Shiny Stuff

Thanks for all your support.
You're a real professional.

(Is Smak Jewellery in German?)

J
"Lourens Smak" wrote in message
...
In article , "Jack"
wrote:

Are you saying that these shots were shot at an angle?
http://www.moled.cwc.net/Pics/CatSamp4.jpg

Is the camera at an angle or the object?

If you use a longer lens, it gets easier a bit and the angle won't show
up as quickly. You only need a small change from the 90 degrees anyway.
(go for as small a difference as possible!)

I use a proportional font so I hope the diagram below is clear when you
read it....

LLL C L=softlight C=camera
\ / (reflecting angle)
/ -- \ bracelet with reflector cards next to it, top and bottom.

(light coming from the "top", when looking at the final image, will be
best.) If you use a longer lens, the light and camera will be further
away from the bracelet, and also the angle will get less...

If you have a flexible camera (Sinar etc.) you can use the shift
function to shoot at an angle while it still looks perfectly straight.

Usually I add a spot with grid
Can you please explain what this means?

It's a matte black metal honeycomb-grid with a certain thickness, so
light goes straight through it, but not at an angle. A grid is used to
create a beam of light. It changes the direction of the light, not the
light itself.

Couldn't find a better example quickly, but he
http://www.profoto.com/product_category.php?catId=118
you see some tiny images; the actual product pages don't have images,
sadly. They come in different sizes to fit onto different reflectors.

Lourens

Here's my example
http://www.moled.cwc.net/Pics/DSC_3338-W.jpg

What do you think for a stright catalogue shot?


"Lourens Smak" wrote in message
...
In article , "Jack"
wrote:

http://www.moled.cwc.net/Pics/CatSamp4.jpg


First: http://www.moled.cwc.net/Pics/DSC_2930-2.jpg
Second: http://www.moled.cwc.net/Pics/DSC_3032S.jpg
Third: http://www.moled.cwc.net/Pics/DSC_3095S.jpg

Thanks Lourens
I take your point about the white card. Trouble is I have a few hundred
pieces I need to photograph and I don't know whether I need to get each one
perfect.

It's not very noticeable but this bracelet has white and yellow gold links.
How can I make the yellow more yellow?

Thanks again for your expertise.

J


"Lourens Smak" wrote in message
...
In article ,
"Jack" wrote:

Here's my example
http://www.moled.cwc.net/Pics/DSC_3338-W.jpg

What do you think for a stright catalogue shot?

It's not so bad, I like that it has a bit more contrast than the other
examples. but:

- use a ruler or so to push the bracelet 100% straight... ;-) a small
pin or so is handly for small adjustments. (avoid fingerprints at all
costs)

- I don't like the clip, it has too much black in it. (nothing a piece
of white cardboard won't fix.)

- use bigger reflector-cards; because of the rounded shape quite a big
area reflects in the jewelry. you can see in the reflection
(bottom-left) the end of the reflector. You'll get a more even and
"perfect" looking bracelet, and slightly softer light. (small difference
but it's the details that do the trick)

It could be handy to make a small board with background on it, that you
can easily push around the frame with the bracelet on it. Otherwise you
will need to push the bracelet itself around sometimes, or fiddle with
the camera-position and/or lights and reflectors all the time.

You're definitely on the right track!
;-)
Lourens

Jack, if you need to do that many, then you need to get a diffusion dome,
otherwise you are going to drive yourself mad with having to painfully
adjust the lighting and reflectors everytime you lay a new piece down, or
even move the current piece a few millimeters..

The color differentiation is a product of lighting angle, light temperature
color gels, exposure, and choice of emulsion... It is not easy or
everyone would be doing it for themselves... This is why pros get paid well
for this...
denny...

"Jack" wrote in message
...
Thanks Lourens
I take your point about the white card. Trouble is I have a few hundred
pieces I need to photograph

Hi Dennis
I have a Light Box with one large white reflector card on the other side,
that do a good job.
How would a "diffusion dome" help me?

Thanks
J
"Dennis O'Connor" wrote in message
...
Jack, if you need to do that many, then you need to get a diffusion dome,
otherwise you are going to drive yourself mad with having to painfully
adjust the lighting and reflectors everytime you lay a new piece down, or
even move the current piece a few millimeters..

The color differentiation is a product of lighting angle, light
temperature
color gels, exposure, and choice of emulsion... It is not easy or
everyone would be doing it for themselves... This is why pros get paid
well
for this...
denny...

"Jack" wrote in message
...
Thanks Lourens
I take your point about the white card. Trouble is I have a few hundred
pieces I need to photograph