# Photo help please



## sandking (Dec 21, 2006)

Well I decided to start my own thread instead of taking over someone else's.  I am having some problems getting the nice pictures you folks get.  Here is my setup:

Two painting lights and a halogen desk lamp in the front.  The box has squares cut in the top and sides with tissue paper taped to it.







Here are the pics from tonight:








This is after I put it in photoshop and adjusted the brightness:








I can't tell if it's just the pen or my picture.  It just doesn't seem to have that "IT FACTOR" everyone else gets.  I wish I could get it brighter without having to photoshop it.

Here is a picture I took before making this cheap light box.  All I used was one of those cheap light trees they sell at Wally World for bedrooms:








This one was taken in my light box with the same setup as the first pictures:















*Any help would be greatly appreciated!!!*


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## Dario (Dec 22, 2006)

I don't take great pics but maybe I can help a bit.

You pics looks nice (especially the last 2 pics)  but maybe using the gradient background (shared by Fangar) will help you get the punch you are looking for.  FYI, Fangar offered to email copies to anyone interested...you can print your own after.  I use that and it helped my pics.

Can't resist...looks like the ink refill on the Jr. Statesman is not going through completely too [] []


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## sandking (Dec 22, 2006)

Called Craft Supplies about the nib and they are supposed to send me new ones.


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## sandking (Dec 22, 2006)

What is the gradiant background.


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## Dario (Dec 22, 2006)

Check my album and look at the pics.  The gradient background is the darker top and slowly lighten as it goes down.


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## sandking (Dec 22, 2006)

I can do that with Photoshop and make my own with different colors also thanks for passing along that tip.  Nice pens and equally nice pics.  Do you keep the paper flat and have the camera pointed down towards it, or is it pulled up higher so that there is a gentle curve?  We I was in the catalog business all the photo shoots had the gentle curve so you didn't see the where the floor and wall met.


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## dbriski (Dec 22, 2006)

After playing a bit with my photos, I found I personally like a dark background.  It makes the pen pop out at you more than the light background.  It also makes your camera slow down a few stops because of less light reflecting from the background creating better exposure in the foreground.  The first picture looks just a tad out of focus also, I still have difficult with perfect focus and depth of field. The jr Statesman photo looks quite good. Maybe shift your front light lower so the bottom half of the pen isn't as dark.


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## Fangar (Dec 22, 2006)

Joe,

I think the last one of the Jr. Looks great.  Good lighting and clarity and just the right amount of snine on the barrels.  The gradient that Dario mentioned make the camera work better for you.  The stark white has a tendancy to close the shutter speed down.  The gradient adds just enough shadow to allow the shutter to stay open just a bit longer accepting more natural light.  

I would have to find it, but I can email it to you if you like.  

Fangar


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## sandking (Dec 22, 2006)

Thanks James.  I think I can make one in photoshop.  It looks like a fad if I was checking out the right picture.  It's a great idea and the nice part is I can use lots of different colors.  I can see what you mean about the white reflecting playing tricks on the camera.


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## Rifleman1776 (Dec 22, 2006)

Note, your second picture compliments the pen better than the other two. If your objective is simply a good rendition of the pen, use backgrounds that are close in shade (not necessarily color) to the object. That will avoid sharp contrasts and confusing the not-too-smart auto exposure of the camera. Before posting, crop out all wasted background. That will give a smaller file size while maintaining a large pen image. Your set-up looks good. Good tripod is important and I see you use that. The only thing in your set-up I would change, and this is a matter of taste, is to put your main lights at 45 degree angles to the object and use only a small front fill.


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## bobkeyes (Dec 22, 2006)

Just my 2 cents worth. I have found it hard to get good pix using different kinds of lighting. I would find it hard to use 2 incandescent and one halogen light together. The camera reacts differently to each type of light. I use all florescent lights, but all halogen or all something would be my choice.

Next, you need to set the white balance on your camera for your particular lighting source. If you can't do that try the auto white balance.

With all that said, the pix don't look that bad to me. In fact, with an exception or two they are quite good. If you have the capability open up the exposure a little and you'll get that "sparkle" you're looking for.


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## bob393 (Dec 23, 2006)

Just a note after looking at picture #2 the first pen picture. 
I barcket all my exposures since I and the auto exposure can't seem to get it right, ever. I tend to like slightly underexposed pictures anyway, it tends to bring out the colors better. Since digital is free, hee hee, I would start with two stops under to one stop over in half stop increments. You can narrow it down later but that's how I would start.


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## kenwc (Dec 23, 2006)

Fanger...could you email that to me as well please.


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## bnoles (Dec 23, 2006)

James,

I can't let my friend Ken get ahead of me, so I'd better ask for one also.... besides, I need all the help I can get []


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## Fangar (Dec 23, 2006)

I would be happy to.  Can you guys shoot me an email via the forum so that I can reply to yours.  I can't attach anything unless I have the email address.

Fangar


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