----- Original Message -----
From: "Paul Jones"
Subject: Product Photography
Hi,
I'm interested in doing some product photography, mainly shots
of smallish objects like camera equipment, models and similar.
I'm wondering what equipment i will need, i'm prepared to buy a
few bits and pieces and how i should go about doing it.
I can use either an LX or MZ-S and i have enough lense to cover
most focal lengthes. The only flash i really have is a cheap
haminex which is not ttl. altough i was considering buying a
AF220T, as i can use this for macro work also.
Any help appreciated.
Big topic. Unless you want to go out and spend mondo dollars for
lighting, forget about flash. For product photography, you need
WYSIWYG lighting. You need modeling lights at the same plane
exactly as the flash tubes if you are going to use strobes. The
only lights I know of that provide this are Photogenics. We call
them Photo Genies in the trade, because they are magic.
Conventional camera type flash units contain a surprise in every
picture. This render them useless for small product.
Yoy can do really good lighting with ordinary quartz halogen
yard lights, available relatively inexpensively at most any
hardware or department store. Get 2 or three of them, then go to
a theatrical supply house and pick up some diffuser sheets
designed for hot lights.
For specular effects (great with jewelry) you can make a soft
box out of a largish cardboard box covered on the inside with
crumpled then flattened aluminium foil.
You are on your own for mounting all this stuff to the lights,
and do be careful about heat build up, especially if you are
using flamables such as cardboard for building light modifiers.
Theatrical diffusers and gels should be mounted at least 18" in
front of a yard light with lots of ventilation between. Don't
ever enclose one of these things, they build up a lot of heat in
a hurry.
Also, you will need an 80A filter to correct the colour of the
light to match daylight film. This also matters for black and
white film, contrary to popular misconception.
Also, common daylight with a few reflectors can be a pretty
darned good light source. Put a gobo over the product to diffuse
the sunlight and then bounce light in from the side to get the
effect you want. Pieces of foam core of varying sizes, some
covered with crumpled then flattened aluminium foil make great
reflectors.
Have fun
William Robb
-
This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe,
go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to
visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
