs).

Now... For a tiny practical thingy: yesterday I managed to find an  
aluminum strip, but I was very annoyed to find that the hardware shop  
I was at only has metric sized bolts, and the thread on the bolts  
wouldn't really (i.e. correctly) fit to that of the T20 connectors.

I am going to call around a bit, but it would be handy to know the  
exact thread diameter (is that 1/8th inch or so?) as well as the  
correct thread indication. I'm about to Google this, but does anyone  
perhaps know the exact dimensions of the width and thread size off hand?

Cheers,
Olafo
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